To make the highly recommended visit of Escorial monastery You may travel by car from Madrid.
If so, I advise you that before entering the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial To reach the monumental complex, take a short detour.
What I actually propose is that you see the first panoramic of the aforementioned town and the monastery from the so-called Felipe II chair.
What is and where is the Chair of Philip II in El Escorial
It is a rocky promontory located on a slope of the so-called Escorial Circus, next to Blacksmith site, two and a half kilometers from the town.
From there you have some great views of the landscape formed by Monte de Abantos and the urban complex of San Lorenzo del Escorial, with the imposing building of the monastery appearing in the foreground.
This place is called Felipe II chair because tradition says that from there the king monitored the works of the Monastery of El Escorial, which lasted from 1563 to 1584.
And, indeed, it is a granite rock promontory in which they appear sculpted from steps to holes that function as armchairs.
However, other hypotheses have also emerged in this regard.
It has been said that, in reality, this place is a ritual altar from the time of the Iberians, and was never used as a viewpoint by the King Philip II.
And there is also another theory that considers that Felipe II chair It was sculpted much more recently, in the 19th century.
Map: how to get to Silla de Felipe II
For reach the Chair of Philip II, if you come from Madrid via Galapagar, on the M-505, a little before reaching Escorial you must turn left, following the direction of Ávila.
Very shortly after, you turn right, and the road begins to climb the slope toward the Puerto de la Cruz Verde.
To the right is the town of San Lorenzo del Escorial.
Soon you will find a detour to the left, with the indication of the Felipe II chair.
Now along a paved forest road you will go up a little more than a kilometer until you reach the place, where you can park your car.
As a last piece of advice I will tell you that once you have visited the town and the Escorial monastery, you will have another option to appreciate the monumentality of the building enjoying the panoramic views from the Monte Abantos viewpoint.
I need information to take a guided excursion with 80 children to the Felipe II chair. We are a school in Toledo, we provide the bus. I want to know the price of the guide and what dates there are in the month of May