Green City Guide: Madrid

Madrid, the capital and largest city in Spain, has more trees and green surface per inhabitant than any other European city. There's even a jungle growing in Atocha, the main train station. But Madrid is also the third-most populous municipality in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and car congestion has led to large amounts of smog. City officials have taken major steps to combat this issue with a tree-planting campaign. Some 248,000 trees now line the streets, absorbing pollution.

For both an authentic and a green visit, pass up the Starbucks, McDonald's, and other international chains, which usually truck in goods from across the globe, for a taste of local flavor. Areas like El Rastro, Barrio de Salamanca, and Gran Vía offer a true feel for the city. Try a Spanish bar for your morning cup of Joe: A café con leche served alongside the locals from a marble countertop is miles away from the imitations served abroad.

Tons of stunning parks, public transportation, and a newfound commitment to the environment make traveling green in Madrid a cinch. To be fully informed on all of the hippest green hangouts in the city, check out TreeHugger's Madrid Archives.

1. Take Public Transportation
   Madrid Barajas Airport is located a mere eight miles from the city center and easily accessible via the Madrid Metro (find a PDF of a Metro map here) or the local bus system, Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid (EMT). With heavy traffic in the congested city center, the Metro is definitely an appealing mode of green transportation. Purchase a metro ticket valid for a single journey through the entire network for 1.90 euro (about $2.40) or a package for discounts on multiple rides.


2. Stay at a Green Hotel: InterContinental Madrid, I Hotel, or Eco Alcala Suites
   
   Located on Paseo de la Castellana, InterContinental Madrid abides by an intensive 200-page eco-manual, including a 134-point checklist. The InterContinental Hotels & Resorts chain is committed to conserving natural resources, selecting products from environmentally responsible sources, and minimizing waste. The chain also plans to eventually eliminate the use of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants and to conduct environmental audits in all of its hotels and resorts.
   
   
   
   I Hotel uses solar paneling in its quest to be green and Eco Alcala Suites fills its rooms with eco-friendly furniture while making efforts to conserve energy and resources.


3. Rent an Eco-Friendly House or Apartment
   
   If you have a big group, why not rent an eco-friendly pad for the duration of your stay? Just 25 minutes outside the city by public bus, you'll find a home through ">Rent Property Direct equipped with low energy light bulbs and recycling facilities: See the city by day and escape to nature for a quick respite from the action at night.


4. Dine at a Green Restaurant: Ecocentro or Vegetarian Art
   
   If you're looking for a quick bite, check out vegetarian restaurant and organic food store Ecocentro, a holistic sanctuary off of Avenue de Pablo Iglesias that pampers the body and soul. Try the tofu, leek, or pumpkin croquette with emmental cheese and then sign up for a spiritual workshop, such as meditation. Take out is also available.
   
   
   
   To be whisked back to childhood, Vegetarian Art near Buen Retiro park is a whimsical organic paradise with wall murals displaying all of our favorite childhood fairytales. And the food is excellent too. We recommend splitting the vegetarian sampler for two, which features vegetarian rice, onion rings, leek and feta cheese canelones, onion quiche, zucchini and walnut crepes, four cheese pie, and vegetarian lasagna.


5. Stroll the Parks: Buen Retiro and El Capricho Park in Alameda de Osun
   
   Absorb a little nature in the middle of the city in parks like Buen Retiro and El Capricho Park in Alameda de Osuna. Buen Retiro is the most famous park in the city and a huge hangout for Madrid residents. It also boasts one of the oldest trees in the city, the Montezuma cypress (Taxodium mucronatum). El Capricho Park, an 18th century French styled garden, occupies nearly 35 acres of seemingly endless greenery. Highlights include a winding artificial river with a lake and island and a pavilion that allows observation of a colony of honeybees. It's located in the area of Barajas, slightly out of the way for most tourists.


6. Take a Bike Tour: Bike Tours Spain
   
   The best way to see the sites and burn off all those tapas is by bike. Bike Tours Spain offers tours throughout the city, or you can rent a bike (15 ? or about $19 a day) for a relaxing cycle through one of the city's many parks. With 8.2 percent of the city covered in green, finding a place to ride is a piece of cake.


7. Go for a Swim at the Municipal Pool: Soto del Real
   
   It can be downright hot in the summer months in this city. How about a dip in the new Municipal Pool, Soto del Real? Open year-round, Soto de Real is a true example of eco-chic architecture. Not just a pool, this green lido collects rainwater to water the nearby gardens and is topped with a roof designed to absorb the sun's rays, heating the space during winter. In summer, solar panels produce electricity and heat the water. In the basement, the boiler uses biomass as fuel.


8. Shop for Eco-Friendly Shoes at El Naturalista
   
   Discover some truly fabulous eco-friendly shoes at El Naturalista, a Spanish company conceived with a serious commitment to our planet. El Naturalista has a stringent eco-policy: Shoes are made from natural materials and dyes, and the company avoids using pollutants, taps biodegradable substances whenever possible, recycles waste, and pays producers fair prices.


9. Watch Soccer at a Green Stadium
   
   Soccer, or Fútbol to the locals, is taken very seriously in Madrid. Luckily, city officials take their green practices to heart as well. Stadiums Santiago Bernabéu and Real Madrid City at Valdebebas have eco-friendly solar panels built into the facilities. Items such as paper, batteries, glass, electronic equipment, and medical products are all recycled. Real Madrid City also has a water purifier that recycles fecal and rain water for use in the sprinkler system.


10. Stroll on Madrid's Innovative Asphalt
    
    Madrid is currently installing a new type of asphalt that can convert nitrogen oxide from exhaust into less harmful oxides, which are washed away by the rain. How neat is that?

Travel much? Check out more Green City Guides.