Parks and River Bike Tour of Madrid

Parks and River Bike Tour of Madrid

Did you know Madrid is the greenest capital in Europe? For 3 hours we’ll explore the Parque del Oeste, the Manzanares River, and Casa de Campo - one of the largest public parks in the world - all on cycle paths. Our guides will talk you through the parks’ history, from beginnings as royal hunting grounds, to use as a front line during the Spanish Civil War. You’ll also visit the resting place of a legendary Spanish artist and see an impressive church with ceilings painted by him. This tour is great for kids as it doesn’t cross the city centre or use roads.

Includes:
- Bike rental with handlebar bag for storing personal items, helmet (optional) and a bottle of water
- English-speaking bilingual guide who will take pictures of you along the way so you don’t have to fuss with your camera*
*the pictures are for your personal use only, and will not be used by us in any manner

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Bravo Bike, Calle de Juan Álvarez Mendizábal, 19, 28008 Madrid, Spain

Bravo Bike has been providing bicycle tours in Madrid since 1999. As one of the most experienced bike companies in the city, we pride ourselves in our selection of Madrid City Tours, as well as guided cycling excursions to the surrounding regions including the historic cities of Segovia and La Granja, El Escorial and Ávila, Toledo, Aranjuez and Chinchón.

Our tours are highly suitable as corporate incentive events as well as excursions for multinational companies, schools and universities.

For all of our tours we've chosen the best hotels and the most attractive and interesting sites, cities and monuments to visit, paying attention to the individual needs and desires of our clients. Our tour guides, as well as our whole team, will spare no effort in ensuring that your only goal is to fully enjoy yourself.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Templo de Debod, Calle Ferraz 1, 28008 Madrid Spain

This is an Egyptian temple dating back to the 2nd century BCE, transported to Madrid’s Cuartel de la Montaña Park. The temple was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government to save it from floods following the construction of the great Aswan Dam.

Works on the temple began at the orders of the Meroë King Adijalamani, who built a chapel dedicated to the god Amun and the goddess Isis. This chapel was decorated with high reliefs.

In the 20th century, owing to the construction of the dam, the Egyptian government gave the temple as a gift to the city of Madrid and it was transported and rebuilt stone by stone in its current location. It was opened to the public in 1972. The reconstruction in Madrid kept the building’s original orientation; that is to say, from East to West.
- Official Tourism Website, Madrid

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Parque del Oeste, Metro Arguellea, Madrid Spain

With almost 100 hectares, this important green area was created in 1906 by Celedonio Rodrigáñez, agricultural engineer and director of the Department of Parks and Gardens. After the Civil War, his successor, Cecilio Rodríguez, rebuilt the park.

The space has very original places such as the Teleférico (cable car), a ceramics school, a rose garden where an international rose competition is held each year, and the Temple of Debod.

The park has a monumental and landscaped character with a general outline of English gardens featuring significantly different levels and winding paths with naturalist inspirations.
- Official Tourism Website, Madrid

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Casa de Campo, Paseo de la Puerta del Angel 1, 28011 Madrid Spain

At over 1,722 hectares, Casa de Campo is the largest urban park in Spain. Situated to the southwest of Madrid, the most common trees are holm oaks and pines, in the style of most meadows in the Castilian plateau.

The importance of Casa de Campo rose when King Philip II of Spain moved the court to Madrid in 1561 and the royal residence was established in the old fortress, which stood on the site of the present-day Royal Palace. A keen hunter, the King wanted to have his court located close to a hunting ground. To honour his wish, he acquired the manor from the Vargas family and the adjoining lands as well. Two centuries later, King Ferdinand VI of Spain named Casa de Campo a Royal Forest. In 1931, under the Second Republic, the property passed from the Crown to Madrid City Council.
- Official Tourism Website, Madrid

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Parque Madrid Rio, Paseo de la Ermita del Santo 14 16, 28011 Madrid Spain

Madrid Río (river) is one of Madrid’s major ecosystem-rebalancing projects. Part of the busy M-30 highway running parallel to the River Manzanares was buried underground, which resulted in a vast 10km-long park that both locals and visitors can enjoy.

The renovation of the space has helped Madrid recover the health of the river. But the project goes beyond that, since tearing down a section of the M-30 meant removing an obstacle that had separated the southern districts from the centre for a long time.

Inaugurated in April 2011, Madrid Río covers nearly 700ha of restored land. The banks of the river and the surrounding area are filled with a wide range of recreational facilities and attractions that revolve around four themes – new architectural highlights, a green corridor, sports and leisure, and culture.
- Official Tourism Website, Madrid

Duration: 15 minutes