Casa de Campo

Casa de Campo is Madrid's largest urban park, covering approximately 1,722 hectares on the western bank of the Manzanares River — nearly twice the area of New York's Central Park. Originally a royal hunting ground enclosed in the 16th century by Philip II, it was opened to the public in 1931 during the Second Spanish Republic and today functions as Madrid's great western lung, connecting the urban fabric to the more rural communities at the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama.

The park is large enough to require strategic navigation. The main lake at the centre — Lago de la Casa de Campo — is the focal point for leisure activities: pedal boats and kayaks are available for hire in summer, and the lakeside terraces host cafés and restaurants popular with Madrid families on warm evenings. Open grassland and mature woodland of stone pine and holm oak provide extensive space for picnics, cycling, and informal sports. The park also contains major family attractions: the Zoo Aquarium de Madrid on the southern edge houses over 6,000 animals; the Parque de Atracciones amusement park offers rides for children of all ages. Both require separate paid admission.

The Teleférico cable car rises from the Parque del Oeste at the park's northeastern boundary and travels across the park to a station within Casa de Campo — the 11-minute aerial crossing provides views of the city and the surrounding landscape, and offers a novel and scenic way to arrive. The round-trip ride costs approximately €6.50 for adults. Mountain bikers use the park's extensive dirt track network, which ranges from easy compacted paths to technical single-track. The park in summer provides a rare shaded alternative to the hot city streets.