Source: JoseAngel
The home of the Royal Palace, the spring residence of the Spanish kings since the 1880s, Aranjuez is a magnificent touristic town located 42 kilometers south of Madrid along the confluence of Tagus and Jarama rivers. It has been a prominent location since the Roman times and served as a Roman stronghold. The Catholic Kings Ferdinand and Isabella used to spend their summers in the city, hence the designation as a Royal Site.
1. The Sprawling Royal Palace of Aranjuez
Source: Farrokh_Bulsara
The center of attraction of the city is undoubtedly the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) which started as one of the modest summer palaces for the King Felipe II but became a humble site for the Royals, largely inspired by the Versailles in France. The 300-rooms Royal Residence has turned into a graceful complex packed with an abundance of royal ornamentation.
Information
- Name: Royal Palace of Aranjuez
- Address: Plaza de Parejas, s/n, 28300 Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain
- Phone: +34 918 91 13 44
- Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00 to 20:00
2. Walk in the Royal Gardens
Source: Markosalinas
Starting from the Queen’s Guard’s Hall in the west wing to the lush gardens, the tour of the Royal Palace is an experience in itself. The royal gardens are an eclectic mix of local and exotic species along with a vast collection of seeds collected by the Spanish botanists from Spanish colonies throughout the world. What better way to walk through the forest with its winding pathways, majestic fountains, statues of the Roman Gods and exotic plant species.
Information
- Name: Jardin del Palacio de Aranjuez
- Address: Plaza de Parejas, s/n, 28300 Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain
- Phone: +34 918 91 13 44
3. The Elegance of Casa del Labrador
Source: falco
This 18th-century neo-classical palace is one of the residences of the Royal Family in Spain conveniently located on the grounds of the Royal Palace. What really steals the show is the amazing park garden, which along with the royal residence provides a stunning backdrop to the old district of Aranjuez.
Information
- Name: Casa del Labrador
- Address: Calle de la Reina, s/n, 28300 Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain
- Phone: +34 918 91 03 05
4. Museo de Faluas
This opulent museum beautifully exhibits the well-preserved royal barges from the 19th-century Aranjuez. The glorious decorations and ornamentations on the boats look as impressive as the boats. The several boats here were used by the Spanish Kings to navigate along the Tagus river and other places in Madrid such as the garden lake del Buen Retiro.
Information
- Name: Museo De Faluas Reales
- Address: Lugar Jardín Del Príncipe, s/n, 28300 Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain
- Phone: +34 918 91 24 53
- Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 to 17:15
5. Hop in on the Chiquitren
Chiquitren is a pretty tourist train that loops through the town, allowing the tourists to admire the beauty of this historic center along the way, making your way through the royal gardens, with its beautiful fountains and ponds making up the canvas for the royal city.
6. The Church of San Antonio
Source: Miguel Hermoso Cuesta
This elegant little church was built by Ferdinand VI of Spain as a chapel dedicated to the Saint Antony of Padua as an Oratorio to replace a former chapel constructed during the reign of Felipe IV of Spain who ruled Spain until his last breath. The chapel stands conveniently to the south of a large parade square which ultimately leads into the Royal Palace’s courtyard.
Information
- Name: Church of San Antonio
- Address: Antigua Carretera de Andalucía, 4, 28300 Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain
- Phone: +34 918 91 66 93
7. The Macaw Sanctuary
Source: DAS_70
Take a stroll along the Macaw Sanctuary, a place which provides refuge and protection to the endangered macaws, along with some of the native species, mostly focusing on the rarest species and the most fragile birds such as the Great Green Macaws. Many of these homeless creatures find the best care possible at the Macaw Sanctuary.
Information
- Name: Macaw Sanctuary
- Address: Aranjuez de Pitahaya Puntarenas, Costa Rica, T4105 Aranjuez, Spain
8. Jardín del Príncipe
Source: Assdl
The Jardín del Príncipe, or the Garden of the Prince, is a landscape-styled royal Spanish garden built by the Prince of Asturias in the 1800s. The garden boasts of remarkable architectural features completed by a formal layout, with rustic walkways arranged perfectly in an orthogonal pattern, capturing every single element of the landscape – a romantic pool with a Chinese pavilion, a mock tomb inside the lake, the ancient ruins and what not.
Information
- Name: Jardin del Principe
- Address: Calle de la Reina, 6, 28300 Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain
- Phone: +34 918 75 41 60
- Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 to 23:00
9. Fountain of the Child of the Spine
Source: Jim Whitehead
Located in the Garden of the Island, the Fountain of the Child of the Spine is a recurring theme blanketed in Italian art with a pedestal at the center of it, on which rests the Child of the Spine. It’s perfectly balanced between the four columns with Corinthian capitals supporting the mounted sculptures that release water into the center of the source.
Information
- Name: Jardin de la Isla
- Address: Av. de Palacio, S/N, 28300 Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain
- Phone: +34 918 91 04 27
- Opening Hours: Daily 08:00 to 19:00
10. Mercado de Abastos
Source: Zarateman
Walk towards the center of Aranjuez, you’ll find the Market of the Abastos – a great example of the 19th-century construction designed by the architect Enrique Sanchez Sedeno – which is one of the finest examples of Iron architecture in Spain. It combines brick and stone to the formal elements during construction with iron being a prime addition.
Information
- Name: Mercado de Abastos
- Address: Plaza Constitución, S/N, 28300 Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain
- Phone:+34 918 91 16 63
- Opening Hours: Daily 09:30 to 20:00
Have a good trip and travel!
