Madrid Río and Matadero Madrid

Madrid Río is the city's great modern success story, and the best place to see how Madrileños spend a sunny weekend away from the tourist centre. For decades the Manzanares river was hemmed in by the M-30 ring road, a wall of traffic separating the southern neighbourhoods from the centre. In the 2000s the city buried the motorway in tunnels and built a long linear park on top, opened in stages around 2011, which now follows both banks of the river for several kilometres from the Puente del Rey near Príncipe Pío down to the south of the city. Along the way, you pass a pine walk, lawns, sports courts, cycle paths and a string of playgrounds, seventeen of them along the Salón de Pinos alone, built with natural materials such as wood and rope. In summer the urban beach area, the Playa de Madrid Río, turns into a giant water-jet playground where children and adults cool off. The bridges are part of the pleasure: historic stone crossings such as the Puente de Segovia, from the sixteenth century, and the baroque Puente de Toledo, stand alongside new ones, including the spiralling Arganzuela footbridge by Dominique Perrault and the twin Invernadero and Matadero bridges with their painted vaults. Halfway along, on the Legazpi side, Matadero Madrid occupies the brick-and-tile pavilions of the city's former slaughterhouse and livestock market. It is now a sprawling contemporary arts centre with exhibition halls, theatres, the Cineteca film house, design studios, a library, cafés and open spaces, and it hosts festivals, markets and concerts through the year. Many exhibitions and the outdoor areas are free, and the atmosphere on weekends is relaxed, young and local. Together, the park and Matadero make an easy half day of walking or cycling, culture and people-watching.

Getting around: the park is long, so pick a section. The northern end, near the Príncipe Pío station and the Puente del Rey, connects directly to the Casa de Campo and is a short walk from San Antonio de la Florida. The middle section around the Puente de Segovia and Puente de Toledo is the most attractive, with views up to the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral. The southern section around Legazpi brings you to Matadero. Metro stations along the way include Príncipe Pío, Puerta del Ángel, Marqués de Vadillo, Pirámides and Legazpi. The flat, continuous paths make it perfect for cycling; the city's BiciMAD shared bikes have docking stations nearby, and private hire shops operate in the area.

When to go: weekend mornings and late afternoons are the liveliest, with families, runners and cyclists filling the paths. In summer, the water jets at the urban beach are popular with children, though there is little shade in places at midday, so bring water and sun protection. At Matadero, check the programme before you go: exhibitions, theatre performances, film screenings and festivals change constantly, and some events need tickets while many spaces are free. The cafés and the open-air terraces at Matadero make a good lunch or afternoon stop.

Who it suits: families with children who need space, playgrounds and water to play in; couples and cyclists who enjoy a long, flat riverside ride; art lovers curious about contemporary culture beyond the big museums; and repeat visitors who want to see a more local side of Madrid. Pair the northern end with San Antonio de la Florida and the Temple of Debod, the middle with the Royal Palace views, and the southern end with Matadero and a walk back through Arganzuela. It is the best free outdoor half day in the city after the Retiro.