Under the name of CiclaMadrid We find an ambitious initiative from the General Directorate of Tourism of the Community of Madrid to promote the bicycle tourism in the Community of Madrid.

At the origin of the project was the desire to connect the three World Heritage Sites present in Madrid: Alcalá de Henares, Aranjuez y San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

The proposal has a ring that surrounds a good part of the region and is more than 400 kilometers long, a significant percentage of which runs along Vías Pecuarias. To this ring we must add various corridors that connect the city of Madrid or points well connected by public transport that allow the user to travel with their bicycle, such as the Arganda metro station or the Pozuelo or Torrelodones Cercanías stations.

The network has been designed following a series of criteria to achieve territorial balance in tourism and local development, diversify the tourist offer and energize the territory.

The most relevant criteria are the following:

.•Define a circular route that unites the greatest possible number of heritage destinations and points of cultural interest.
• That the peripheral route connects with the center, through corridors.
• The use of Livestock Routes and other existing infrastructure.
•That respects the optimal conditions for bicycle tourism.
•Avoid asphalt on routes, especially roads with high traffic density.
•Facilitate the link with other cycling routes, such as the Via Verde del Tajuña and that of Móstoles, the cycle lanes of Colmenar and San Martín de la Vega and the Green Cycling Ring.
The product is structured around a large peripheral circular ring with a route of more than 450 km. This route is completed with a series of radial routes that allow access from the center of the Community, from places with good public transport communication services.

Basic criteria have also been established for signage, taking into account that this signage will be the image of the product and an important promotional tool.

Its quality and conservation are indicators of the quality of the product and will be taken care of in great detail. It has been designed to have the least possible impact on the environment. To do this, as far as possible, already installed supports will be used.

At present, the role of signage as a route guidance element has become more secondary in nature, since it is supported by a website from which the route tracks can be downloaded and a mobile application that will allow us to follow the routes and see information of interest on the elements close to the route.

A powerful proposal that highlights a very varied nature, a great cultural wealth, an important heritage related to wine and gastronomy that these tours will allow us to know better, supported by a wide public transport network and the varied offer of accommodation and restoration of the Community of Madrid.

A great opportunity to create new tourist products in Madrid related to nature and bicycles, placing Madrid in the European panorama of bicycle-friendly destinations. A sustainable, low-carbon tourism option that contributes to the enhancement of areas that are currently outside the usual tourist routes.

CiclaMadrid Connect!!