Jardin de Los Frailes, Spain: Off The Beaten Path
The town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is most known for its royal monastery, built under the reign of King Philip II, who also wanted it to serve as a palace and a burial place for his father. Construction took over twenty years with multiple additions made along the way, adding up to the massive structure that soars out of the mountains. Since 1984, both the monastery and much of its surrounding territory has been a UNESCO World Heritage site. While the inside of the monastery is famed for its Renaissance art and awe-inspiring library, the Jardin de Los Frailes that lines the outside is equally stunning.
Hedges carved in maze-like patterns are spread around this garden, offering fantastic views of not only the monastery, but also of Madrid’s sprawling Sierra de Guadarrama. For a pop of color in late spring and early summer, bright pink peonies bloom along the stone walls and blue pools of water reflect the sunny Spanish sky. Tours can sometimes crowd the inside of the monastery, but the Jardin de Los Frailes doesn’t suffer the same problem, as many groups skip over the outside areas almost entirely. Free to enter, the garden is quiet and spacious, with an ideal landscape that masterfully blends architecture and nature.