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Parks and gardens in Madrid, Spain. Also: Great food at Mercado de San Miguel, Flamenco shows and beautiful dancing, and more of Madrid.
Let’s Go
Short Weekend In Madrid
A few Weeks ago, I spent a weekend in Madrid. Coming from Germany, I was delighted to have a short sunny February break. And sunny it was! The weather was pleasant, so I walked a lot. Here are some of the parks I visited. Before you complain—Yes, I know, I did not have a chance to do proper bird watching this time. But I am planning another trip to Madrid soon, so maybe next time.
Here’s a summary of my visit:
Parks and Gardens in Madrid, Spain
Parque Casa de Compo
Meaning ‘Country House’, Casa de Compo is the largest public park in Madrid. Its area is about five times the size of New York City’s Central Park. It is located in the west of central Madrid, western of the Royal Palace of Madrid. Parque Casa de Compo was created in the 16th century to be used as a hunting ground for the nobility, but in 1931 it became a public park. Visit the park if you want to hike or cycle. In it, you can also find an Amusement Park and Madrid Zoo.
I did not have enough time to have a decent hike in the park. Nonetheless, here are some photos I took from the Royal palace looking westwards, the general location of the park.
Jardines de Sabatini
Jardines de Sabatini (The Sabatini Gardens) are part of the Royal Palace in Madrid. The gardens are divided into three terraces. Here are some photos from the gardens and palace.
Parque del Oeste
Did you know that you can find an ancient Egyptian temple in Madrid, Spain? Well, in Parque del Oeste (English: Western Park) you can. The Temple of Debod is an ancient Egyptian temple that was built in the second century BC and dedicated to the goddess Isis. The temple was originally located in Aswan in Egypt. In order to save the temple following the construction of the Aswan Dam, Egypt donated the temple to Spain in 1968, and it was rebuilt in this park.
More Travel
Mercado de San Miguel
I’m sorry to say, but I only have one recommendation on where to find good food in Madrid. Not because there’s not enough food. On the contrary! The reason is, that on the first day in Madrid I found Mercado de San Miguel (San Miguel Market) and dined there every day, all the day. Mercado de San Miguel is a gourmet tapas market with over 30 vendors selling jamón, fish, olives, cheese, paella, and what not. Take a glass of Sangria or wine, and you wouldn’t want to leave this place. Ever.
I don’t have enough decent photos of Madrid food, so here are some beautiful statues instead.
Madrid Flamenco Shows
If you visit Madrid, never miss a Flamenco show. There are many options, but we opted for Tablao Las Carboneras, a flamenco theater located very close to the Mercado de San Miguel. The deal included a tapas dinner (delicious) and an extraordinary show of Flamenco. Here are some of my photos and a video I found on YouTube demonstrating this incredible Flamenco dancing and singing. In Madrid, there are other Flamenco shows, of course, and you can find them in this list.
What About You?
Have you ever been to Madrid? Let me know in the comments below what you like about the city.