Castillo de Chinchón Mirador
The skeletal remains of the Castillo de los Condes de Chinchón crown the hill above town, and the open terrace beside them delivers the finest 360-degree view of the Tajo valley, the olive groves and the red-roofed village below. It costs nothing and most visitors never make it up here.
The climb and the castle
A 15-minute walk up Calle del Castillo from Plaza Mayor brings you to the castle ruins, which date from the 15th century and were partially destroyed during the Peninsular War. The walls are not open to enter, but the surrounding esplanade is freely accessible and perfectly positioned for photography.
On clear days — most days, frankly, given the Castilian plateau climate — you can see the Sierra de Guadarrama to the north and the cooling towers of Aranjuez's thermal plant marking the Tajo river to the south.
Best time to visit
Sunset is the obvious answer: the warm light turns the Plaza Mayor's terracotta tiles amber and the olive groves silver-green. In late spring the hillside is dotted with wild rosemary and thyme in flower, adding scent to the spectacle.
Come early on a winter morning after a cold night and you may catch low mist filling the valley below the castle — a genuinely dramatic scene that rewards the early alarm call.
Castillo de Chinchón Mirador on video
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