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Explore Madrid’s Surroundings with Children

nature outside madrid
Written by Daniella

There is a lot you can do in Madrid and its surroundings, and the entire region lets you discover beautiful places, even if there are young children coming along.

Madrid offers a lot of possibilities and activities for families with children, and many of them will even delight the smallest members of your family.

Today, this article by ShMadrid will share a few places within the community with you, and these are locations where you can enjoy lots of different activities with your children.

Related article: Best Children’s Parks and Playgrounds in Madrid

Discover the best of Madrid with your children

Madrid’s Zoo Aquarium

two zebras

Photo via Pixabay

Madrid’s zoo is one of the most favourite places to take your offspring, so this is number one on your list of places to go to if you are in the company of children.

At a distance of only 20 minutes from the city centre, this is one of the most interesting zoos in the whole world, and there is an aquarium, a dolphinarium, an aviary and the rest of the zoo.

Take your time to observe the giant pandas and giraffes; the birds (penguins and eagles); the fish ( sharks and giant groupers), as well as the amphibians and reptiles. In short, you will get to see all your child’s favourite animals at any time of the year.

Take a tour of Real Madrid’s stadium

Another favourite place, especially if you have a sports fan in the family, is Real Madrid’s stadium: Santiago Bernabéu. The stadium of “El equipo blanco” (the white team) was inaugurated in 1947, and it has room for 85,000 spectators.

During your visit you will be able to see every corner of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium: the presidential box, the changing rooms, the tunnel, benches, press room and the field itself. Tours are scheduled from Monday to Saturday between 10:00 and 19:30h, and on Sundays and holidays you can visit between 10:30 and 18:30h.

Related article: The Best Places to See Animals in Madrid

Parque Sierra de Guadarrama

This beautiful natural park is situated in the eastern part of the Central System, and the park includes the summits of Sierra de Guadarrama. It has a total surface of 33,960 hectares, and almost 64% is in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, while a little over 36% belongs to Segovia in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León.

The peak of Peñalara, which is 2,428 metres above sea level, is the parks highest peak, and together with four other nearby peaks (of over 2,271 metres high), it forms the ridge of the eye-catching Massif of Peñalara. This ridge runs from Puerto de Los Cotos (in a north-northeast direction) to Collado del Camino del Nevero.

This is really a special place with a lot of history, and you will encounter beautiful spots to enjoy the day with your family. Let your children experience the beauty and magnificence of Madrid’s nature.

Castillo de Manzanares el Real

inside castillo de manzanares la real

Photo via Pixabay

The Castle of Manzanares la Real is located next to Pedriza, and from there you have beautiful views of Santillana Reservoir and Sierra de Guadarrama.

This is one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Spain, and during your visit, you can enjoy its different rooms and discover the castle through its theatrical tours.

The castle was built on top of a Romanesque-Mudejar hermitage in the year 1475, in honour of Santa María de la Nava. An interesting fact is that the Autonomy Statute of the Communidad de Madrid was signed here in 1983. It is built in an Elizabethan Gothic style, and the castle is an excellent example of 15th century Castilian military architecture.

Visiting the castle is an excellent opportunity for your children to get to know a part of Spanish history, and they will also learn of Don Pedro de Zúñiga y Salcedo and Doña Isabel Asensio, two characters from the 17th century, who will be there at the entrance to welcome you and who will accompany you during the castle’s tour.

You can visit and take a tour every weekend, and actors perform a play that explains the works of art in each of the rooms. One of the performances during the weekend has been adapted for children, so be sure to ask for this if desired.

What other activity with children in the community of Madrid can you recommend?

About the author

Daniella

Daniella loves to write and translate. Her bucket list is filled with beautiful places she still needs to visit.

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