Real Canal de Manzanares

The Real Canal de Manzanares is an artificial waterway that stretches through Madrid, Getafe, and Rivas-Vaciamadrid, linking different sections of the Manzanares River system. The site still contains locks, bridges, and aqueducts that show the scale of the original project.

Construction started in 1770 under Pedro Martinengo's direction and gained royal recognition when King Carlos III took it over in 1779. The project was later abandoned when railway development made the original plan to connect Madrid with Aranjuez unnecessary.

The canal displays typical features of Spanish engineering with preserved locks, bridges, and aqueducts still visible today. Visitors can study these technical structures along the Parque Lineal del Manzanares and notice the craftsmanship from that period.

The canal is best explored from the adjacent Parque Lineal del Manzanares, where walking and biking paths run alongside it. Public transport serves the area well, so comfortable shoes and time to walk several kilometers are good to have.

The project aimed to connect Madrid with the royal palace at Aranjuez, but only a small section ever functioned as a working waterway. Today it appears on the Red List of Endangered Heritage and awaits restoration plans.