Madrid is uncrossable. Whether you are a newcomer or have lived here all your life, there is always something to know: it is what makes it fascinating and overwhelming at the same time. That “something” may refer to curious architectural discoveries, to the places where Madrileños used to spend their summers decades ago or to the existence of a viewpoint such as the Huerta de la Partida (Paseo del Embarcadero, 3).
Although its name may not be very well known, this natural space is located in a popular enclave among Madrilenians: the right bank of the Manzanares, near the Casa de Campo and a few meters from the Puente del Rey (King’s Bridge).
Its 38,000 square meters are home to a wide variety of fruit trees – almond, hazel, plum, pomegranate, fig, apple, mulberry, walnut, olive, pear… – making it an especially attractive landscape in spring when the park is in bloom.
But it is in its highest part where the viewpoint of the Huerta de la Partida stands, little known but with privileged views of the city.
What can you see from the viewpoint of the Huerta de la Partida?
From this point the horizon opens before the walkers with a panoramic view of the entire western cornice of Madrid: the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral, San Francisco, Madrid Rio Park itself and, looking to the left, the Plaza de España with its towers and the Moncloa Lighthouse.
Not in vain, as a historical and artistic curiosity explained by the Environmental Education Center of Casa de Campo, was this exact spot chosen in the late sixteenth century by the Flemish painter Anton Van Wingaerde to draw the first panoramic view of Madrid.
The origin of Huerta de la Partida
The history of this orchard goes back precisely to that time, when it belonged to the Vargas family: they were the first owners of the Casa de Campo (between the last years of the Middle Ages and the reign of Philip II).
They had their country house built there -which would later pass into the hands of the crown- and this orchard was in charge of supplying the family’s palace with different vegetables.
Following in the footsteps of Philip II – who commissioned the royal gardener Gregorio de los Ríos to plant medicinal species in the garden for the court pharmacy – Alfonso XIII ceded it to the Committee of Medicinal Plants “for agricultural activities […] focused on therapeutic matters“, according to the Center itself.
The best viewpoints in Madrid
The locations to enjoy the best views of the city are varied: from parks and gardens to rooftops. And some of them are even specially designed for a specific type of observation: this is the case of the stellar viewpoint.