21 May Enjoy a walk through Madrid’s Most Special Parks

Madrid is a city that is rich in tourist attractions, monuments and historical heritage, but it is also home to many beautiful natural areas and parks that will enrich your experience visiting the city. We have made a selection of some of the best known and most beautiful, do you dare to visit them?

Madrid Río

This is an urban park located on the banks of the Manzanares River. In this large park there are many playgrounds, monuments, and plenty of space for sports such as cycling and running.

In summer you can enjoy “the beach” of Madrid with its water jets and at night numerous shows, cultural activities and concerts.

Casa de Campo

This is the largest natural park in the city and covers an area of 1,722 hectares. In this large space there are several leisure facilities ideal to enjoy with the family and large spaces to do different sports such as cycling, running, hiking, etc.

The most outstanding feature of this park is the lake, which is one of the most visited places and where you can rent boats or motorboats. The park is open all year round and admission is free.

Campo del Moro

These historic gardens were declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931. They were created by Philip II and are located next to the Madrid River. These gardens cover more than 20 hectares and are one of the three landscaped enclosures that adorn the Royal Palace.

The name of this space is due to the historical episode when the Muslim Alí Ben Yusif tried to reconquer the city after the death of Alfonso VI, as his troops camped in this space.

Retiro

El Retiro is considered the lungs of Madrid and was inaugurated in 1868. It is one of the most beautiful parks in the city and is home to several points of interest that make this park even more special: Palacio de Cristal, formerly used as a greenhouse and now home to temporary exhibitions, artificial pond where you can rent rowing boats, Monument of Alfonso XII on the banks of the pond, and the Paseo de la Argentina (Statues) where there are statues dedicated to the Spanish monarchs originally intended to decorate the Royal Palace.

Templo de Debod

This temple is a piece of Egypt in the city. Its construction began in the 2nd century BC. BC and was sent to Madrid when Egypt built the dam, due to the city’s contribution to the salvage of the Nubian temples. It was transported by separate stones and rebuilt again here in the city, opening to the public in 1972.

This unique monument can be visited and is surrounded by gardens where you can stroll around and enjoy the wonderful views of the city.

Parque Cerro del Tío Pío

This park is one of the favourites in the south of Madrid to admire the views of the city. This is because the park has 7 small mountains where you can admire the sunrise and sunset. The park also has a bike path, terraces, sports facilities and an ornamental element: the Illusory Ornamental Rectangle.

It is one of the most popular green spaces in Madrid and it is said that from here you can admire the best views of the city.

La Quinta de los Molinos

This magnificent garden is for public use and has a large number of trees, buildings and different types of architecture that have been declared to be of great interest. In this park we can find many species of trees, but the most outstanding are the almond trees.  It has 5 access gates and is enclosed around its perimeter.

Within this park perimeter we can distinguish 2 parts: the southern part with an agricultural character and the northern part with a romantic landscape style.