Despite its dense urban core, Madrid is one of Europe's greenest capitals.
**Prominent Parks:** * **El Retiro Park (*Parque del Buen Retiro*):** A UNESCO World Heritage site, this 350-acre park is the green heart of Madrid, featuring a boating lake, the glass-and-metal Palacio de Cristal, manicured gardens, and shaded promenades. * **Casa de Campo:** Originally a royal hunting estate, this is Madrid's largest public park (over 4,000 acres). It houses a zoo, an amusement park, a cable car (*Teleférico*), and vast expanses of wild Mediterranean pine and oak forests. * **Parque del Oeste:** An English-style landscape park offering rose gardens (*Rosaleda*) and the Temple of Debod. * **Royal Botanical Garden (*Real Jardín Botánico*):** Located next to the Prado Museum, showcasing thousands of plant species across historic, terraced beds.
**Nature Reserves (Regional):** * **Sierra de Guadarrama National Park:** Located in the wider Community of Madrid, protecting ecologically valuable pine forests, glacial lakes, and diverse wildlife including the Spanish ibex and the Iberian imperial eagle.