Travel blog - Tips to explore the world on a budget: Aranjuez

Aranjuez is a UNESCO World Heritage site about 48 kilometers south of Madrid, known for its blend of royal history and beautiful landscapes. The Royal Palace, once the Spanish Crown’s spring home, stands at the center of gardens shaped by the Tagus and Jarama rivers. These rivers made it possible to create impressive gardens like the Island Garden, Parterre Garden, and Prince's Garden, each with its own style, from French Baroque to English landscape design. The gardens are filled with fountains, sculptures, waterfalls, and rare plants that reflect Enlightenment-era science. Inside the palace, you can visit 18th-century rooms such as the Porcelain Room, Arab Room, and Smoking Room, all decorated with remarkable art. The historic town center, built alongside the palace, has tree-lined streets, classic plazas like Plaza de San Antonio, and the Mercado de Abastos market. Aranjuez is also famous for its sweet strawberries and green asparagus, grown with irrigation systems that have been used for centuries. The Casa del Labrador, found in the Prince’s Garden, is a neoclassical building with silk-lined rooms and fine details from the late 18th century. The Strawberry Train, a vintage steam train from Madrid, runs on weekends from April to October and brings back the feel of 19th-century travel. With its grand buildings, lovely gardens, creative landscape design, and well-known food, Aranjuez is a great choice for a day trip from Madrid.