Villanueva de la Cañada is a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Located 30 km north-west from Madrid, the municipality covers an area of 34.92 km2. Geographically, it sits on a large plain, in which there are several promontories, on one of which is found the castle of Aulencia [es], its main landmark. The ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre lies close to the former, on the Guadarrama riverfront. Villafranca del Castillo [es], a well-off urban area detached from the main nucleus, is located within the municipal bounds. Villanueva de la Cañada hosts the main campus of the Alfonso X El Sabio University as well as the Aquópolis waterpark.
Geography
Villanueva de la Cañada is watered by the rivers Guadarrama and Aulencia, as well as various streams. The latter joins eventually the Guadarrama, which flows in turn into the Tajo.
Geologically, its limits form part of the depression of the Tajo and it is defined by the existence of many alluvial fields, with an average elevation of 652 metres.
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