Boadilla del Monte is located in the southeast of Madrid, near the municipalities of Majadahonda, Villaviciosa de Odón, Alcorcón, Pozuelo de Alarcón and Brunete.

There are different theories about the origins of Boadilla. One of them says that it was built by the Arabs, as the remains of a mosque were found in the vicinity. Its name could come from the Arabic Boadil-la. After 1576 it was royal property and it was a famous hunting reserve. It is believed that in around 1668 the town was laid out around the church of San Cristóbal, where the remains of an Arab wall were situated. In 1670, the convent of the Barefoot Carmelites was founded. In the 18th century, the town belonged to Isabel María Queipo de Llano Dóriga y Valdés. It was later bought by the infante Luis de Borbón. In 1998, Boadilla's town council acquired the Palace of the Infante Don Luis, declared a National Monument in 1974. In future, this palace will be the site of the European Institute of Environmental Affairs.