Madrid es sin duda una de las ciudades que más zonas verdes posee de España. Parques de todo tipo y propósito: afrancesado y señorial como El Retiro, de estilo naturalista como la Casa de Campo, de estilo romántico inglés como El Capricho o acondicionado para todo tipo de deportes y actividades como Madrid Río. Sea cual sea tu idea de cómo debe ser el Parque urbano ideal, echa un vistazo a esta lista, porque seguro que lo encontrarás.
El Retiro Park
It was created as a private garden for one of the palaces of Philip IV. With time, it was filled with all sorts of "entertainment" elements for the royal family and the nobility: cages with exotic beasts, ponds to represent small naval battles, one porcelain factory ... Today, El Retiro, it is not just a park, but a fundamental space for the life of the city, used by locals for sports, playing music, attend puppet shows, visiting exhibitions, rowing, organize fairs, sunbathing or, of course, just strolling.
Madrid Río Park
Madrid Rio is a huge leisure and cultural enclave located in the city center, by the Manzanares river. It is an ideal place to go with the whole family, because it has about 10 fully equipped playgrounds for children of all ages. But it is also a place where adults can enjoy a wide range of cultural activities: exhibitions, music festivals, theater ... in short, Madrid Rio is one of the main outdoor leisure areas of Madrid.
Botanical Garden
The current site of the Botanical Garden responds to the interest of the enlightened monarch, Charles III to create a complex in Madrid dedicated to natural sciences. That’s the reason why it stands next to the Museo del Prado, which in the late eighteenth century was the Museum of Natural Sciences. The scientific spirit is preserved today as the garden is managed by the Higher Council for Scientific Research, wich organizes many informative activities, such as conferences and exhibitions. Walking around the garden and its greenhouses with more than 5.000 species of alive plants, you’ll find general botanical content, trivia, history, uses of plants and the importance of them in our life.
Casa de Campo Park
It is the largest public park in Madrid. More than 1700 hectares where we can find an amusement park, a zoo, a cable car, a lake, sports facilities, roads for bicycling, bars, restaurants ... and all thanks to the will of Philip II who devote it to the practice of hunting, something that he was very fond of, and the successors kings decision of keeping it as such until 1931, year in which it was decided by the Second Spanish Republic to transform it into a public park.
El Capricho Park
This precious treasure located 13 kilometers away from the city, it is one of the most beautiful and hidden parks of Madrid. Created in the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Osuna, it is divided into three distinct areas: the French garden with its neat and trimmed parterres, the Italian giardino, which is the oldest of the estate space, including a labyrinth and a mixture of hedges and trees and finally, the English landscape, full of surprising corners that evoke nature in its purest form. On the death of the Duchess, the garden fell into a process of decline that did not end until 1974, when the Madrid City Council bought it and began its recovery.
West Park
It was created in 1906 by the city council with naturalistic English style, steep slopes and curved paths. It hosts the famous Temple of Debod, an egyptian temple that belongs to the second century b. C. and a beautiful event that takes place every year since 1956 at its southern end, at the Rosaleda Ramon Ortiz: the Villa de Madrid International Competition for New Roses. But above all, the West Park is a great, central space in which to rest, walk and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Sabatini Gardens
Right next to the north facade of the Royal Palace, these gardens were created after the Civil War in the space where the stables of the Palace use to be. They were built by Francesco Sabatini, the official architect of King Charles III, also responsible for other important constructions in the city such as the Puerta de Alcalá. What truly one mustn’t miss at the Sabatini Gardens, is the sunset, during which the gray stone of the Royal Palace keeps changing color, reaching truly spectacular hues.
Campo del Moro Gardens
These gardens save a steep slope that connects the Royal Palace with the banks of the Manzanares River, something that provides one of the best pictures of the city: the Royal Palace located high above and framed by the wonderful environment of this wonderful english style garden of a romantic character. The name of Campo del Moro (the moor field) comes from the promoters of the gardens, that drew on historical events, because in these area were encamped the Arab troops that besieged the Palace back in 1109. Today, it is one of the most quiet gardens of the city, something that makes it the locals favorite to seat and relax with a good book in the shade of one of its magnificent trees.
Quinta de los Molinos park
It was originally an estate of urban rustic playground with agricultural areas and a marked Mediterranean character. Divided into two distinct areas: the north with a romantic style landscape and the southern agricultural character area, the park includes large areas of woodland, where we can find a lot of species (olive, pine, eucalyptus), although the star of the park are the almond trees, which bloom in February and March, providing a fantastic spectacle.
