This huge park is on the outstirts of Madrid and is a fantastic place.

There is a vast lake, where one can hire boats of the rowing type, which is a lot of fun especially if you’re with someone who is somewhat adventurous. Be careful in winter, the water is very cold!

The are beautiful wide paths where you can see various entertainers; clowns, jugglers, human statues. When I went my friend insisted we had a caricature done. Of course, he looked like a filmstar and I - well I’m never having that done again!

There are beautiful statues, and to one end of the park the gardens are manicured and exotic whilst at the other end the gardens are more wild, and meadow like.

A day there is barely enough, there is so much to see, and if you feel playful you just find more and more park to discover.

This is a must do when in Madrid.

Absolutely brilliant park which puts anything in London to shame. Centrepiece is the magnificent boating lake which is always full of screaming people soaking each other, and the enormous statue alongside. There is also a museum in the park and a crystal house similar to how I imagine our own crystal palace would have looked, sadly there were no exhibits here when I went. If you should wish to emulate the Spaniards and run around in 40 degree heat, there are five a side football courts and tennis courts, as well as paddle. On the north side are lovely leafy flowerbeds and walkways, and to the south the area is wilder, almost like countryside. Loses a point for the gritty walkways which hurt your feet. Free drinking water!!

El parque de los domingos. Genial para combatir la resaca y airearte los domingos. Se puede disfrutar de actuaciones de percusión. Es una gran opción cuando no quieres ir de cañas por la latina.

The “Central Park” or “Golden Gate Park” of Madrid, El Retiro is the perfect spot to either spend all day in or as a pit stop in a day of museum-hopping/sightseeing. It’s beautiful and well-maintained. On a weekend, it’s perfect for people-watching.

Best of all, it’s free for all to enjoy.

During the late spring through early fall months, there are also concerts in the park.

After a hot, long day spent in the nearby art galleries, the Parque del Buen Retiro is an excellent place to relax. It was once a royal park and so contains the best of everything: open promenades, ponds, trees, benches, gardens. But now it’s fully open to the public and you’ll find them making good use of it for picnics, running, or naps on the grass.

At the weekends you get lots of buskers performing here, plus puppet shows for kids.

El parque de Madrid por excelencia