Parks in Madrid

Casa de Campo dwarfs Retiro park in size but it doesn´t have all the architechture, drums, vendors and metropolis feel that Retiro has. It´s a lot more natural. The zoo and the amusement park are right there. There´s a whole flock of feral parakeets living in Casa de Campo. The teleferico is there. It´s a little aerial tramway like in the Alps. It takes you to Parque del Oeste where Templo de Debod is. Round trip is a better deal than one way on the teleferico (as of March 09 it´s only 3 and a half euros one way and I think 5.10 round trip) but I liked the idea of using it as a novel form of transportation from Casa de Campo to the center of Madrid. I haven´t even tried it the other way yet! I´ll have to keep you updated! I don´t know where the parakeets come from either. I´ve seen horses. It´s so big I haven´t even seen it all yet.

Their are many parks in Madrid, but the Retiro is the largest. We've spend quite some hours here, enjoying the sun, the water, the Estrella beer, the green grass,... It was a hot day and we needed some rest. Retiro is excellent for that. It is a lovely place to walk around in, largely shaded by the trees.

In the center is a pool where you can rent little rowboats, and were you can watch the Monumento a Alfonso XII. From the monument you have a nice view over the water too. In the gardens are two palaces as well: the Palacio Velázquez and the Palacio de Cristal. Retiro is huge, and when you want to see every corner of it you need quite some time. We walked the whole way from south to north, but didn't get to see it all. Yet is was a great way to pass the afternoon.

Two other parks I liked was the Plaza de Oriente (not really a park but more like a square) and the Jardines de Sabatini. They are both close to the Palacio Real and offer nice views on the palace. I've written more about the Jardines de Sabatini in my España travel blog of july 11 2007.

Madrid is known for some great museums that house some great works of art from Picasso and Dali. However, if you're not into that kind of thing, where else is there to go? Well, Madrid has some incredible parks that are often not mentioned in travel books. Retiro Park is a huge park in the heart of Madrid and there is plenty to see and do. It's a great place to have lunch after you've stopped in the supermarket. From there, you can walk through the shaded area and check out the lake they have for boating. There's also a wonderful garden area and there are several monuments, statues, and the like. You will also see some street performances and the statue people to keep you entertained!