There are many different legends around the area. We have choosen "El Cancho de los muertos" in La Pedriza, "La Pastora or the enchanted lagoon" in Peñalara and "La Maricantina" in Manzanares el Real.

1. El Cancho
de los
muertos
Peñalara
Lagoon
La
Maricantina

2. Peñalara Lagoon
La Laguna Grande, from glaciar
origin, is frozen most of the
year
There are
some
legends
about its
deep dark
water.

3. A young shepherd girl in the
area, was walking with her
flock…
One of the lambs, attracted by
the noises coming from the
lagoon, got lost.

4. She searched between the
rocks, following the strange
noises coming from the cold
water.

5. She saw the lamb drowning in
the lagoon, and when she tried
to rescue it, she fell into the
cold water and drowned too

6. Every night on
the 31st of
October, the
figure of the
shepherd,
emerges from the
center of the
lagoon
surrounded by
mysterious lights
.

7. Not many years ago, two
friends, tried to figure out the
secrets of the island emerging
in the lagoon and the light
given off on Halloween night.

8. The two
friends
climbed up
to it with
the
intention of
swimming
across, at
night,
under the
moonlight.

9. One of them swam smoothly,
holding a book between his
teeth and encouraged his
friend to follow him

10. While the second traveler
was swimming, the first one
was reading the book aloud.

11. But when his friend reached the
center of the small lake, he
suddenly closed the book, while
the waters swallowed the
swimmer, who never reappeared.

12. THE END
La
Maricantina
El Cancho
de los
Muertos
Read about other
legends

13. LA
MARICANTINALong time ago, there was a
woman who fell in love with an
aristocrat living in Manzanares
el Real.

14. But the king didn’t allowed the
Count to marry a commoner…
So he humiliated her and
ordered her execution.

15. po
Maricantina
became very
angry at the
king, and
before she
died, she
cursed the
castle and
swear her spirit
would remain
there forever.

16. Her body remains in the tower
where she died . Everynight,
she walks around the castle
holding candle

17. Maricantina loved children so
everynight, she goes out to
make sure they are all resting
happily.

18. If they are
not
sleeping
before
midnight,
she takes
them.

19. Families in Manzanares, have
always used this legend to
make their children eat,
sleep, make their
homework…

20. …as she is
always
keeping an
eye, worring
about
children.
Video
about
Maricantina
and the
area
(Spanish)

21. THE END
The
enchanted
lagoon
El Cancho
de los
Muertos
Read about other
legends

22. El Cancho de los Muertos is a
mountain in @ La Pedriza
El cancho de los
muertos

23. The Boulder of
the Dead
The name of this legend
comes from this peculiar rock
formation.

24. The story is about
three bandits who
kidnapped a young woman
from a rich and powerful family
in Madrid.

25. The rich girl fell in love with the
chief of the gang, who also had
feelings for her

26. While the boss was away, the
two remaining bandits tried to
scare the young woman.

27. But the chief returned
unexpectedly and surprised
them. He tried to throw each
of them over the cliff.

28. He pushed the first one down
“The boulder of the Dead”, but
when he tried to throw the
second one…

29. …This one held to his leg and
both fell to the ground

30. According to local people, for
a while the corpses of the
three bandits could be seen
in a crack in the rocks.

31. And this is the story of “El
Cancho de los muertos”
in La Pedriza
La
Maricantina
The
enchanted
lagoon
Read about other
legends