Villaviciosa de Odón

At 661 metres above sea level, Villaviciosa de Odón catches the breeze that Madrid misses. Thirty kilometres southwest of the capital, the air carries pine rather than petrol, and church bells compete with traffic only during rush hour. For a city that never quite managed to shake off its village roots, this is both blessing and curse.

A Castle Without Fairy-Tale Trim

The fifteenth-century Castillo de Villaviciosa de Odón squats on its hill like a stone bulldog. It is private property, so expect no waxwork nobles or gift-shop armoury. What you get instead is a free 45-minute tour most Saturday mornings—book ahead by emailing the tourist office before Wednesday night. Turn up at 10:50 sharp with photo ID; the guide starts the head-count at 11:00 and latecomers are left on the pavement. The commentary is Spanish-only, but they will lend you a single-page English crib sheet that condenses six centuries into four paragraphs. Even without the gloss, the battlements deliver a 270-degree sweep: the grey blocks of the European University to the east, the cork-oak speckles of Casa de Campo beyond, and the A-5 motorway snaking back towards Madrid like a tarmac river.

Walk-ups sometimes try their luck on non-tour days, photographing the keep through the railings. The angles are decent—best light falls after 16:00 when the western sun warms the stone—but remember you are standing in a residential street. Someone's wheelie bin will photo-bomb you eventually.

Green, Not Gaudy

Below the castle, the Parque de la Máquina unfurls across 22 hectares of former agricultural land. Mature ash and poplar give shade in summer; in winter the leaf drop opens sight-lines to the distant Guadarrama peaks. Joggers favour the 1.8-kilometre perimeter loop; families colonise the timber adventure playground near the lake. Entry is free, gates open at 08:00 and staff begin herding people out around sunset. Weekend picnics can feel crowded—Madrid's Friday-night exodus empties here—but on a Tuesday morning you might share the grass with only a pair of ring-necked parakeets arguing over acorns.

For quieter mileage, follow the sign-posted path south to the embalse de los Arroyos, a small reservoir created in the 1950s to irrigate surrounding market gardens. The circuit is 4 km, flat enough for push-chairs, with hides for bird-watchers who keep lists. Little grebes dive between the reeds; booted eagles circle overhead when thermals build in April. Take water—there is no kiosk, and summer temperatures touch 36 °C by 14:00.

What to Eat When You're Not Paying Capital Prices

Villaviciosa's restaurants price for lecturers and students, not for ministers and tourists. A weekday menú del día costs €12–14 and usually includes half a bottle of wine; expect judiones (buttery white beans) in winter, asparagus revuelto in spring. Asador El Ternasco roasts milk-fed lamb Segovian-style; the meat arrives pink, edged with bronze crackling that tastes like an upmarket British Sunday joint. Portions are built for two—order one ration and a side of roasted peppers if you are lunching solo.

Those craving familiarity head to Cafetería El Rincón de Paco near the town hall. Saturday mornings bring proper back bacon, Heinz beans and eggs done sunny-side-up for €7.50. Students from the nearby British School treat it as a home-sick canteen; Spaniards ignore it entirely, which keeps the queue short.

Getting Here Without Losing the Will to Live

By public transport, the C-5 Cercanías train from Madrid's Príncipe Pío station reaches Villaviciosa de Odón in 25 minutes. Trains leave every 15 minutes at peak, half-hourly off-peak. From the platform it is a ten-minute uphill walk to the castle—pavements exist, though cobbles can defeat wheeled luggage. A single ticket is €2.40; if you hold a Bono-10 pass the journey costs €1.85.

Driving is faster only if the capital lets you escape. The A-5 westbound clogs from 07:30 to 10:00 and again from 18:00 to 20:30. Outside those windows the 30 km slip by in 25 minutes. Free parking sits beside the Polideportivo Municipal on Avenida de Móstoles, five minutes on foot from the church. Ignore the blue bays in the centre unless you enjoy feeding meters every 90 minutes.

When the Calendar Fills Up

Avoid university move-in weekends in mid-September and late January if you want a quiet bed. The European University and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos between them house roughly 12,000 students; parents booking last-minute rooms push hotel rates up by 30 per cent. The same spike hits the week before Christmas when Madrid families book rural restaurants for office lunches.

Fiestas proper begin on 15 August with the Virgen de la Asunción. The fair occupies the Recinto Ferial for five nights: dodgems, raffle stalls and a tent serving rebujito at €3 a plastic cup. Earplugs recommended if your hotel fronts Avenida de Móstoles; the 03:00 firework display is audible three kilometres away. San Isidro in May is tamer, centred on an agricultural market in Plaza Mayor—good for tasting cheese and watching prize-winning heifers that look bewildered by suburban life.

The Honest Verdict

Villaviciosa de Odón will not change your life. It offers half a day of castle views, parkland and a roast lunch that costs less than a Premier League stadium burger. Come if you need a breather from Madrid's friction, or if you have an early flight and fancy staying somewhere cheaper than Barajas. Treat it as a comma, not a chapter, and the town repays the detour. Expect more and you will leave wondering why you bothered to climb the hill.