Antonia GerimpapaziMADRID, SPAIN. Madrid is famous for its cultural impact on visitors, locals and tourists, but few people have thought that it is actually one of the best cities for exercising, especially in its parks.
Living in Madrid gives you many advantages other than just being able to be in the capital of Spain and visit all of its museums and cultural sites. It gives you the opportunity to exercise, practice sports and live a healthy life while enjoying the peace and quiet of the park. There are many local parks that offer a wide range of sport facilities in them, but two of them are the best for it — the Retiro Park and Park Rio.
The Retiro Park is one of the most famous parks in Madrid, and it offers a wide range of sports facilities. One of the most popular sports that people experience here is rowing. There is a beautiful lake near one of Retiro’s entrances and there are boats available to hire for different amount of time — starting from 15 minutes and finishing at one hour. However, after one hour of rowing you are almost bound to get sunburnt. I’d recommend either 15 minutes or half an hour for a healthy and enjoyable exercise like rowing. The lake is neither big nor small, so there isn’t any possibility of getting lost or not being able to come back on time. While rowing, you can see beautiful ducklings passing by. It’s one of the most enjoyable experience and exercises one can do. However, it is better to take a friend than go for it on your own because rowing is always fun with company and it can get very tiring; you should make sure that you have at least one person to change with and then you can sunbathe on the boat. Unfortunately, dipping into the water is not allowed, but you can always go near the fountains and sprinkle some water onto yourself in case it gets too hot.
The Retiro Park
The Retiro Park
You can hire a bike from everywhere in Retiro but also from anywhere in Madrid as well. So, if you want a quiet area to go cycling, Retiro is your park. It has different fitness facilities as well which you can try and use for free. Not to mention the opportunity to jog on a shadow place and or just do your yoga under a tree. Park Rio offers the same opportunities as well. Both of the parks are big enough to satisfy a short or a long walks. Great for having a rest after a tiring week at the workplace or for enjoying with your children, friends and family, Rio offers even more sport activities than Retiro.
Rio entrance
Peace and quiet in Rio
The Rio Park is situated next to the Legazpi metro station and it offers a wide variety of activities. Starting from the beginning of the park where you can see one of the most beautiful buildings, Palacio de Crystal, with its many flowers and trees inside, it puts you in the mood of relaxing, enjoying and letting your worries go away. It has been constructed over the past few years, but the outcome is impressive. Even after just a walk in Rio, you get a two-hour free exercise of walking or running. In addition to simple activities like this, Rio has playgrounds for football, volleyball and basketball marked with signs, and it is free for everybody to enter and practice the sport they enjoy. If you are not a big fan of sports like that, you can choose an alternative such as cart racing or simple biking. There is a separate area for skateboarding, wave-boarding and roller skating as well. One can never be afraid to get run over or lost because there are different playgrounds for the different sports and nobody else goes in there. There is also a 24/7 security patrol to ensure your safety. Different kinds of sport playgrounds like that try and succeed in fitting all possible tastes for athletes. Not to mention, if you don’t like sports at all, there is still the beautiful quarter where you can go and relax just like you do on a beach. The beach area in Rio is made especially for purpose, to represent a beach and to make people feel as if they are by the sea. There is a big restaurant which offers different types of cocktails, drinks and refreshments in the middle, a fountain where you can take a dip, and plenty of space where many come to sunbathe in their swimsuits.
Football in Rio
Cart racing in Rio
Skateboarding in Rio
Sunbathing in Rio
In case you get tired from sports and sunbathing, there are long benches for people to relax and take a break all over the park. It is a great visit for locals, tourists and everybody, and enjoyment is guaranteed. It serves as both a community place and a quiet place. You can have a bit of exercise, sit and relax or read a book, or simply chill and then go again. For kids, there are great facilities like swings and glides all over the park. A whole day of peace and quiet is guaranteed in those types of parks — and a whole day of exercise as well. So why not go there and give it a go instead of sitting home between four walls?
Rio river
Resting in Rio
Beautiful Rio