A convention in Aranjuez and Chinchón takes the team out of Madrid less than an hour away by coach, to a royal estate that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a town with one of the best-known main squares in Spain. We propose two days: plenary and gardens in Aranjuez, then workshops, the close and lunch at the Parador de Chinchón.
Why Aranjuez and Chinchón?
Because it is the shortest getaway with a clear change of scene. Aranjuez and Chinchón are in the south of the Madrid region, less than an hour from the centre, and you get there without a train or a plane. The group boards the coach first thing and is in the meeting room by 10:00.
The combination works because the two destinations complement each other. Aranjuez brings the Royal Palace, the gardens by the Tagus and a Cultural Landscape listed as a World Heritage Site. Chinchón brings the scale of a small town, the Plaza Mayor and a Parador in a former convent that serves as the working room for the second morning.
What we set out here is an indicative sample programme. We adapt it to your objective, the size of the group and the season in the proposal we send you within 24 business hours.
The venues: a hotel in Aranjuez and a convent in Chinchón
On day one the group works and sleeps at the NH Collection Palacio de Aranjuez, on Calle de San Antonio. According to its website, it has 86 bedrooms and six event rooms, with capacity for up to 300 people. It is in the historic centre, so the Royal Palace, the gardens and the restaurants are all within walking distance.
On day two we move the group to the Parador de Chinchón. According to the Paradores website, it occupies the former monastery of Nuestra Señora del Paraíso, founded in the 15th century, and retains its cloister, staircase and old chapel. It has two rooms, the 127 m² Capitular and the 133 m² Doctoral, each for up to 130 people, as well as gardens with a monastic kitchen garden. Working there on the last morning changes the atmosphere of the conclusions session.
How does it scale from 40 to 120 people?
| Group size |
Plenary |
Day 2 workshops |
Dinner |
| 30-60 people |
One room at the Aranjuez hotel |
One room at the Parador |
Hotel or a restaurant in the centre |
| 60-120 people |
Combined hotel rooms |
Capitular and Doctoral rooms |
Hotel or the Bodega del Real Cortijo |
| More than 120 |
Gran Casino de Aranjuez |
Shifts at the Parador or rooms in Aranjuez |
Large-format venue and accommodation split across hotels |
With groups of more than 80 people, the Royal Palace visit runs in small groups with several guides and staggered times, and the walk through the gardens starts from different points.
Logistics and transfers
The whole programme moves by coach. From Madrid to Aranjuez it is around 50 minutes in normal traffic, from Aranjuez to Chinchón about 30, and from Chinchón back to Madrid around an hour. We avoid Madrid's rush-hour exits and set the return for mid-afternoon so anyone catching a train or flight has time to spare.
For those making their own way, the Cercanías commuter train links Madrid with Aranjuez. Within Aranjuez and Chinchón everything is done on foot.
What changes with the season
Spring and autumn are the best seasons. In spring the Aranjuez gardens are at their best, and it coincides with asparagus and strawberry season, which go onto the menu. In summer the heat in the Tagus valley is intense in the middle of the day: we move the visit to late afternoon and look for shade in the gardens. In winter the programme gains meeting-room hours, coffee in Chinchón is taken in the glazed cloister and the Castilian lunch carries more weight. We explain it month by month in our guide to the best time for events in and around Madrid.
Budget: what it depends on
We do not publish fixed prices because every convention is different. The cost items are accommodation, rooms in Aranjuez and Chinchón, AV equipment, breaks, lunches and dinner, tickets and guides for the Royal Palace, the walk around Chinchón, coaches and coordination. What moves the cost per person most is the season, the day of the week and whether meals are exclusive use. We explain it in how much a convention in Madrid costs.
Who organises it
ECM is MC Group's brand for corporate events in and around Madrid. The team has more than 20 years of experience producing conventions and incentives and has organised more than 100 corporate events in Madrid, with dedicated staff and event planners in the city. If you want to see how we approach working sessions, take a look at meetings and seminars; and if you are looking for a team activity for the afternoon, see team building.
If you would prefer a monumental city with a high-speed train, see the convention in Toledo. If you are after the mountains, the Sierra de Guadarrama convention. And if the team cannot leave Madrid, the 1-day programme. All the options are in convention programmes.
Do Aranjuez and Chinchón suit your next meeting? Tell us your dates and group size and we will send you a proposal within 24 business hours.
Sources
- NH Hotels: NH Collection Palacio de Aranjuez, meetings and events
- Paradores: Parador de Chinchón
- Visit Madrid: Aranjuez, an ideal place for congresses
- esMADRID: getting around Madrid
