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Madrid launches audio guides and interactive maps in 20 parks, with routes from your mobile
Madrid has activated audio guides and interactive maps in 20 parks, including El Retiro and Madrid Río, with routes accessible on mobile phones in several languages and also designed for families.
Madrid launches audio guides and interactive maps in 20 parks. The experience changes the way people stroll and discover its green heritage. Available in several languages and accessible from a mobile phone. Ideal for urban and family plans.
Walks through Madrid's parks have just acquired a new dimension. From now on, those visiting El Retiro, Madrid Río or any of twenty other green spaces can discover stories, hidden corners and curiosities through audio guides and interactive maps accessible from a mobile phone. The initiative, promoted by the Área de Urbanismo, Medio Ambiente y Movilidad, aims to ensure that both residents and visitors experience the parks as spaces for leisure, learning and culture, with digital and audio resources designed for all audiences.
The Subdirección General de Parques y Viveros has launched two audio guides, one for the Buen Retiro gardens and another for Madrid Río, available in Spanish, English and sign language. All you need to do is scan a QR code or visit the municipal website to access the routes. In El Retiro, the audio itinerary covers 38 emblematic points, from the Estanque Grande and the Alfonso XII monument to the Rosaleda, the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens and the Feria del Libro. In Madrid Río, the audio guide stops at 22 points explaining the transformation of the Manzanares surroundings, with references to Puente del Rey, Arganzuela Park and the Matadero de Madrid cultural space.
In addition, the Subdirección General de Sostenibilidad has integrated a new application into Madrid Móvil: Parques de Madrid. This tool offers an interactive map with geolocated information and audio descriptions of the flora, fauna, monuments and facilities in twenty parks. The initial selection combines major historic parks, urban green areas and neighbourhood spaces, reflecting the diversity of the city's natural heritage.
The parks included feature El Capricho, Casa de Campo, Parque del Oeste, Dehesa de la Villa, Quinta de los Molinos, Quinta de Torre Arias, Juan Pablo II and Quinta de la Fuente del Berro. It also includes large areas such as Juan Carlos I, Valdebebas-Felipe VI, Tierno Galván and Pradolongo, alongside local parks such as Payaso Fofo, Azorín, Cerro del Tío Pío, Palomeras, Entrevías and Soto de Entrevías. The aim is to expand the catalogue in future phases.
The application allows users to consult maps in standard or satellite view, access fact sheets with history, images, opening hours and services, and create personalised routes by marking favourite parks. Users can filter by categories and activate text narration, making access easier for people with different needs.
El Retiro, beyond being one of Madrid's green lungs, is also a reflection of the city's urban and social evolution. Its gardens, monuments and promenades have been the setting for gatherings, fairs and celebrations for generations. Incorporating technology to discover its secrets is a way of connecting tradition with new ways of experiencing public space. Madrid is already beginning to move in that direction.
Madrid's parks now whisper their secrets. Since 21 March, El Retiro with 38 landmarks and Madrid Río with 22 corners have been telling stories of the Estanque Grande, Alfonso XII and Puente del Rey in Spanish, English and sign language through QR codes and the municipal website. The "Parques de Madrid" app in Madrid Móvil embraces 20 green oases such as El Capricho, Casa de Campo, Juan Carlos I, Tierno Galván and Cerro del Tío Pío with geolocated maps, audio descriptions of flora and fauna, intuitive filters and accessible narration. Go out and listen to the green city beat.