Best Madrid Running Routes and Trails

Madrid is a city with real character: really social people who enjoy each other's company each evening, spending hours together at outside bistro tables. The city offers up hidden gems to those who explore the neighborhoods and parks. And what better way to explore this great town than with a pair of running shoes? Here are six of the best running routes in Madrid. Have fun!

Sabatini Gardens and Royal Palace at sunset

Madrid's Top Runs
Scenic Sights: This route takes you past all the main city-center tourist sights -- Plaza Major, Plaza del Sol, the royal palace and the cathedral and then back through the hip Latina neighborhood.

Retiro Park: This beautiful park is right near the town center, just behind the Prado Museum. Full of ponds, cafés, gardens, sports fields, it's a magnet for the whole city.

Parque del Oeste: This park along the western slope of the city near Plaza de España, offers great views, unexpected antiquities (xxx monument from Egypt), amazing trees and a nice green spot to spend some great running time.

Casa de Campo: This big stretch of open countryside just west of the city center is a great spot for trail running, with a wide network of trails among the light hills, with aquaducts, majestic trees and a little lake, all beneath the hilltop elegance of the royal palace.

Rio Manzanares: The riverside is lined by pedestrian promenades and parkland, perfect for a great morning or evening run. The freeways were placed in tunnels so that people could enjoy life along the river. Great idea!

Cañadas of Montecarmelo: On the northern edge of the city, among all the high-tech companies, there is a great stretch of countryside out in the meadows, with their cañadas, old cattle-driving trails.