With a privileged location between the Jarama and Tagus Rivers, this elegant town developed around a royal palace built in the eighteenth century. Aranjuz is also renowned for the delicious strawberries and asparagus that grow in spring in the fertile fields alongside the rivers.

The Palacio Real was originally built as a spring and summer residence for Felipe II, but the structure was largely destroyed by fire in 1655. Highlights include the China Room, lined with porcelain tiles made at Madrid’s Buen Retiro factory.

The gardens around the palace are open on Mondays when the buildigs are closed. The Jardin del Principe has 150 ha planted with a surprising variety of trees, many of which grew from seeds brought from the Americas.