Last Days in Madrid: Parks and Gardens to Relax

The course is ending and you will probably be finishing your papers and preparing for your final exams. For these days it is always good to have a park close at hand to shake off the stress... and El Parque del Retiro is sometimes crowded.

In this post, we are going to suggest some secret places of Madrid where you can have a break in these busy days.

  

Before we leave the Retiro, we would like to ask you something: do you know the Retiro Rose Garden? This area is much quieter than the rest, it is in the south, near the Statue of the Fallen Angel. There you can enjoy roses, ponds, fountains, gazebos... Also worth visiting are the peaceful Cecilio Rodríguez gardens in the southeastern part of the Retiro (Metro Retiro, line 2), where you can see peacocks enjoying the spring. 

It is the turn of a small forgotten and beautiful garden, in Plaza de la Paja 6 (Metro La Latina, line 5): Prince of Anglona Gardens. It was created around 1750 and is one of the few noble gardens from the 18th century that are preserved. It has several benches where you can sit and enjoy the tranquility of the place.

Another unknown garden is the "Huerto de las monjas" ("Nuns' Orchard)". It was protected by the walls of a convent of nuns who also used it as a garden. It is accessed after crossing a passage of modern buildings at number 7 Sacramento Street (Metro La Latina, line 5, and Metro Ópera, line 2 and 5). In 1972 the religious building was demolished to build housing blocks although, luckily, the garden remained intact. It is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Our last garden today is located on the 4,200 square meter plot where the old convent of San Francisco was.  Its name is "Jardines de San Francisco". Until 2007 it had no use and it was in that year when the Madrid City Council converted the space into a dahlia themed garden. Later, in 2016, rose bushes were chosen due to their great capacity to adapt to the Madrid climate. The park is located in an area called “Las Vistillas” because it is the highest in Madrid de los Austrias and its viewpoint has become one of the busiest places to see sunsets in the city. You can find it on Gran Vía de San Francisco 29, metro La Latina, line 5).

These are just some examples, you can find multiple secret places if you explore Madrid. Enjoy spring while preparing your exams!