There are, of course, the obvious day trips. Toledo, Segovia, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Avila, Salamanca. All great places with beautiful architecture, winding narrow streets, and great places to eat. But there are other, less well-known places that are certainly worth visiting.
Chinchón
With its beautiful and unique circular plaza mayor, Chinchón is a great place to walk around and explore on foot. Worth visiting is Cuevas del Murciélago, where you can both eat and visit the wine cellars and sample wine. The town is also well-known for its anis and garlic - they have festivals for both in the fall! Not too far away is also Colmenar de Oreja, which also has a charming plaza mayor.
Aranjuez
Aranjuez has many tourist attractions such as the royal palace, one of the earliest bull rings with its museum, an several churches, I love it for the gardens. The palace has extensive, beautiful gardens where you could easily spend hours walking around exploring the many fountains, buildings, and plants. A great way to visit Aranjuez is to take the Tren de la Fresa (Strawberry Train), which includes a round-trip trip in a historical train (!!), and two "plans" once you arrive in Aranjuez: either a guided tour of the palace or of the gardens, along with a few other museums. And, true to its name, you're given fresh strawberries onboard the train.
Rascafria
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| El Paular & Puente de Perdon |
Tucked away up in the Sierra of Madrid, Rascafría is a great place to go in the summer (though it's definitely not an undiscovered place for locals!). Skip the town itself - there's nothing interesting there - and go to the location of Monasterio de El Paular. The area is a charming little place between the Monastery and the Puente del Perdón, an 18th-century bridge. The river that flows by is also a great place to take a dip - the fresh mountain water is always nice and cold!
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| El Atazar Reservoir |
Patones de Arriba
Patones de Arriba (note - you have to walk up here from Patones de Abajo) is a well-preserved ancient little village full of black slate houses. It's so small you can easily walk around in a short time, but you'll want to stay longer because it has such a rugged uniqueness to it. Check out local artisan products like honey, cheese, and chocolate truffles. Also worth a short car ride away is the lookout point of the El Atazar reservoir, where you'll get absolutely stunning views of a landscape void of any building.
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| Patones |
Consuegra
You know how Don Quijote thought he was fighting giants, but they turned out to be windmills? This is the perfect place to see classic
molinos of La Mancha. Consuegra is well-known for its saffron, and they have a festival celebrating it in the fall.
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| Consuegra |
Let's face it: I could probably go on and on with great places to visit, but these are my favorites!
Chinchón
