Outdoors in Madrid

Anyone who finds themselves in Spain’s capital will have plenty of opportunity to get outside, because there are a ton of outdoor activities in Madrid to partake in.

The city is full of open spaces and parks for sports, nearby mountain ranges for skiing, trekking, camping, mountain biking, and rock climbing, lakes for jet skiing, water skiing and windsurfing, and so many killer Madrid outdoor events it will be impossible to fit everything in – but that doesn’t mean you can’t try.

For starters, the city’s five-hundred-year-old El Parque del Buen Retiro park is a lush and bustling urban playground, a veritable feast for the senses that has something to offer everyone. Hidden away in a maze of cobblestone streets, meanwhile, is Plaza de la Paja, which was once the original center of Madrid and is now a popular hangout where upscale clientele gather at chic little bars and cafés to sip cocktails in the sun.

Outdoor shopping abounds in Madrid, and one of the most famous flea markets in the world is El Rastro, which sells everything from clothes, jewelry, and antiques to music, DVDs, and vintage 1970s Playboy magazines.

Spending time outdoors in Madrid is easy; the only question is which outdoor activities to start with! To save time, look into getting a bike, for cycling and mountain biking are both very popular with tourists and locals. The Madrid Green Cyclist Ring (Anillo Verde Ciclista) is a lane reserved for cyclists and pedestrians, and stretches roughly forty miles through the city, making it easy to tour and partake in one of the endless things to do outdoors.