La Granja de San Ildefonso
Camino de Madrid
La Granja is the most pleasant surprise between Madrid and Segovia, and well worth the slight detour off the main Camino path. The town centres on the Real Sitio de San Ildefonso — a Bourbon royal palace with formal gardens and ornamental fountains that, when running, are spectacular. It's sometimes called "the Spanish Versailles," and while the comparison is a stretch, the gardens are beautiful and the palace worth a visit.
The town has excellent services for a place this size: multiple restaurants, bars, and shops. The real value of La Granja is strategic: staying here breaks the punishing Cercedilla-to-Segovia stretch into two manageable days. From La Granja, it's only about 12 km to Segovia — a short, easy walk that gives you the whole afternoon to explore one of Spain's most remarkable cities.
Philip V of Spain, the first Bourbon king, built the palace in the 1720s as a retreat from the Castilian court. Homesick for Versailles, he created a miniature version in the Segovian foothills. The fountains, fed by gravity from mountain reservoirs, still operate on special display days — usually Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays in summer.
From La Granja, it's a straightforward 12 km walk to Segovia. The route crosses the Río Eresma and passes a reservoir before entering Segovia at the aqueduct. The terrain is mostly road-adjacent — not the most scenic stretch, but it's short and the destination makes up for it.