San Lorenzo de El Escorial is, after Madrid, the second most popular tourist destination in the Community of Madrid. Every year, tourists from all over the world are drawn to the Royal Monastery, a splendid Renaissance monument that symbolizes the grandeur of the 16th-century Spanish Empire, a time when the sun never set.

In its shadow lies a valuable cultural, natural, and intangible heritage framed by the Fence that delimits the Historical Territory of Philip II, the vast area acquired by the king in the 16th century to support the Royal Monastery. Currently, a large part of its area is part of the Natura 2000 Network, especially the Pinar de Abantos and the Bosque de la Herrería. Around this extraordinary monument, King Charles III promoted the development of the Royal Site, recognized as a Historic-Artistic Site. Its streets are lined with numerous 18th-century buildings and a wide range of cuisine and tourist services (accommodation, activities, etc.). All of this is wrapped up in the cultural atmosphere generated by the Auditorium Theatre, the Royal Coliseum of Carlos III, the Complutense University Summer Courses, the festivals of tourist interest, and the daily activity of this small, great city.