There is a now a wide range of tourist resources available, particularly for people aged between 18 and 30 who are lucky enough to live in this region.

Madrid, of course, is the sum of us all, and that includes young people, who have one of the best information portals at Inforjoven.

The following information will be of interest not only to the young but also to those who are getting on but are still young enough in spirit to tour the region by bike, take part in multi-adventure activities and hike along the historic cattle trails. Nobody will be left out.

In touch with nature

It would be true to say that there are times when it is a relief to get away from the big city with all its urban stresses and crowds.

A good option might be to explore one of the thirty or so natural spaces where young people can let off steam by taking part in outdoor activities, although there are other activities available to do which do not require any particular levels of fitness: hiking.

Spending the day in La Pedriza, in the area around the Regional Park of the Upper Manzanares River Basin, walking through the Campiña or Piedemonte areas, exploring the trails in the south of the Vega del Tajo river valley are only three of the many natural options available to the younger residents of Madrid.

And although by this time of the year we have already seen the last of the snow, it is never too late to remind everyone that this region is a great place for skiing and snow-boarding in the winter ski resorts of Navacerrada and Valdesquí. So, get your ski gear ready for the next season.

By bike or on foot

This activity is certainly not limited to young people, but it is true that it is mostly young people who are seen enthusiastically making use of this unique natural feature, the network of cattle trails. These are country routes which are the legacy of the migratory cattle-herding activities which have been operating since the Middle Ages.

There are nine main cattle routes which criss-cross the peninsula from north to south, and the Madrid region is home to 4,000 kilometres of them. Pedestrians are allowed to use these trails, accompanied by animals as long are they are permanently under their owners' control and never interfere with the movements of the cattle.

The Madrid cattle trails are ideal for recreation and can be used with no prior authorisation for walking, hiking, horse-riding, cycle-touring, cross-country skiing and any other means of moving around, with the exception of motorised vehicles.

A holiday with a difference

Imagine discovering new cultures, making friends and learning new skills that never you never even knew the words for. This is the suggestion of the Youth Department, through Juventur Madrid, a programme which organises numerous work camps, young people's workshops and summer courses.

One of the distinctive features of today's young people is their high degree of solidarity and commitment. You can find an outlet for this in these work camps, and enjoy a different way of spending the summer holidays by doing voluntary work for the good of society together with other people.

This type of activity is aimed at young people between 18 to 30, from all the different autonomous regions and countries. There are also some work camps, normally in Spain, for people under 18 or over 30.

There are camps on archaeology, ethnology, the environment and social work. In all of them the type of accommodation is very varied: you may be sleeping on mattresses in a schoolroom, in tents, in a hostel, etc. In any case, you are guaranteed basic living conditions, and all the camps have toilets and showers.

Meals are another interesting aspect, and although there are catering teams in most of the facilities, there are some camps in which the participants themselves prepare the food.

Adventures for all

Multi-adventure activities are active tourism packages offered by different organisations, which offer a combination of sports and activities.

There are various companies in the region which provide the option of choosing 'à la carte' activities. The activities are usually programmed for a day or a weekend, and can be extended to one or two weeks in holiday periods.

They usually include hiking, climbing, cycle-touring, kayaking, canyoning, abseiling, horse riding routes and Tyrolean traverse, and those who dare can go up in a hot-air balloon, para-gliding, scuba-diving and parachute jumping.

Our Nature and Sport channel provides a full list of all the activities you can do in totally natural surroundings.