Charles Binns - Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Travel Photography

Spain

All images (c) Charles Binns - Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Travel Photography.

El Escorial

San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 49 Km from Madrid by road and 1,000 mts. above sea level, is one of the former royal residences and owes its universal fame to the famous Monastery which was built in there by King Felipe II. Felipe II started construction on "San Lorenzo de El Escorial" after winning the Battle of St. Quentin on August 10, 1557 as a way of thanking God for his victory.

The hills above San Lorenzo del Escorial have some spectacular views.

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Picos de Europa

The Picos National Park was the first in Spain, and contains some of the finest mountain scenery in the Iberian peninsula. The park forms the apex of the Cordillera Cantabrica, which runs the entire length of Spain's northern coast and is so remote in places that bears and wolves still survive there. The Naranjo de Bulnes is one of the most spectacular limestone monoliths anywhere and dominates the park.

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San Vicente de la Barquera

An old fishermen's refuge, San Vicente de la Barquera offers one of the most picturesque sights on the Cantabrian coast, with its beaches, the old village and the exceptional backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of the Picos de Europa.

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Parque del Retiro

The Parque del Buen Retiro of Madrid is a large (around 350 acres), seventeenth-century French-style garden, parts of which are very formal, others more natural. Now, it is a popular place for people to pasear, stroll, especially on Sundays, when throngs of people come.

Jardin Botanico

Just south of the Prado Museum, the gardens provide a pleasant place to stroll or sit under the trees. True to the wishes of King Carlos III, they hold many plants, flowers, and cacti from around the world.

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