La Serranía

The peaks of the Sierra de Ayllón dominate the steep landscape of the western part of the comarca, characterized by its rugged terrain and its high average elevation, more than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).

In the eastern part, in the Pela and Ministra mountain ranges, the elevations are lower and the slopes much less steep, generally below 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).

Numerous castles, such as those of Galve de Sorbe, Atienza, Sigüenza or Jadraque, the temples that make up the rural Romanesque and the historical-artistic ensembles of Atienza, Palazuelos and Sigüenza, also constitute some of the architectural and tourist attractions of the Serranía de Guadalajara.

Roman roads still exist in these environs and remains of mansions, cauponas, taverns and mutationes have been found in places like Mandayona, Palazuelos, Carabias and Alcuneza.

Also of note is the Bonaval Monastery, in the Jarama valley, near Retiendas, dating originally to 1162 and mixing Romanesque with Gothic.

Anguita, a typical village in La Serranía.
The Atienza castle is citadel of Andalusian origin that was in use up to the nineteenth century, when it began to deteriorate.
The Bonaval Monastery, a Cistercian monastery in the Jarama valley, which mixes romanesque and Gothic styles in its construction..