Best Day Trips From Madrid: Chinchon

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chinchon madrid pueblos bonitos plaza mayor travel outfit

Chinchon is considered one of those Pueblos bonitos de España, a disctinction given to the most beautiful villages in Spain like Vejer de la Frontera, Santillana del Mar or La Alberca. It’s only a 50 minute drive from Madrid and a great idea for a day trip from the capital of Spain. Chinchon is well-known for its Plaza Mayor (town square) and its typical products: garlic and anisette liquor.

chinchon madrid pueblos bonitos plaza mayor

We left Madrid on a gloomy Saturday morning, storms were forecast but the expectation of photo opportunities and delicious food kept all worries away. In the end, not a single drop fell so it was a perfect spring day.

The first place we explored was Plaza Mayor. The green wooden balconies reminded us of those we had seen in Almagro last Easter. Even though it’s called “square” it’s actually round. It was built in the 15th century and has served many purposes including theater and bullfighting ring.

chinchon madrid pueblos bonitos plaza mayor burros
On a side note, I feel sad when I see animals being used for entertainment purposes, although I know children love donkeys. It’s not the same but this reminded me of something really upsetting I saw in Santorini: poor donkeys carrying people through a steep pathway in hot temperatures.
One of the streets from the plaza takes you to the clock tower, from that area you can get great views of Chinchon.vista aerea birds eye chinchon madrid plaza mayor castillo pueblos bonitos spain

At the tourist information office we were told that we could buy sweet treats at Convento de las Clarisas. Nuns make the best sweets and pastries, so if there’s a convent in town we always buy sweets there. We were impressed by the garden that leads to the shop in the convent, it was beautifully arranged and kept. A lovely place to sit down and read a book on a summer afternoon.

convento clarisas dulces tipicos chinchon madrid
convento clarisas dulces tipicos chinchon madrid
Our next stop was another landmark of Chinchon: the castle. You cannot go inside, just see the remains of the castle from outside which transport you back to its glory days in the 16th century.castillo castle chinchon madrid pueblos bonitos spain
We had lunch at El Parador which apart from a hotel is also a must-see in Chinchon. It used to be an Agustinian monastery back in the 15th century. I fell madly in love with the cloister, the gardens and the decor: blue and white predominate in the indoor common areas with beautiful tiles all around. 
parador chinchon madrid pueblos bonitos spain travel outfit
parador chinchon madrid pueblos bonitos spain restaurante
parador chinchon cafeteria pueblos bonitos spain
restaurante convento parador chinchon madrid spain

We had an amazing meal. For starters we had crostini with roasted peppers and chicken and a beautifully presented lettuce salad with smoked salmon. Apart from tasting delicious food, I love going to restaurants to get inspiration for food presentation. I’m definitely going to be making that salmon salad at home!

restaurante convento parador chinchon madrid menu
restaurante convento parador chinchon madrid menu

Then we had fish: hake with squid and cod.

restaurante convento parador chinchon madrid menu
restaurante convento parador chinchon madrid menu

And then we had a yummy cheesecake.

Spanish people like to have their coffee after lunch and here it is usually paired with their most famous drink. If you go to Chinchon you must order anisette liquor with your coffee, you can’t leave the place without trying it! They have been producing this type of drink for centuries and it’s so famous that people in Spain often call it chinchon.

restaurante convento parador chinchon madrid menu

Finally, we explored the beautiful gardens at El Parador. Ah, there’s nothing better than sitting al fresco and enjoying the wonderful weather and beautiful surroundings. This is the life.

outdoor garden jardin externo parador chinchon madrid
outdoor garden jardin externo parador chinchon madrid
outdoor garden jardin externo parador chinchon madrid

There are more beautiful villages a stone’s throw from Madrid. Other wonderful day trips include Aranjuez and Alcala de Henares.
xo Cristina

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chinchon madrid pueblos bonitos plaza mayor

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0 thoughts on “Best Day Trips From Madrid: Chinchon”

  1. Maria Kelly

    Oh this is a must – I will deffo visit here if I get the chance to visit Madrid again! Thanks so much for the guide xx

    Reply
  3. Maureen O

    I agree with you about animal cruelty. It is hard to see that. I know that on the opposite end, that that's probably how someone gets money to feed their family so it's a hard circumstance. On another note, I want to try that anisette liquor! Not because of the liquor but because of the coffee! I am a coffee drinker and love the idea of trying something new especially when it comes to coffee!

    Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com

    Reply
  4. Sandy

    Looks like such a beautiful place and the food looks so amazing too. Madrid is definitely on my bucket list!

    Reply
  5. minitravellers

    I love El Parador places too. This looks like a great place to visit from Madrid and so very pretty. Thanks for linking up to Monday Escapes.

    Reply
  10. Tola

    Absolutely beautiful, I love that old town Spanish feel I get from your post, makes me want to get on a plane now and never come back lol and your dress perfectly fits the city’s asthetic too so pretty

    Reply
  15. Alex

    Well I'm glad to see you dressed to match the surroundings 😉 That green placa is beautiful. And, I have never even come across this term 'pueblos bonitos de Espana' before so now you have me googling for more. Thanks for the education #citytripping

    Reply
  17. mary_makeup@hotmail.it

    Spain is absolutely stunning…even if I don't know that area yet! Been to Barcelona. Valenica and Ibiza only, but I'd love to visit Madrid and all the area aorund that lovely city x

    Reply
  24. Tin Box Traveller

    I can see why you enjoyed your visit so much, Chinchon is stunning. That lush green cloister looks like a wonderful place to reflect for a few minutes and the lunch has my mouth watering! #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  38. Cristina

    Thanks, Amy! I'm so glad you liked the post 🙂

    I was actually born near Tarragona and lived there for 10 years. I recently visited Valencia (I had never been there, can you believe it?) and fell in love with it.

    Reply
  39. Wander Mum

    This looks a beautiful place to visit. I know what you mean about the donkeys.l and I thought them same about the ones in Santorini. Was rather uncomfortable with it. Thanks for linking #citytripping

    Reply
  41. Cristina

    Yes, you can get there by train (cercanías: sol-atocha-aranjuez) or bus (line 337). If you need any help planning your trip let me know 🙂

    Reply
  45. Sara [at] journey of doing

    What a beautiful place – I love all the details (and especially the green railings)!! We're visiting Spain November so I'm definitely going to pin this for later. Side note: I LOVE your green dress; the neckline and the skirt on it are fabulous!

    Reply
  50. Ophalyn Lee

    We travelled as a family for the first time to Philippines last month and it was fun! I've been thinking of places to go next. This will be one of the places I would love to see:)
    xoxo
    Ophalyn @letmommybe

    Reply
  52. Betsy

    That looks so fantastic! We haven't visited Spain yet but you can be sure I will earmark this post for trip planning when we do! Looks like a great time and great food!

    Reply

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