Nature and Parks in Madrid

"Meandering paths and gorgeous trees — from cypress and pine to almond and chestnut — fill up Madrid’s Retiro Park, the city’s most famous and most important green space. Centrally located in Barrio Salamanca, the park’s 350 acres bring locals and tourists together throughout the year. During warmer months, you’ll find joggers, yogis, picnics, and a lot of kids. You can also find basketball courts, playgrounds, statues, and even a small crystal palace, a conservatory built in 1887.However, the Retiro’s highlight is its lake, where you can rent a rowboat and paddle around next to dozens of ducks. It costs just under eight euros (about $8.90) per person on weekends, and the price goes down to €6 (about $6.70) from Monday to Friday. The park itself is free to explore and opens at 6:00 AM every day. From April to September, it closes at midnight. During the colder months, it closes at 10:00 PM. As the park is located right next to the Prado, a wander through its wide avenues is a pleasant breather after-hours admiring the museum’s famed oils." - MATADOR_NETWORK