Get out of Madrid and escape away from the asphalt, we suggest a getaway to San Lorenzo del Escorial.
What to see and do in San Lorenzo del Escorial
In the Northwest of the Community of Madrid, 50 km from the city of Madrid, between mountain rivers is this town that dates back to the Roman occupation of the Peninsula. It was not until the time of the reconquest when the Escorial acquired a true population center and, with Felipe II, when it reached its maximum splendor.
Royal monastery
The main tourist and cultural attraction of this town is the Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial, made up of a royal palace, a monastery, a basilica, a pantheon and a library.
The number of paintings, sculptures, hymnbooks, parchments, and other liturgical ornaments make this complex a museum that you cannot miss. Learn more about Monasterio de San Lorenzo.
Sports and outdoors
In El Escorial you will find a wide variety of sports activities to do, from mountain or road biking, to hiking or fishing in the Batán reservoir. There are also different activities (such as football tournaments), which take place in its sports center and which you can find advertised on the City Council website.
Wildlife and nature
San Lorenzo del Escorial has a very variable territory that presents an important duality between a livestock area and an environment of natural vegetation.
It has protected areas such as: Picturesque Spot of “El Pinar de Abantos an La Herrería” area and “Guadarrama River Basin (Red Natura 2000). Along with these two, the forest masses of oak and ash located to the east of the M-600 road, have been incorporated as protected areas.
The Valley of the Fallen (El Valle de los Caídos)
Close by, but not at walking distance, an architectural work built in 1958. The Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen) is a Catholic Basilica, an Abbey and a Monumental Complex.
Valley of the Fallen
Since its inauguration, it was declared a National Heritage by General Francisco Franco, who wanted to establish there the tomb of thousands of combatants of the Spanish Civil War.
Popular culture has impregnated it with a certain fascist significance, despite the fact that the reason for its uprising was to symbolize the end of a conflict that constitutes a very dark chapter in the recent history of Spain.
Its architectural lines reveals the prevailing ideology of the time, in which everything was endowed with a special magnificence. The Valley of the Fallen is a true reflection of this.
Gastronomy
The authentic Madrid and mountain cuisine includes the best snails, potato omelettes and various sausages that will serve as appetizers. It is typical of the area to order a good stew from Madrid or enjoy roast meat.
Charolais restaurant in San Lorenzo
If you don’t have heavy digestions, you always have the option of ordering good cuts of grilled meat (mainly veal), or baked (in case you fancy suckling pig or lamb).
Restaurants such as Charolés or Fonda Genara will give you the opportunity to taste gastronomic wonders, typical of this land.
In El Escorial you can also find an area set up for camping, or stay in a bungalow on spectacular land set up for it, which will sometimes make you forget that you are in a population center
Things to do in the City of Madrid
We recommend our generic post about the 10 most visited places in Madrid and visiting Madrid in one day.
Our accommodations in Madrid
We have apartments for months in the Centro area, the apartments for months in the Retiro area and as a quieter and less touristy area you can consider the apartments for months in the Salamanca district.
For a short stay we have apartments for days next to Calle Serrano and Paseo de la Castellana, in the Escultor Building and accommodation by category: list of apartments for companies or our list of apartments for students.
Pretending to live in Madrid?
If you are a Madrid passionate considering to invest in Madrid visit or Golden Visa page to obtain a permanent residence in Spain.
