It's free It's beautiful…read more It's not crowded. The Crystal Palace is close currently but you can check it out. People are just hanging around and just take pictures. There's places you can sit down eat or just grab a drink.

Retiro Park is like the Central Park of Madrid. This gigantic park has it all. Large grassy areas…read morefor a picnic or long pathways to run or walk. A big lake in the center to rent a row boat and ride around or a crystal palace to swoon over. Retiro is big and it can be hard to see everything on foot. There are lots of available rental bikes to make your trip throughout the park even easier.

A great city needs a great park, and Madrid is no exception. Just to give you a sense of scale, at…read more300 acres, it's a shade smaller than London's Hyde Park and a little over 1/3 of the size of Central Park. However, El Retiro (as locals call it) is over 200 years older than Central Park, starting as the private royal grounds. Its centerpiece is Estanque Grande (Grand Lake), a huge 17th-century artificial lake covered in rowboats on the weekend (Photo 3). Dominating the lake is the majestic Monument to Alfonso XII built in bronze and marble with an expansive colonnade (Photo 6). Because Madrid's most famous museums stand close to the park's western edge, we walked along the Statue Walk where Spanish monarchs are memorialized (Photo 7). Jamie W and I also visited another smaller lake that features the Art Nouveau-style Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), but unfortunately it was closed. However, we took advantage of the Kiosco Nacional Palacio de Cristal, an open-air terrace cafe that served light lunch fare and coffee drinks (Photo). We couldn't help but indulge in a couple of desserts (Photo 2). Moreover, even though the park was plenty crowded, there was still a sense of bucolic serenity here. It wasn't a challenge to find a peaceful respite amid the overall greenery, especially with the sometimes overwhelming urbania outside the park. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/AwA0OI30NX

Retiro Park is an oasis in the center of Madrid. Is a gorgeous, immaculately maintained green space…read morein the heart of the city. There are numerous entrances into the park and walking paths throughout. On a pretty day, it's hard to find a better place to spend the afternoon. The people watching is fantastic, and there are multiple things to see and do inside the park, including the crystal Palace. I love to go sit by the lake and watch the people on the boats. They are often musicians playing, kids riding their bikes, and families enjoying all that Madrid has to offer.

Beautiful park with the view of Royal palace. Conveniently located by bus stop for multiple bus…read morelines. When I visited in May it closed at 8.

Lovely palace gardens .... if it's a nice day- it is worth it to take a walk around to the only…read moreentrance on Paseo de la virgin del puerto - closer to the Pio principal train station . It's downhill from the palace . So if you plan to see the palace then remember after the gardens - it's a walk uphill . This place is free and so beautiful and quiet . Two peacocks walking around not very afraid of people near them . I saw horse and carriage with guards constantly circling around the top and the bottom of the palace.

Right next to the Palacio Real, this lovely garden is a nice spot to stop for a shaded walk. It's…read morenot nearly as nice as the Buen Retiro Park, but there are benches and shade and a nice view of one side of the Palacio. If steep stone stairs aren't your thing, there is an entrance a little further along that does not involve any stairs.

Worth a Short Stroll…read more Since you are going to visiting Palacio Real and Campo del Moro, it is very likely you'll be passing though or near here. Be sure to take some time to enjoy this beautiful space.

I stumbled across this largely by accident as I had arrived from my day trip to Toledo earlier than…read moreoriginally planned and still had the urge to explore something new. Unlike Retiro Park and other spots, this is one more partaken by the locals of Madrid rather than the tourists like me. Because of the heat, I didn't really explore the area in full. However, it's serene and blissful in the midst of a bustling metro. It's quite the way to escape from the madness. Fortunately there is easy metro access here so it isn't hard to reach.

The decision to place one of Madrid's highways underground provided an unprecedented opportunity to…read morelocate the city of Madrid within its surroundings, achieving a greater environmental biodiversity and a city that is greener, more habitable and sustainable.

Retiro gets all the hype, but Parque del Oeste is quite lovely and much quieter! The views from…read moreParque del Oeste are fantastic. You can see out for miles and there's a great view of the palace. There's lots of shady spots to cool down and beautiful pathways for walking. This is an under rated park on the west side of the city that is gorgeous!

This Western Park was once a land fill, in 1909 the mayor planted gardens, installed a fountain,…read moreput in paths & monuments. We walked through the Parque del Oeste go up & back yo Casa de Campo by the Teleférico de Madrid, a gondola lift. We passed a police presence & some walking dogs.

The park is lovely! It has a nearby Zoo (Zoo Aquarium de Madrid), Amusement park (Parques…read moreReunidos), and the Madrid Arena. There are plenty of running and biking routes, and lots of nature to explore. The best part is the Lago de la Casa de Campo, which has several restaurants nearby. The restaurants are overpriced, but still worthwhile for the relaxing outdoor terrace along the lake. There are three metro stops near by - one by the lake (Lago), Batán, and Casa de Campo, but all are on the periphery of the park, so expect a long walk. You can call a taxi, but there are none waiting in the park. While in the park, be sure to check out the Teleférico de Madrid, which is a good value at less than €5 for the 15 minute one-way trip, and just over €5 for the 30-minute round trip. The above-ground cable car runs from the middle of Casa de Campo to the Rosaleda de Madrid park near Argüelles.

Las Cruces is a green oasis in the heart of southern Madrid. Trees abound and its myriad paths lead…read moreyou to plazas with fountains, soccer fields, and quiet lawns that can help you forget you are in a large European city. It can be a little dangerous at night but during the day it is relatively safe and full of local families. It's popular amongst cyclists as it forms part of the Anillo Verde de Madrid (the "green circle" bike path that circumscribes the city.) Deep in the park is an amphitheater that looks out over an artificial lake. There is also a little chiringuito (small bar with a big patio) that makes one of the best frituras I have ever had and is a cool place to hang out on summer nights. Also, the park hosts a very healthy urban ecosystem of plants and animals. There are several exotic species of birds including beautiful green parrots that remind me of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. Rumor has it that a pet store lost a shipment of parrots and they made the park their home; however, my guess is that they are likely an invasive species from Northern Africa. To get there take the RENFE or Metro to Aluche.

I can imagine that Real Jardin Botanico gets overlooked by its more famous neighbor, El Museo del…read morePrado. But if you need a respite from the hustle and concrete of the city without leaving, this is really a very nice botanical garden to visit. There are many paths that take you through both well-planted and more wildly arranged beds with a variety of plants to enjoy. Fountains and art can be found throughout. There are also multiple, large greenhouses for the vegetation that can't survive the climate without assistance including a very arid house for cacti and other succulents as well as a rainforest greenhouse with high humidity and a catwalk to look down on the impressive assortment. You can also check out the bonsai path for some really impressive specimens. They also have a rotating exhibit, though I didn't pay the additional entry fee for it. I was really impressed with the gardens and hope that more people take advantage of such a great destination in the heart of the city!

It's a small botanical garden and seemed a bit unkempt with a few dead specimens and some weed…read moresprouting up. The conservatory felt messy and crowded, with plants not people, but I did enjoy the carnivorous plant collection. There was a small rotating exhibit in another building that was interesting. The current one was of plant in fashion, think plant based dyes etc. Compared to the nearby Retiro Park, or even the Parque del Oeste across town, this garden really was unimpressive. And it's the only one of the three that charges an entrance fee! Sure, 4 euros isn't a lot, but if you are short on time, I'd definitely skip this.