Ciempozuelos municipal district is located in the south of the region of Madrid and it has an expanse of 49.60 Km2. It belongs to a part of the centre of Spain known as “Sagra Madrileña”. Geographically placed by the river Jarama, Ciempozuelos is bordered by Valdemoro and San Martín de la Vega in the north, to the east with Titulcia and Chinchón, to the south Aranjuez and Seseña and to the west with the expanding outer limits of the new Valdemoro.

The scenery is typical to that of La Sagra, generally flat with small hills which separate the territory into two parts: the fertile lowlands of the river Jarama in the east and the plateau in the west. The two most important hills are known as Butarrón (656 m) in the northeast, and La Peñuela, Palomero and Legaña in the south.

Hydrographically, the area plays host to the river Jarama, whose banks mark the east border of Ciempozuelos, creating a surrounding area of fertile lowlands. The two tributaries (with little flow) are called Palomero, which runs through the center of the district and the tributary of Valle Grande, flowing from Seseña in the south. Also, the Jarama irrigation ditch runs parallel to the river, and has many small man made estuaries which water the surrounding plains; ultimately it ends in the River Tajo. The most important estuaries are called Media Luna, Matalobos (which also serves as a border with San Martín de la Vega), Serrano, Las Caceras de la Huesa and Las Moreras; altogether they provide the area with more than 2.000 acres of green and fertile lowlands.

The dominant florae are the typical of fertile lowlands, species such as plane trees, elms, poplars, chestnuts and lime trees create really beautiful landscapes which also play an important ecological role in the Regional Southeast Park. Here one can also see the large thickets of Gutierrez, La Chopera, El Parral and Las Arriadas. However, in the plateau, the view is very different, on “the saline step” there is an abundance of cotton thistle and esparto grass expanding as far as the eye can see. Also basil and thyme are common in the area.

Gypsum floor (unfertile stony ground) gives place for wastelands where only esparto grass is able to grow. Due to this, 1.400 acres of the territory are practically barren and not able to be cultivated.

The most important roads in the area are: the A-4 (Madrid-Cadiz) to the west of the town (only a couple of kilometers from the centre); the M-404, which intersects the main road at the 30th kilometre junction, surrounds the town and heads off towards Chinchón; the M-307, which, in part, runs parallel to the train line between Madrid-Alicante; this road takes you north to San Martin de la Vega, and south to the main road (A-4). As it usually happens in small rural towns, there are also the traces of small roads that used to connect the village with the local farms and in the past, were also used to connect Ciempozuelos with the bordering towns. One of these roads is called Camino de Postas, (a by-road used for connecting to the main roads). Finally there is “the ciempozuelos road” which used to join the main road at the 27th kilometer junction; this too leads to surrounding towns, including Madrid and Toledo. Also, the Salt mines of Las Espartinas just south of the town, which in their time were very important, used to rely on their own road to connect them to the main road (at the 31st km junction), the road still remains to this day. Other local roads are: Molino Del Rey, Entreviñas, Gutierrez thicket and Portillo de Los Guijos in the north. San Antón, La Chopera thicket, Hondo Del Soto del Parral and Las Arriadas thicket in the east. Boquete Charra, Las Chozas, Las Carreteras, Las Moreras, La Cuesta Alta, Alto de Palomero, Corrales de Pachón and Matagallegos in the south and La Asomadilla, La Oliva, Vaciasilos, Los Cestos y Borrebruno in the west.

We have already mentioned the railway between Madrid-Alicante. Part of it, runs along the border of Valdemoro but changes direction later from north to south, splitting the fertile lowlands of the river Jarama from the dry land. The town centre has a train station that belongs to the suburban Madrid line (the C-3 line - Atocha-Aranjuez). Because of this, commuting to the capital, which is only 34 km away, is quick and easy.

The cross country paths of Las Merinas, Palomero, Los Manchegos and Las Cárceles were also the most commonly used livestock routes. The first of which starts at a junction of “La Vereda Larga” de Los “Cerros”, also called “Gózquez”, and “la Vereda de Sacego” also called “La Huerta”. On this walkway one can see that the hillside of the Castillejo hill there is a slight enclave which also serves as a border with Valdemoro. From here the path begins by crossing the bridge of the railway line from Madrid-Alicante. It then goes through the urban part of the town by Barrio de Las Cuevas del Prado until it reaches the picturesque Palomero stream, an ancient resting place for livestock. From here, it continues to meander through the hills that define the fertile lowlands of the River Jarama, progresses in a westerly direction, across the main road (A 4) and arrives finally in Seseña.

The path known as “Los Manchegos” comes from San Martin de la Vega and crosses through Ciempozuelos. From Ciempozuelos it runs over the irrigation ditch subtly named “Matalobos” (the killer of wolves) and runs in a southerly direction between water channels and paths and amongst the giant groups of thickets known locally as “Gutierrez”, “La Chopera” and “El Parral”. It finally arrives in the pastures of “Las Arriadas” and crosses the River Jarama by the Bayona ford, in the jurisdiction of Titulcia.

The route known as “Las Cárceles” , starts with the “Merinas path” ,( also called Palomero), crossing the stream of the same name until it gets to “Los Chozos de Cuesta Vieja”, where it enlarges and is used as a resting place for livestock. It continues in a westerly direction and crosses the Madrid-Alicante railway line, El Serrano water channel, San Martin de la Vega road, the river Jarama and finally the Media Luna irrigation ditches. After passing the traditional country house called El Sotillo, the route finishes at the banks of the Jarama River, in a zone that borders the town of Titulcia.

Apart from these three country walkways, there are also another six paths that complete the net of passages for livestock. “El Sacego” or “Huerta path” starts in the previously mentioned junction at the beginning of “Castillejo hill” and cuts through the ancient remains of the railway of “La Poveda” which ran from west to east. After crossing the Jarama irrigation ditch, it cuts through the “Los Manchegos” route, continues into the Las Arriadas thickets and ends in the Jarama River.“La Casa Del Conde” pathway begins in “Las Merinas” (also called the “Palomero” path) in the south of the district. It heads in a south westerly direction to Las Espartinas salt mines. After leaving the mines the path then crosses the M-307, the railway line from Madrid to Alicante and the Jarama irrigation ditch. The path partly marks border to Seseña and at this point passes the country house known as Casa del Conde. It ends, as others do, at the banks of the Jarama River. “Peñalba” also called the “Parral” lane, starts as part of the Los Manchegos route and heads west-easterly, crossing La Chopera thicket and reaching the Jarama River, there you will see Peñalba island, also used as a livestock resting place. “La Vereda Larga de Los Cerros”, also called “Gózquez” in Valdemoro, crosses the San Martín de la Vega road, the Jarama irrigation ditch and Los Manchegos walkway, always heading in an easterly direction. The path ends in the Gutierrez thicket by the Jarama River, and El Cacerón de Matalobos path. The route outlines the northern border with San Martin de la Vega and runs parallel with the Jarama irrigation ditch.

The centre of the town is located on a very gentle slope that forms part of the Valley of the Jarama River opposite the Castillejo Hill. On the whole, the groups of housed areas expand in a predominantly south western direction. There are two main infrastructures that cut the growth of the town: on one side is the M-404, which used to cut across the town but now semi circles it in the north east, whereas on the other side is the railway line that connects Madrid-Alicante, which is also a real territorial border . Hence the town is impeded on the close terraces of the valley which denies it any further growth or development.

On the subject of the name of the town, all the consulted sources are unanimous: in the spot known as “Buzanca”, located about 2 km from the town centre, a water channel was built in order to irrigate the surrounding area and also to provide water for the fountain of the town. However, as it couldn’t provide enough water, the people from the town decided to dig wells as to provide for the demands of water in the area. From then on the name of the town has remained Ciempozuelos (a hundred wells).