Casa de Campo

By far the largest public park in Madrid, this sprawling expanse of woodland and open country west of the river was once a royal hunting estate closed to the public for centuries. Opened to citizens in the early twentieth century, it now offers walking and cycling trails, a large boating lake, an amusement park, and a zoo across its many hectares. A cable car crosses from the city center to its heights. Its wild character makes it a green refuge far larger than the more manicured city gardens.