Plaza Mayor of Chinchón
45 minEveryoneDog-friendlyAll year
Walk · 45 min · Free · Arcaded square of medieval origin, closed in 1683, with 234 wooden balconies
From Madrid45 min by car · bus 337
Minimum timeHalf a day
To eatWood-fired roasts
Overall difficultyEasy
What to do
What to do in Chinchón
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Visit and Tasting at the Bodega del Nero
1 hAdults; under-18s with a soft drinkAll year, weekends and public holidays
Tasting · 1 h · From €15 · 1870 winery in the old town, with two Madrid wines and Chinchón cheese; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
From €15
Book
Church of the Asunción and the Goya Painting
20 minArtAll year, outside services
Visit · 20 min · Church built 1534 to 1626 above the square, with The Assumption of the Virgin painted by Goya in 1812
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Chinchón, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Chinchón
From October to May. In summer at midday the plain scorches. Easter brings the living Passion and many people; on sunny weekends, book a table.
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How you travel
Chinchón your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By car, 45 minutes from Madrid
Chinchón is about 45 km from Madrid: take the A-3 to Arganda and the M-311 via Morata, with more bends at the end, or the A-4 and the M-404 via Titulcia, which is straighter. A car lets you reach the Laguna de San Juan and combine the day with Aranjuez.
50–130 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayParador de Chinchón, with a…
- Getting aroundLeave the car when you…
- Where to eatMesón Cuevas del Vino, open…
- ServicesTourist office at Plaza Mayor…
Where to stay
- Parador de Chinchón, with a paid garage
- Casa del Hortelano, with private parking
Getting around
- Leave the car when you arrive: the town is walkable and the streets in the centre are narrow
- Laguna de San Juan, about 8 km away
Where to eat
- Mesón Cuevas del Vino, open on Sunday lunchtime
- Café de la Iberia, on the Plaza Mayor
Services
- Tourist office at Plaza Mayor, 6
Car-free, on the 337
La Veloz bus 337 leaves Pavones (temporary, because of roadworks) almost every hour and stops on avenida del Mediterráneo, next to Conde de Casal, and drops you in the town. Everything worth seeing is on foot from the Plaza Mayor.
45–120 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayParador de Chinchón, next to…
- Getting aroundBus 337 Madrid – Chinchón
- Where to eatMesón Cuevas del Vino
- ServicesTourist office at Plaza Mayor…
Where to stay
- Parador de Chinchón, next to the square
- Casa del Hortelano, 150 m from the square
Getting around
- Bus 337 Madrid – Chinchón
- Bus 430 if you want to carry on to Aranjuez
Where to eat
- Mesón Cuevas del Vino
- Restaurante El Convento, in the Parador
Services
- Tourist office at Plaza Mayor, 6
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Chinchón for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A small town to visit with children
You can walk all of Chinchón on foot and the square is car-free, so children can run about freely. Half a day is enough for everything; after that, a long lunch and the journey home.
- What works bestThe Plaza Mayor and its…
- Where to stayCasa del Hortelano, a whole…
- Where to eatMesón Cuevas del Vino: the…
- Worth knowingAt the Bodega del Nero…
What works best
- The Plaza Mayor and its arcades, with the climb up the Clock Tower
- The walk up to the Counts' Castle, to see it from outside
- The Laguna de San Juan with binoculars, to watch birds
- The Sunday guided tour, €3 for children
Where to stay
- Casa del Hortelano, a whole house with a patio, for large families
- Parador de Chinchón, with a garden and a pool in summer
Where to eat
- Mesón Cuevas del Vino: the caves and the wood-fired oven keep them entertained
Worth knowing
- At the Bodega del Nero, under-18s pay €6 and get a soft drink and cheese
- The streets are hilly and cobbled: a backpack is better than a pushchair
What to do as a family
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
© ParadoresHotelParador de Chinchón
Why we like it: Parador in the former monastery of Nuestra Señora del Paraíso, with a glazed cloister, gardens with an orchard and a swimming pool in the old stables.
From €119
View details
Casa del Hortelano
Why we like it: Whole rural house for up to 10 people 150 m from the Plaza Mayor, with three bedrooms, jacuzzi, patio, own parking and pets admitted.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Chinchón
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Mesón Cuevas del Vino
What to order: the mesón's grilled chorizo, pepper asadillo and wood-fired suckling lamb; or the cocido menu
Café de la Iberia
What to order: wood-fired roast lamb or grilled red meat, with a table by the balconies
© ParadoresEl Convento Restaurant, at the Parador
What to order: a roast or a spoon dish; in autumn and winter, the cocido de taba at El Bodegón
Map
Everything on the map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Chinchón
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
40.03° N · 3.60° W
Aranjuez
By carCar-free
40.48° N · 3.36° W
Alcalá de Henares: university, Cervantes and Complutum
By carCar-free
40.42° N · 3.70° W
Madrid
Car-freeBy plane
39.86° N · 4.02° W
Toledo
By carCar-free
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Arrive before eleven
You park better and see the square empty. At midday on Sundays it fills up.
- 2Book lunch
The mesones in the square and around it fill up on Sundays. Ask for a table for 14:00.
- 3Combine the tasting with lunch
The Bodega del Nero visit at 12:00 ends in time for you to sit down to eat.
- 4Wear comfortable shoes
The streets are cobbled slopes.
Chinchón is a town in the Las Vegas district, 45 km south-east of Madrid, among olive groves, vineyards and the Tajuña plain. People come for its Plaza Mayor, enclosed in 1683, with arcaded houses and 234 green wooden balconies, and stay to eat lamb from the wood-fired oven. It is a Historic-Artistic Site and can be seen in half a day; with lunch, a whole Sunday.
How do you get there from Madrid?
By car, about 45 minutes. There are two ways: the A-3 as far as Arganda and the M-311 via Morata de Tajuña, with a twisty final stretch, or the A-4 as far as the M-404, via Ciempozuelos and Titulcia, which is straighter. Without a car, La Veloz's line 337 runs practically every hour; because of the works at Conde de Casal it starts from Pavones (Calle de la Fuente Carrantona) and, according to the town council, stops on Avenida del Mediterráneo, and then calls in the town. From Aranjuez, line 430 drops you here in a little over half an hour, so the two towns combine well in a weekend. From Toledo and Guadalajara it takes a little over an hour.
Where to park?
The old town has narrow, steep streets, and the Plaza Mayor is not for cars. Leave the car at the entrance to the town as soon as you find a space and walk up: everything is less than ten minutes on foot. If you are staying overnight, the Parador has a paid garage and the Casa del Hortelano has private parking. On sunny Sundays the town fills up from midday, so arriving before 11:00 changes everything.
What to see?
The Plaza Mayor first, with a walk under the arcades. Going up, the church of the Asunción, begun in 1534, which keeps on its high altar The Assumption of the Virgin that Goya painted in 1812 for his brother, the church's chaplain. Next to it, the Torre del Reloj, what remained of the town's oldest church; hence the saying of the tower without a church and the church without a tower. At the top, the castle of the Counts, of 1598, which can only be seen from outside. The Teatro Lope de Vega, of 1891, and the church are part of the municipal guided visit on Sunday mornings, from October to May.
What is there to do besides walking?
Wine cellars, above all. The Bodega del Nero, founded in 1870 in the heart of the old town, shows its cellar and offers two Madrid wines with Chinchón cheese to taste at weekends at 12:00 and 13:00. Anise liqueur is the town's other product: you will see it in every shop. Outside the old town, the Laguna de San Juan is a 47-hectare wetland on the Tajuña plain, a bird refuge since 1991.
How much time do you need?
Half a day for the town and lunch. With the cellar, the lagoon and an after-lunch coffee in the square, the whole day. For sleeping, the Parador occupies a 15th-century monastery a few metres from the square.
When to go?
From October to May. In spring the countryside is green and in autumn the olive groves and vineyards change colour. In summer at midday it is very hot on the plain; go early or late. At Easter the town stages the Passion in the square and fills with people.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Madrid to Chinchón?
About 45 minutes by car, along the A-3 and the M-311 or along the A-4 and the M-404. On bus 337, which because of roadworks leaves from Pavones and stops on Avenida del Mediterráneo, next to Conde de Casal.
What is there to see in Chinchón in a day?
The Plaza Mayor, the church of the Asunción with Goya's painting, the Torre del Reloj, the castle from outside and a wine cellar. With lunch, the day is full.
Can you visit the castle?
Not inside: it is private property. You can see it from outside on Calle del Castillo.
Are there guided tours?
Yes, on Sundays at 10:00 from October to May, except the first weekend of the month, for €5. They are booked at the tourist office.
Where can you eat on Sunday?
The Mesón Cuevas del Vino is open on Sundays from 12:00 to 17:00. In the square there is the Café de la Iberia; call ahead, because it does not publish its hours.
What is typical of Chinchón?
Anise liqueur, garlic, Madrid wine and lamb roasts in wood-fired ovens.