Green Madrid: the most beautiful parks and gardens in the city

The most beautiful parks in Madrid are the Retiro, the Parque de El Capricho, the gardens of the Campo del Moro and Sabatini, the Parque del Oeste with its Rosaleda rose garden, the Real Jardín Botánico, the Quinta de la Fuente del Berro, the Quinta de los Molinos, Madrid Río, the Parque Juan Carlos I and the Casa de Campo. Madrid is much greener than people tend to imagine, and its parks combine historic gardens created by kings and aristocrats with large modern spaces beside the river or close to the airport.

The Retiro

Once a pleasure garden for the monarchy, today it is the park Madrid's residents love most and part of the Paisaje de la Luz (Landscape of Light), a World Heritage Site. The Estanque Grande with its rowing boats, the Palacio de Cristal, the Rosaleda and the Bosque del Recuerdo are its best-known spots. We tell you all about it in what to see in the Retiro.

Parque del Oeste and the Rosaleda

A landscaped park on a slope, with the Templo de Debod at one end and one of the best-known rose gardens in Spain, the Ramón Ortiz rose garden, which hosts an international competition for new roses every spring.

Real Jardín Botánico

Next to the Museo del Prado, this 18th-century botanical garden brings together thousands of plant species on terraces, in glasshouses and along tree-lined walks. It is the perfect break between one museum and the next.

• Parque de El Capricho, in the Alameda de Osuna: the romantic garden that the Duchess of Osuna created between the 18th and 19th centuries, with a hedge maze, a pond, small temples, a hermitage and a palace. For many, the most beautiful garden in Madrid. It opens on fewer days than other parks, so check its calendar.
• Campo del Moro: the large garden that slopes down from the Palacio Real towards the Manzanares, with the best view of the palace's west façade. We cover it together with the building in the Royal Palace, a must-see.
• Jardines de Sabatini: a French-style garden beside the palace's north façade, with clipped hedges and a pond.
• Quinta de la Fuente del Berro: a historic garden tucked away beside the M-30, with peacocks strolling among the flowerbeds. If you are staying in the neighbourhood, see the taxi in Fuente del Berro page.
• Quinta de los Molinos: famous for its almond trees, which turn the park white and pink at the end of winter.

Madrid Río turned the banks of the Manzanares into a linear park with walkways, bridges, play areas, fountains to cool off in during the summer and a cycle lane. It is ideal for a family stroll and links up with Matadero Madrid.

The Casa de Campo is the city's largest public green space, a former royal hunting ground with a lake, holm oak woods and trails, which you can reach by cable car from the Parque del Oeste. We suggest how to explore it in Madrid on foot: urban walking routes.

The Parque Juan Carlos I, in the Campo de las Naciones, is a large contemporary park with a lake, an artificial river and open-air sculptures. It sits next to the IFEMA trade fair grounds, so it makes a good breather if you are in town for a trade fair: we mention it in our guide to IFEMA and the airport.

If you have a long layover or a hotel near Barajas, you do not need to go into the centre to enjoy a good garden: El Capricho and the Parque Juan Carlos I are a very short distance from the terminals. Check El Capricho's opening days beforehand and allow enough time to get back to the terminal with a margin. With airport pickup, you give us your flight number and we confirm the meeting point.

For the parks in the centre, such as the Retiro, the Botánico or the Campo del Moro, a taxi from any terminal to your hotel costs €33 with the Inside the M-30 fixed fare, luggage included.