Top 8 best Parks and gardens to see in Madrid

Madrid is one of Spain’s most beautiful cities. It is home to many magnificent parks and gardens. These parks offer plenty of space and fresh air away from the city. Moreover, the parks are perfect for enjoying the warm weather, family picnics, dog walking, strolling, and many other open-air activities.

Madrid has an excellent climate, which makes the parks the best places to visit, especially in summer, when temperatures can be pretty high. Here are our top 8 parks and gardens to see in Madrid.

1- El Retiro Park:

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El Retiro is one of the largest public parks in Madrid, located in central Madrid. The park close to major monuments like the Puerta de Alcalá and the Plaza de la Independencia, as well as the Prado Museum and other sites.

This beautiful park stretches over 140 hectares,  and one of the most famous features of El Retiro Park is its Crystal Palace, a remarkable glass pavilion and conservatory containing art galleries. The park is also home to museums such as the Salón de Reinos, the Casón del Buen Retiro and the Statue Walk, featuring 18th-century statues of some spanish kings.

The north park entrance there is Retiro Pond, featuring a colonnade and monument honoring King Alfonso XII. A 20th-century rose garden contains numerous sculptures, including the Fountain of the Fallen Angel from 1922.

Park conveniences include spacious paved paths for walking and cycling, and playgrounds for children, exercise equipment and sports fields. The park hosts events and festivities throughout the year, including a Summer Concert Series, offering free public performances every Sunday from late May to early October.

2- Casa de Campo Park:

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Parc Casa de Campo is one of the largest parks in the city. It is famous for its historical and cultural significance, as well as for its different attractions, including an amusement park and a zoo.

A highlight of the Casa de Campo park is the Parque de Atracciones de Madrid, featuring roller coasters, a carnival, pony rides and a labyrinth. The Venta de Batan is a traditional area where the bulls kept before bullfighting and competition in the Las Ventas bullring.

Madrid Zoo is home to over 3,000 animals from all over the world, as well as an aquarium with a dolphin tank. Around the park are playgrounds for children and hidden water jets.

3- Western Park (Parque del Oeste):

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The Parque del Oeste (Western Park) is one of the largest landscaped areas in Madrid. This large garden created in 1905, and was formerly a landfill site.

The rose garden entrance is on Paseo del Pintor Rosales, opposite Buen Suceso street. Within the rose garden, there are several ornate gardens with a wide variety of roses of all shapes and sizes, plus statues, fountains and ponds.

The park is also home to the ancient Egyptian temple of Debod, which was transported here from Egypt.

4- Real Botanical Garden Alfonso XIII:

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The Real Jardin Botanico Alfonso XIII is one of the finest spots in Madrid, located on the campus of the Complutense University of Madrid.

The Real Jardin Botanico Alfonso XIII is a botanical masterpiece of Mediterranean plant life. The stunning plant varieties include olive trees, Kormes oaks, fig trees, vines and arbutus. In addition, the garden has an artificial geyser that creates an ecosystem favorable to the growth of marsh plants.

The park also features several sculptures that came as part of an exhibition and are now an integrated part of the garden.

5- El Capricho Park:

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El Capricho Park is a must-see destination for any traveler exploring this enchanting city. This magnificent park divided into three sections, each with its distinctive design. The first is a French garden called a parterre, the second is a landscaped English garden, and the last is an Italian garden.

Another jewel in the park is a bunker dating back to the Spanish Civil War, integrated in 1937. It served as the headquarters of the Republican army in the central region. This 2,000 m2 shelter lies 15 metres below ground and could protect soldiers from bombs. The location chosen for its distance from the battle front, its excellent communications infrastructure and the fact that it was sheltered by trees and bushes, allowing it to be well hidden.

6- Sabatini Gardens:

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The Sabatini Garden is one of the highlights of Madrid. This garden is one of the two green spaces around Royal Palace of Madrid.  Besides, these gardens built in the same Austrian style as the palace to represent the Habsburg family’s marriage to Spanish royalty.

Moreover, the park situated in the northern facade of the Royal Palace, features a small pond and beautiful fountains sculpted into hedges. Also the garden is designed geometrically, with mazes of bushes and symmetrically pruned trees and hedges in a classic French style.

7- Dehesa de la Villa:

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The Dehesa de la Villa is one of the must-see attractions in Madrid. Situated in the northern part of the city next to the Cuatro Caminos metro station. In 1152, King Alfonso VII donated this parcel of land to the municipality of Madrid as a hunting ground, and it became the local meat sanctuary for centuries. Now, it stretches over 60 hectares, making it one of the largest parks in Madrid.

8- El Campo del Moro Park:

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Campo de Moro Park is one of Madrid’s top attractions. This magnificent park is the second outdoor space surrounding the Royal Palace. The park is known as “Campo de Moro” because the Moorish army camped during its recapture of Madrid in 1109. Back then, it was just a field, but now it’s a beautiful park packed with fountains, gardens and tall, sheltering trees, making it an excellent spot for a romantic stroll.