Some decades ago, the musical band The Refrescos (a paradigm of the hooligan pop that was so famous in the 80s, with groups such as this one or Los Inhumanos) made the summer song “AquĂ no hay playa” (There is no beach here) considerably popular, referring to the capital of the kingdom, Madrid. However, the truth is that they were very wrong… In Madrid there is a beach and any inhabitant of the city knows it. We are talking, of course, about the Pantano de San Juan.
This is the only reservoir in the Community of Madrid where bathing and water activities are permitted. This beautiful spot has a sailing club, different sandy areas for sunbathing, beach bars… And even a nudist area.
Pine woods with cool shade
The San Juan reservoir, whose beauty you can admire in these photos, occupies part of the provinces of Madrid and Ăvila. The municipalities that host it are San MartĂn de Valdeiglesias, El Tiemblo, Cebreros and Pelayos de la Presa. The dammed waters belong to the River Alberche, a tributary of the Tagus. The large expanses of pine forest that line the banks of the reservoir are an ideal refuge from the intense Castilian sun on summer days.
Recreational areas
The most popular recreational areas (i.e. with all the equipment) of this inland beach are those known as El Muro and Virgen de la Nueva, where it is also possible to enjoy an interesting cultural heritage formed by a Romanesque bridge and the ruins of the old hermitage of the same name, which was flooded when the dam was built.
… And a nudist cove
And if nudism is your thing, you should know that there is also a cove where lovers of this beach style meet. To find it, take the access to the first track, after kilometre 49 of the M-501, some 56 kilometres from Madrid. This beach, which in the summer can accommodate an average of a hundred bathers, is a little before the third car park.