Madrid Region

The Madrid Region is located in the centre of Spain, and in the centre of the Iberian peninsula on the Central Plain. The region has the same name as the capital of Spain, which is also the capital of the region. It has borders to the south and east by Castilla La Mancha and to the north and west by Castilla Leon.

Despite the existence of a large city of 5 million people such as Madrid at it's centre, the Madrid region still retains some remarkably unspoiled and diverse habitats and landscapes. The region has mountain peaks rising above 2,000m. and some low lying plains. The slopes of Guadarrama mountain range are covered with dense forests of Scots Pine and Pyrenean oak and the Lozoya Valley has one of the last strongholds of the Spanish Imperial Eagle in the world. Recently the Iberian Lynx has been seen in the area between the Cofio and Alberche rivers in this region.

Nearly all of the Madrid region is located between 600 and 1,000m above sea level, with the highest point being Peñalara at 2,430m and the lowest Alberche river in Villa del Prado at 430m.

The Madrid region has a temperate Continental Mediterranean climate with cold winters with temperatures sometimes dropping below 0°. There are normally about two or three snowfalls each year. Summer tends to be hot with temperatures that consistently higher than 30° in July and that can often reach 40°. Due to Madrid's high altitude and dry climate, nightly temperatures are usually cooler.

The Madrid Region is the third most populous region in Spain, after the coastal provinces of Andalusia and Catalonia. The great majority of the population lives in the capital and its metropolitan area, which is considered to be the most populated in Spain.

The Madrid Region is one of the smaller Regions in Spain, so much of it is closer to it's capital Madrid, and therefore enjoys many of the transport and other facilities available in and around that city.