The Royal Palace of Aranjuez is the centrepiece of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses the town's palaces and gardens. The exterior is a handsome 18th-century Bourbon baroque structure in cream stone, flanked by wings that frame the main plaza. The interior is opulently decorated: room after room of tapestries, gilded mirrors, painted ceilings, and period furniture, culminating in the celebrated Porcelain Room — a chamber whose walls are entirely covered in white Buen Retiro porcelain plaques in a dazzling display of Rococo excess.
Guided tours are the standard way to see the palace interior, and they move at a steady pace through the succession of ceremonial rooms. The Throne Room, the music room, and the Chinese-influenced Cabinet del Rey are particularly impressive. Allow a couple of hours including the queue; the palace is popular on weekends and public holidays. The surrounding plazas and the view back across the formal gardens from the palace steps are themselves worth the visit.