Galapagar

Galapagar
Municipality
City Hall.
Flag Coat of arms
Galapagar Location in Spain
Coordinates: 40°34′35″N 4°0′7″W / 40.57639°N 4.00194°W / 40.57639; -4.00194
Country	Spain
Community	Community of Madrid
Province	Madrid
Comarca	Guadarrama
Government
• Mayor	Daniel Pérez Muñoz
Area
• Total	65 km2 (25 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	32,393
• Density	500/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Demonym	Galapagueños
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	28260
Website	Official website

Galapagar is a town and municipality northwest of Madrid, Spain, situated in the autonomous community of the Community of Madrid. Of all the towns in the area, it was experiencing the most growth, mostly because of immigration and the conversion of old livestock fields into terrain for construction.

Galapagar is served both by Cercanias train service at its station Galapagar-La Navata and to one end by the interurbano bus service linking it with Moncloa, a district of Madrid.

The name Galapagar comes from the Spanish galápago, meaning turtle, as the town centre was settled near a lake full of turtles. The town first appears as a village in the eleventh century, its importance due to the frequent hunting expeditions by the Spanish royalty, and being a main stop on the road from the capital to the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Sights in the town include the church of The Asunción (Assumption).

The Spanish writer Jacinto Benavente, who won the 1922 Nobel Prize for Literature, is buried here. The British writer Malcolm Brocklehurst lived in the village between 1982 and 1983.

Bullfighting, stock-breeding, meadows and beef are the main features of Galapagar. The bullfighter José Tomás was born in this place.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Galapagar.

Municipalities of the Madrid Metropolitan Area 3,000,000+ Madrid 200,000+ Alcalá de Henares Móstoles 150,000+ Alcorcón Fuenlabrada Getafe Leganés 100,000+ Alcobendas Coslada Parla Torrejón de Ardoz 50,000+ Boadilla del Monte Las Rozas de Madrid Majadahonda Pozuelo de Alarcón Rivas-Vaciamadrid San Sebastián de los Reyes Valdemoro 25,000+ Pinto San Fernando de Henares Tres Cantos Villaviciosa de Odón

Municipalities of the Community of Madrid 3,000,000+ Madrid 200,000+ Alcalá de Henares Móstoles 150,000+ Alcorcón Fuenlabrada Getafe Leganés 100,000+ Alcobendas Coslada Parla Torrejón de Ardoz 50,000+ Aranjuez Arganda del Rey Boadilla del Monte Collado Villalba Las Rozas de Madrid Majadahonda Pozuelo de Alarcón Rivas-Vaciamadrid San Sebastián de los Reyes Valdemoro 25,000+ Colmenar Viejo Galapagar Navalcarnero Pinto San Fernando de Henares Tres Cantos Villaviciosa de Odón under 25,000 La Acebeda Ajalvir Alameda del Valle El Álamo Aldea del Fresno Algete Alpedrete Ambite Anchuelo Arroyomolinos El Atazar Batres Becerril de la Sierra Belmonte de Tajo El Berrueco Berzosa del Lozoya El Boalo Braojos Brea de Tajo Brunete Buitrago del Lozoya Bustarviejo Cabanillas de la Sierra La Cabrera Cadalso de los Vidrios Camarma de Esteruelas Campo Real Canencia Carabaña Casarrubuelos Cenicientos Cercedilla Cervera de Buitrago Chapinería Chinchón Ciempozuelos Cobeña Collado Mediano Colmenar de Oreja Colmenar del Arroyo Colmenarejo Corpa Cubas de la Sagra El Escorial Estremera Fresnedillas de la Oliva Fresno de Torote Fuente el Saz de Jarama Fuentidueña de Tajo Garganta de los Montes Gargantilla del Lozoya y Pinilla de Buitrago Gascones Griñón Guadalix de la Sierra Guadarrama La Hiruela Horcajo de la Sierra Horcajuelo de la Sierra Hoyo de Manzanares Loeches Lozoya Lozoyuela-Navas-Sieteiglesias Madarcos Manzanares el Real Meco Miraflores de la Sierra El Molar Los Molinos Mejorada del Campo Montejo de la Sierra Moraleja de Enmedio Moralzarzal Morata de Tajuña Navacerrada Navalafuente Navalagamella Navarredonda y San Mamés Navas del Rey Nuevo Baztán Olmeda de las Fuentes Orusco de Tajuña Paracuellos de Jarama Pedrezuela Pelayos de la Presa Perales de Tajuña Pezuela de las Torres Pinilla del Valle Piñuécar-Gandullas Pozuelo del Rey Prádena del Rincón Puebla de la Sierra Puentes Viejas Quijorna Rascafría Redueña Ribatejada Robledillo de la Jara Robledo de Chavela Robregordo Rozas de Puerto Real San Agustín del Guadalix San Lorenzo de El Escorial San Martín de la Vega San Martín de Valdeiglesias Santa María de la Alameda Santorcaz Los Santos de la Humosa La Serna del Monte Serranillos del Valle Sevilla la Nueva Somosierra Soto del Real Talamanca de Jarama Tielmes Titulcia Torrejón de la Calzada Torrejón de Velasco Torrelaguna Torrelodones Torremocha de Jarama Torres de la Alameda Valdaracete Valdeavero Valdelaguna Valdemanco Valdemaqueda Valdemorillo Valdeolmos-Alalpardo Valdepiélagos Valdetorres de Jarama Valdilecha Valverde de Alcalá El Vellón Venturada Villa del Prado Villaconejos Villalbilla Villamanrique de Tajo Villamanta Villamantilla Villanueva de la Cañada Villanueva del Pardillo Villanueva de Perales Villar del Olmo Villarejo de Salvanés Villavieja del Lozoya Zarzalejo

Malcolm Brocklehurst the historical novelist lived in the village between 1982 and 1983.