Colonia El Plantío

An estate built in several phases from 1906 to 1947, adjacent to the towns of Majadahonda, Pozuelo de Alarcón and Las Rozas. It is a narrow strip of single-family homes and two- and three-storey apartments, bounded by the north-west railway line and the La Coruña motorway (A-6). A summer retreat for the people of Madrid at the beginning of the 20th century, its numerous short, intersecting streets create rectangular blocks. The railway and the natural environment favoured the construction of second homes, small granite buildings in various styles: Eclectic, Modernist, Regional, Popular and Art Deco.

Many of these buildings have disappeared over the years, but some examples remain, such as the villa of architect Antonio Palacios, built in 1942, with a simple octagonal plan. Another great architect, Luis Gutiérrez Soto, built several houses here, the most outstanding of which is Don Antonio Oriol’s house on Monte del Pilar. The area that gives access to the Monte del Pilar road, which leads to the estate, has a stone bridge with green iron railings.

El Plantío is also home to many old people’s homes and small schools, such as the Japanese School. There are also a number of old abandoned schools with touches of Art Deco style.

Another outstanding feature of the neighbourhood is the colonial-style church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen. Today, these old vestiges of the estate coexist with new office buildings next to the motorway, such as the headquarters of the Red Cross. Some of the ancillary buildings built by the railway company to house its employees have been converted into restaurants and shops.

Updated: 20/10/2025