Valverde de los Arroyos is one of those towns that you want to photograph in its entirety, and not because it is picturesque or shows off with painted façades. Slate, wood and quartz are enough. Because, in this small town in Guadalajara, with barely 90 inhabitants, even the rooftops seem to be part of the landscape. The black of the houses blends with the slopes of the Ayllón mountain range and the Ocejón peak looms in the background as if someone had placed it there expressly for the postcard.
This architecture does not respond to an aesthetic decision or a ruralist fashion. For centuries, its neighbors built with the materials they had closest to hand, building quartzite walls and covering facades and roofs with slate. The result is what we know today as black architecture, one of the most unique landscapes in Guadalajara. Valverde de los Arroyos is one of its best preserved examples and is part of the well-known Black Villages Route, as well as the list of the most beautiful villages in Spain.
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What to see in Valverde de los Arroyos
The Plaza de María Cristina is large for the size of the town and is surrounded by some of its most representative buildings. Here are the town hall, a fountain, the old bowling game and the parish church of San Ildefonso, built in the 19th century and easily recognizable because it is the only building in the complex covered with tiles instead of slate.
Inside, a Renaissance cross from the 16th century is preserved, while at the entrance to the town is the small hermitage of the Virgen de Gracia. Although a visit to Valverde does not consist of walking around chaining monuments, a large part of its interest consists of walking through its streets without stress, taking in the wooden balconies, the ovens attached to the houses and the enormous slate slabs that cover the roofs.
Another interesting stop is the Ethnographic Museum, created with pieces contributed by the neighbors themselves. Its collection shows what daily life was like in the mountains and recalls the importance that Valverde's textile activity had until the mid-20th century.
Tourism of Castilla La Mancha
In addition, the town is known for celebrating the Corpus Christi Octave, a centenary festival in which eight dancers accompanied by a botarga walk through its streets dressed in very colorful traditional clothing. A celebration that is recognized as a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest.
The route to the Chorreras de Despeñalagua
However, the most spectacular monument in Valverde was not built by any neighbor. From the outskirts of the town there is a path that leads to the Chorreras de Despeñalagua, a succession of waterfalls through which the water falls from about 120 meters down the side of the Ocejón.
Tourism of Castilla La Mancha
The most common route is about five kilometers round trip and does not present great technical difficulty, although it must be taken into account that the terrain may be muddy or slippery after the rains. The flow shines especially during the thaw and in the rainy months. Of course, after a dry summer, the waterfall can be much less impressive than in the photographs.
For those who love hiking and want to continue doing kilometers, from Valverde you can also start the climb to Ocejón Peak, at 2,049 meters above sea level. An activity that already requires more time, slope and adequate preparation. Of course, it is not in any case a walk that can be done improvised after dinner and with the same shoes with which you walked around the square.
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Where to eat delicious and cheap in Valverde de los Arroyos
Although the town is tiny, it has several options where you can sit and recover your strength. One of the best rated is Mesón Los Cantos, specialized in Castilian cuisine, meats and generous portions. You can also eat at Mesón Despeñalagua, located on Calle del Medio and focused on traditional dishes from the area. Another alternative is La Tarihuela, a space linked to the ethnographic museum where homemade cuisine is served.
How to get to Valverde de los Arroyos
Valverde is located within the natural park of the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara, at the foot of the Ocejón and about 1,260 meters above sea level. From Madrid, the car journey takes around two hours, depending on the departure point and traffic.
Asqueladd
The final part runs along mountain roads, so it is not advisable to rely too much on the apparent proximity between towns on the map. In winter it is also advisable to check the state of the roads and the weather forecast before leaving.
What to do around Valverde de los Arroyos
The getaway is perfect to fit into a longer route through black towns. Campillo de Ranas, Majaelrayo, Roblelacasa or Campillejo are other names that are spread across the slopes of Ocejón and that also preserve their traditional slate homes.
Luis Rogelio HM
Another interesting stop is Tamajón, where the landscape changes completely in its small Enchanted City. But don't let the name confuse you because there is no ghost, it is a set of limestone formations shaped by erosion that seems to have slipped by mistake into the middle of a region dominated by dark stone. Thus, the weekend can start touring black houses and end looking for figures among white rocks, which is not bad at all for an area of the map that many pass through without knowing what they are missing.
Cover photo | Luis Rogelio HM
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