Part II: Parks of Madrid – there is one for everybody!

Royal Botanical Garden, Madrid.

As promised, today we want to present you the second part of our series “Parks of Madrid”. Find out more about where you can discover Madrid for free and enjoy the lovely sun of Spain!

There you go: our list of the most popular parks of Madrid.

A must- have for…

…freedom lovers – The Casa de Campo de Madrid.

Literally called the "Country House", the Casa de Campo consists of 1722 hectares and is therefore one of Europe's largest public parks. In the 16th century, Felipe II ordered the purchase of the Vargas' country house, around which further grounds and estates were added. The park was declared the "Royal Forrest" under the reign of Fernando VI. It suffered enormous damage during the Civil War and was finally handed over to the City Authorities in 1963. Its flora is represented mainly by Mediterranean oaks, ash groves, copses and reforestation areas; the fauna by a variety of birds and small mammals, rodents, and insects. Furthermore within the Casa de Campo limits, we can find a trade fair area, an amusement park, Madrid’s Zoo and the Teleférico (cable car). There is definitely a reason why this park is called “The Lung of Madrid”! Take the day off and immerse yourself in the biggest park of Madrid! (Metro: Batán)

The Casa de Campo, Madrid.

…world discoverer – The Royal Botanical Garden.

Another beautiful park of Madrid is the Royal Botanical Garden (Real Jardín Botánico) which was commissioned by Charles III (Carlos III) in 1781. The park provides a lovely green respite in the middle of Madrid. It is situated on the Paseo del Prado near a number of Madrid’s popular attractions just like the Prado Museum. Due to scientific expeditions all over the world sent by the king, the Royal Botanical Garden offers flora and trees from five different continents! Recent statistics cite a total of about 30,000 plants and flowers and 1,500 trees. So, if you are interested to discover the world’s flora and fauna in the Spanish capital Madrid, it’s definitely necessary to visit the Royal Botanical Garden! (Metro: Atocha)

…perfectionists – The Parque del Oeste de Madrid.

The Parque del Oeste is Madrid’s best landscaped park, structured according to the style of British or naturalistic parks with great open grass spaces and copses. In the bottom half of the park we can find the Rosaleda, the rose garden. Nearby, it is possible to take the cable car or Teleférico to the Casa de Campo - a marvellous opportunity to enjoy spectacular views of Madrid's skyline. (Metro: Moncloa)

…hunters – The Campo del Moro & Sabatini Gardens.

Sabatini Gardens, Madrid.

Between the Manzanares River and the Royal Palace you can find the Campo del Moro & the Sabatini Gardens. The gardens belong to the Royal Palace of Spain and were opened to the public in 1978 by order of the king, Juan Carlos I. The park owes its name due to the fact that it was the site of a campo established by the Muslim armies between 1100 and 1200. The Campo del Moro & Sabatini Gardens were used for hunting parties, jousts and tournaments, as well as it used to be a route to the Casa de Campo parklands. (Metro: Príncipe Pío)

…entertainment lovers – The Enrique Tierno Galván Park.

The Enrique Tierno Galván Park is located in the southeast of the city of Madrid. The park was started to build in 1986, during the administration of the popular Mayor of Madrid Enrique Tierno Galván, to whom the park was devoted after his death. Apart from a big square with a statue dedicated to him, there is also Madrid’s planetarium within its walls as well as an outdoor auditorium and a cinema IMAX system. (Metro: Méndez Alvaro)

…all the five senses – The Fuente de Berro Park.

The Fuente de Berro Park, Madrid

Another special park of Madrid is the Fuente de Berro Park (Quinta & Parque de la Fuente de Berro), the former Quinta de Miraflores Park which was ordered to build by Felipe IV as a new royal place. The park is specified by plants and trees that are easily recognized by blind people due to their touch and smell, grassland slopes crossed by meandering walkways and rustic stone stairs. Among the sights you can find in this park there is the monument of the romantic Spanish poet Becquer, a statue dedicated to the Russian poet Pushkin, fountains, waterfalls and a couple of small ponds as well as a mansion which is what remains of the palatial past. (Metro: O’Donnell)

…forest and bird lovers – The Park of Dehesa de la Villa.

If you are more into a natural park you will need to go to the Park of Dehesa de la Villa which is situated in the territory of University City Ciudad Universitaria. In 1970, it was decided to develop this area of pastureland and it now functions as a public park. The park is almost free from external influence and is also used by the university to teach nature-related study degree courses. The Park of Dehesa de la Villa has a large variety of birds, with more than 70 species of birds spotted. This converts the park into the diamond of all parks of Madrid regarding the natural beauty. (Metro: Francos Rodríguez)

After reading through all the eight popular parks of Madrid we’re sure that you found your one and only! Apart from all the parks you also might have notices that there are a lot of green spots throughout Madrid. As you can see, Madrid offers you a large variety of nature and you should definitely make the most out of this advantage. The best thing, by the way, is that everything is for FREE! So get out of your room, discover the nature of Madrid and enjoy the beautiful weather!

This is article one of a two articles we are doing on Madrid wonderful parks (see also Parks in Madrid Part 2).

If you want to be updated with the best plans and places to go in Madrid, subscribe yourself to our blog now!