6 parks and gardens you must visit in Madrid

Wandering the streets and sightseeing can be quite tiring. The easiest way to rest and regain strength for more  wandering is to just chill in a park for a while. In 2 days we were in Madrid we found ourselves in some absolutely lovely parks and gardens. Here are 6 we visited and loved.

Retiro Park

Retiro Park is the largest park in Madrid and it belonged to the Spanish monarchy until 1868 when it became public. It is a true green oasis in the city, perfect for long walks, chilling by the lakes, taking photos at the stunning Palacio de Cristal and just enjoying the greenery and birds chirping. I suggest you visit it in the morning and also in the evening before the sunset. In the morning I suggest you go to the Retiro Park Lake and if you feel up to it rent a boat end enjoy a morning in the lovely surrounding and with a view of the Monument to Alfonso XII. Before the sunset go to the Palacio de Cristal for a little photo shoot because the light in there is beyond spectacular.

Retiro Rose Garden

Rose Garden or La Roselada is located in the Retiro Park but its so beautiful it deserves its own mention. If you happen to find yourself in Madrid in May and June this place should be on your itinerary. Hundreds of different roses blooming in all kinds of colours and smelling so wonderfully you just wanna take them home with you. It is such a romantic place to visit and a perfect place for taking some lovely shots. Its free to enter, just check the opening times.

Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid

Botancial gardens are always so beautiful to visit I try not to miss on them. In Madrid botanical garden is located by the Retiro Park and Prado Museum so it will be hard to miss it. My favourite part was definitely tropical greenhouse. The heat and humidity with so much lush greenery everywhere is the perfect escape into tropical jungles when you are miles away from the nearest one. I also really loved their collection of succulents and cacti and wish I could take them home with me.

There is an entrance fee to the botanical gardens, but if you come on a Tuesday after 5 pm, you will be able to get in for free. We didn’t even know that and just happened to be there at the time and took advantage of that.

Madrid Rio

Madrid Rio is the perfect place to escape the crowds and enjoy some nature time. Located on the riverbank of Manzanares river it offers plenty of opportunity for sports activities, wandering around, chilling and taking in some beautiful views. We visited the Arganzuela Bridge, the conical spiral bridge for pedestrians and cyclists that is also an amazing place to take photos. Most tourists don’t come to this place so you will get to enjoy it on your own and with locals.

Sabatini Gardens

Royal Palace of Madrid offers way more than just a huge palace. Even if you didn’t get your ticket you will still be able to enjoy the Sabatini Gardens with the amazing view of the Palace. Don’t expect to see royals there, because they live in a more modest palace outside Madrid. Sabatini Gardens were open to public by King Juan Carlos I in 1978. They are named after Italian architect Francesco Sabatini, who designed, among other things, he royal stables of the palace, previously located at this site.

Templo de Debod

Just a few minutes of walk you will reach another lovely park on the hill with great view of the Royal Palace Cuartel de la Montaña Park, also home to Egyptian temple from 2nd century BC that was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government to save it from floods following the construction of the great Aswan Dam. It is free to enter the site of Templo de Debod, but there will probably be a waiting line, because there is limitation on how many people can be on site.

Bonus garden: Atocha Station Tropical Garden

If you arrive to Madrid by train you will soon be greeted with a lovely little tropical garden inside the Atocha train station. A little greenery after few hours on a train sounds really amazing in my opinion and it quickly shows how highly city of Madrid values green spaces.

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Do you like to explore parks and gardens in cities you travel to? Where is your favourite park and botanical garden?

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