San Rafael dates back to the end of the 18th century, when Charles III decided to build a new communication route between Madrid and the Royal Site of La Granja de San Ildefonso. This new road, with the category of Royal Highway, would consolidate the passage of the Sierra del Guadarrama through the Puerto del León. It was at the end of the 19th century when San Rafael saw its most significant development, to the point of becoming the main tourist center in the entire Guadarrama mountain range in a matter of decades. In just a few years, the growth of San Rafael was spectacular, which, in communion with the alpine landscape, made San Rafael known as the Spanish Switzerland.