![\"Uclés](\"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/456-15-1024x576.avif\")
<\/figure>\n\nThe Ucl\u00e9s Way has an origin linked to the Monastery of Ucl\u00e9s. Its beginnings date back to the period of Muslim rule, when a fortress was built on the hill of the town of Ucl\u00e9s. After the conquest of these lands by King Alfonso VIII, he ceded the fortress to the Order of Santiago in 1174. <\/p>\n\n
The Order of Santiago was created in the 12th century with the aim of protecting pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago and fighting against the Muslims. In 1529, under the reign of Charles I, construction began on the monastery that stands today. After the Napoleonic invasion and the confiscations, the monastery became a hospital and a prison, until 1949, when it recovered its religious function. <\/p>\n\n
Route, distances, and kilometers: Where does the Ucl\u00e9s Way start and where does it pass through?<\/h2>\n\n
The Ucl\u00e9s Way has a length of approximately 145 kilometers. The route runs from the Church of Santiago and San Juan Bautista right in the center of Madrid to the Monastery of Santiago in Ucl\u00e9s. It is officially divided into 11 stages: <\/p>\n\n
- \n
- Stage 1:<\/strong> Madrid – Rivas-Vaciamadrid (26,6 – 28,6 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 2<\/strong>: Rivas-Viciamadrid – La Poveda (4,3 – 4,5 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 3<\/strong>: La Poveda – Arganda del Rey (3,6 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 4<\/strong>: Arganda del Rey – Morata de Taju\u00f1a (16,5 – 17,8 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 5<\/strong>: Morata de Taju\u00f1a – Perales de Taju\u00f1a (7,1 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 6<\/strong>: Perales de Taju\u00f1a – Tielmes (8,3 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 7<\/strong>: Tielmes – Caraba\u00f1a (9,2 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 8<\/strong>: Caraba\u00f1a – Estremera (15,5 – 15,9 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 9<\/strong>: Estremera – Barajas de Melo (25 – 26,2 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 10:<\/strong> Barajas de Melo – Huelves (13,9 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stage 11<\/strong>: Huelves – Monasterio de Ucl\u00e9s (9 km)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Signposting of the Ucl\u00e9s Way<\/h2>\n\n
The signposting of the Ucl\u00e9s Way is very distinctive. You will be guided along the route by red arrows with the Cross of Saint James, the symbol of the Order of Santiago. <\/p>\n\n
The signs were placed by hand by Manuel Rossi, the person responsible for the recovery of the Way. Since then, the signposting has been improved with the help of local councils. Currently, there are more than 10,000 markers distributed along the route. <\/p>\n\n
One of the most peculiar details: if you decide to do the Ucl\u00e9s Way in reverse (from Ucl\u00e9s to Madrid), the signposting you will find will be that of the Camino de Santiago (yellow arrows and scallop shells). Thanks to this system, pilgrims can make a pilgrimage from the Monastery of Ucl\u00e9s to Santiago de Compostela. <\/p>\n\n
The Ucl\u00e9s Way Credential: The Uclessiana<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Uclés](\"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/457-17-1024x576.avif\")
<\/figure>\n\nThe Ucl\u00e9s Way has its own credential, which can be obtained through the Friends of the Ucl\u00e9s Way Association for a price of 4 euros, which goes towards the maintenance and signposting of the route.<\/p>\n\n
To obtain the credential, you must get it stamped at each stage; it is mandatory to get a stamp in each of the eleven towns along the Way. Upon arriving at the Monastery of Ucl\u00e9s, you can request the Uclessiana, a certificate that proves you have completed the pilgrimage. <\/p>\n\n
Places and monuments along the Ucl\u00e9s Way<\/h2>\n\n
On the Ucl\u00e9s Way you will find a combination of historical, architectural, and natural heritage throughout all its stages:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- Taju\u00f1a Greenway<\/strong>: an old railway line that runs through the towns of the Taju\u00f1a valley.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Church of Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de los Remedios (Estremera): A 16th-century church, declared a Historical-Artistic Monument in 1982.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Parish Church of San Juan Bautista (Barajas de Melo)<\/strong>: A 15th-century church with a Plateresque fa\u00e7ade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Palacete Fuente Alc\u00e1zar (Barajas de Melo): A 19th-century mansion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Puerta Paredes Cliff<\/strong>: A spectacular formation caused by water erosion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Monastery of Ucl\u00e9s (Ucl\u00e9s): popularly known as “El Escorial de La Mancha,” it combines Plateresque, Herrerian, and Churrigueresque styles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ucl\u00e9s City Walls<\/strong>: remains of the ancient fortress that are preserved to this day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is the Ucl\u00e9s Way? The Ucl\u00e9s Way is a Christian pilgrimage route that is related to the Apostle, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sin-categorizar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3131"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3132,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3131\/revisions\/3132"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elcaminoapedales.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Stage 2<\/strong>: Rivas-Viciamadrid – La Poveda (4,3 – 4,5 km)<\/li>\n\n\n\n