Interesting and little-known places in Madrid

El Retiro is the most important park in Madrid. But it’s not the only one. A bit further from the city centre, the Parque del Capricho is tucked away in Alameda de Osuna. Its gardens are delightful, with classical-style temples and fountains, a palace, and a laurel hedge maze. Very nearby, Parque Quinta de los Molinos is ideal to visit in February and March when its hundreds of almond trees are in bloom. If you like the idea of a “secret garden” in the city centre, you’ll love the Jardín del Príncipe de Anglona.

Walking through the capital you can find an entire street dedicated to books: Cuesta de Moyano. Walking through the Botanical Garden and watching people searching among the stalls for books from other eras is a great experience. Book lovers will also be surprised by the San Ginés Bookstore, located in the passageway of the same name, one of the oldest in Spain, where you can find all kinds of books. Next door is the Chocolatería San Ginés, one of the most famous in the city. 

In Madrid it’s worth looking up now and then, because the roofs are populated by mythological figures. For example, the lovely roof terrace at the Círculo de Bellas Artes is presided over by a sculpture of the goddess Minerva. Surprisingly, the roof of Calle Alcalá 16 boasts two horse-drawn chariots. And next to San Miguel market, at Calle Milaneses 3, if you look up at the roofline you’ll see a winged man who seems to be smashing into the building: the sculpture “Air Accident”.

As well as the views from the City Council and the Círculo de Bellas Artes, it’s worth taking your camera to places like the Faro de Moncloa and its viewing platform 92 metres up, or the Dalieda de San Francisco (a botanical garden next to the impressive dome of the Basílica de San Francisco el Grande) or climbing the stepped street of Cuesta de los Ciegos.