Parque del Buen Retiro
Open: Winter (October to April): 7 am to 10 pm
Summer (May to September): 7am to midnight
My personal favourite not least because I used to jog around the park every day. The park is located in the smart centre of Madrid (Barrio de Salamanca). It has a huge amount of atmosphere, absolutely loaded with life at weekends, hustlers and bustlers, clowns, Punch and Judy, rollerbladers, cyclers, runners, rowing, you name it – it’s got it.
Alfonso XII (Pza. de la Independencia)
Metro: Retiro , Príncipe de Vergara
Tel: 91 574 4024
Parque de Casa de Campo
Vehicle access: Puerta del Ángel, Puerta del Rey, Carretera de Rodajos, Paseo de Plátanos y Paseo de Castaños. Open to traffic from 6am to 1.00am
Here you’ll find the zoo, teleferico, lake, an outdoor pool (subject to seasonal opening dates/times), cycling circuits and much more. Err on the side of caution, parts of the park are frequented by prostitutes at all hours so it’s wise to stick to the main attractions of the park.
Metro: Lago, Batán, Alto de Extremadura and Casa de Campo
Tel: 91 479 6002
Jardines de Plaza de Oriente
These are the gardens in the plaza de Oriente.
Close to the Royal Palace and many wonderful cafes and restaurants.
Plaza de Oriente, s/n.
Metro: Opera
Parque de El Capricho
Historical gardens with a romantic feel. Organised guided tours at weekends and occasional workshops for families and children. Parking is relatively easy.
Paseo de la Alameda de Osuna, s/n
Hours: Sat, Sun and bank hols: 9am-9pm
Tel: 91 588 0114
Parque Juan Carlos I
21 hectar of olive trees and the Gardens of 3 cultures ( Jardín de las tres culturas).
It boasts a lake, catamaran, tourist train, free bicycles, dog exercise area, sports facitilities and a recreation room.
Metro: Campo de las Naciones
Sun to Thurs 7am to 11pm – Fri and Sat from 7am to midnight
Tel: 91 721 0079
Real Jardin Botánico
20 acres divided into three areas. The most important buildings in the Garden are the Villanueva Pavilion, the Graells Greenhouse and the Exhibition Greenhouse, inaugurated in 1993. There are more than a thousand of species cultivated in the greenhouse in three different modules: tropical, desertic and subtropical species. The greenhouse was built with modern materials and uses the latest clean energy technologies.The Garden also houses an important botanical research center with the latest technological equipment, a herbarium with more than a million of specimens, and a library with more than 32.000 volumes.
Children’s workshops are held in these gardens, telephone for reservations.
Pza. Murillo, 2 Atocha
Mon to Sun from 10am to 8pm
Tel. 91 420 30 17
El Jardín Educativo del Bosque Mediterráneo
This park is divided into three main areas. Each area has a collection of plant species which you can find in the surrounding landscapes of Madrid. You can tour the garden at your own pace gaining an understanding of ecosystems. The thematic areas are each independent of each other.
Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2
Tel: 91 411 1328
