Chinchón’s Plaza Mayor

Sometimes living in Madrid, it’s hard for me to get the feeling that I’m actually in Spain. In my experience, most large cities have similarities: great restaurants, fashionable people, fast lifestyles, and occasionally the culture of the destination is lost. When I start to get the “get out of the city itch”, I do just that! Lucky for me, there are so many quaint Spanish towns within a short driving distance from Madrid where I can go to get a real taste of la vida española.

Cafe con leche + sunny skies = happy Shayla

Let’s face it, Spaniards know how to do it better. “It” being life. When I lived in New York, anytime I had a day where I did nothing but eat and drink and enjoy the company of friends all day, I felt extremely guilty. For me, weekends were all about laundry, possibly meeting up with friends for a bit and mainly getting ready for the week ahead. The thought of hitting the road with seven of my friends for a day trip was basically unheard of, but that’s exactly what happened on the lovely Sunday that my Spanish friends brought me to Chinchón. 

Located about 45 minutes southwest of Madrid, Chinchón is a town of only about 5,000 residents, but it’s one of the most popular places to go when you want to escape to the simple life.  Although I’m sure that Chinchón has plenty of great tourist attractions, my friends and I were only interested in two things – eating and drinking. The most distinct aspect of Chinchón is its main square which isnt’t actually a square but a circular shape surrounded by 15th century houses and cafes.  The ground in the Plaza Mayor is also sand, allowing it to become a bullring during special festivals and celebrations.

The homes surrounding Chinchon’s Plaza Mayor

We gathered in the Plaza Mayor to take part in the main draw of Chinchón, the tapas. During our visit, Chinchón was in the middle of a tapas contest, so at different restaurants you were able to choose from a tapa on the menu or choose to have the new tapa that was competing for the title. We happened to sit at the restaurant that had won the contest last year so we ordered two of last year’s winner and two of the current contestant. Unfortunately I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of the food OR get the name of the restaurant (I know…bad blogger) but I can suggest that if you make it to Chinchón, go in late November so you can catch the annual tapas contest!

Gorgeous.

After tapas, cañas and cafes, we made our way uphill to another restaurant with a terrace that overlooked the gorgeous town for even more tapas. You’d think we were no longer hungry but after visiting the clock tower and enjoying a different viewpoint of Chinchón from above, we finally had lunch. As the most uneducated person in the group, I left the lunch decision to my friends and they definitely picked a winner – Mesón Quiñones – Cuevas del Murciélago. In addition to great food, Mesón Quiñones is home to wine caves from the 18th century that visitors can explore before or after eating. Chinchón is also known throughout Spain for their prized garlic, so as a parting gift, we each received bulbs from the restaurant. Yum! If you’re really a garlic fan, visit Chinchón during the garlic festival in the fall.

Friends descending into the caves for 1 euro cups of wine

Presents!

Once we ate until we reached siesta status, it was time for one last coffee and stroll before going back to Madrid. We departed right at sunset so we could enjoy watching the amazing colors of the sun setting behind the Madrid mountains. I couldn’t have asked for a better day of doing nothing but enjoying food and fellowship!

Sad departure from Chinchón 🙁

Sunset over Chinchón

La familia

How to Get to Chinchón

By car: Chinchón is 45 km (18 miles) to the south of Madrid, about a 40-45 minute drive via highway A-3.

By bus: Buses running to Chinchón depart from the Conde de Casal Station (Metro Conde de Casal). The Madrid-Chinchón route is the 337 line and the price is 3.60€, one way. On the weekends buses run about once an hour or sometimes once every hour and fifteen minutes, so keep that in mind when you are planning your trip. For more information about prices and schedules, check here. If you’re hella confused, call +34 914 097 602.

More scenes from Chinchón

Adored these women taking in the scenes of the day in the Plaza Mayor

Entrance to the tourism office

 Chinchon from the base of the Clock Tower

The Clock Tower

The homes of Chinchon

<3

Have you ever been to Chinchón? If not, would you consider visiting? Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Chinchón is spelled with an accent and at the end of this post my computer decided to thumb its nose at the Spanish language and not let me put an accent in my photo captions. I’m sorry.