Madrid Río country

Madrid Río is a huge recreational and cultural enclave parallel to the Manzanares River, which, thanks to its renaturalization, has once again boasted an amazing fauna. Madrid Río is the perfect place to spend a weekend morning practicing sports with the family. Its long promenade lends itself to being explored by bike, rollerblades or simply taking a pleasant walk along the river. Along the way we will find 17 areas with swings and children's games and other equipment such as petanque courts, game tables and up to 63 drinking water fountains. In the Parque de Arganzuela area, near the Matadero, there are also a multitude of sports courts where it is possible to play soccer, indoor soccer, paddle tennis, tennis and basketball. The park also has a skate park and a climbing wall for climbing enthusiasts. In addition, the park connects with the Royal Path (GR 124 path), through which we can reach the mountain town of Manzanares el Real, on foot or by bike. Next to the Pasarela de la Arganzuela there is an 'urban beach' made up of three oval water areas with fun vertical fountains in which to cool off. Around it, there is a wide space of grass where you can spread out your towel and lie down to sunbathe. In addition, like any self-respecting beach, this one has beach bars: we can have a drink at the Terraza La Playa Madrid Río or, crossing the bridge, go to the Madrid Río Café. The Matadero Madrid cultural center, located at the southern end of Madrid Río, offers a perfect end to our walk along the river. Since 2007, the Neo-Mudejar-style pavilions of the old municipal slaughterhouse, closed in 1996, have housed different spaces that make up a mini-city dedicated to culture. Here we can come to see theater in the Naves Matadero, documentaries in the Cineteca or cutting-edge art and design in the rest of the pavilions that make up the complex. Along the 7 kilometers of length that the linear park of Madrid Río occupies, bridges, buildings and historical monuments can be seen. The two banks of the river are connected by a multitude of bridges, among which we find some historic ones such as the Segovia Bridge, the King's Bridge and the Toledo Bridge, which coexist with modern footbridges such as the Principality of Andorra Bridge, which imitates the mountain railway bridges from the 19th century, or the Arganzuela Bridge, perhaps the most iconic of the new Madrid Río with its metal spiral flying over the Manzanares, designed by the French architect Dominique Perrault. Although the bridges themselves constitute excellent viewpoints from which to contemplate Madrid's Historical Cornice over the Manzanares, in which the Royal Palace stands out, the view is even better from one of the park's viewpoints, such as the Huerta de La Partida or Glorieta de San Vicente.