Archives for “las vistillas” tag

Whenever I travel, something I deeply enjoy is watching the sunset at special places, like vantage points. The warm light brings out the magic of even the most mundane environments and it’s quite relaxing to watch how it infuses everything with its orange glow. That’s why I enjoy going out to watch the sunset in Madrid every once in a while, especially with friends or relatives who are visiting. I usually time our walks around the city to ensure that we’re at a special place when the sun comes down.

My favorite place to do so, by far, is Templo de Debod (check the Templo de Debod article), where the artificially lighted Egyptian temple against the red or purple sky provides a dramatic view. Coming up second is Las Vistillas, a park with a similar panoramic view (sans Egyptian temple of course) that provides quite a contrast when compared with Debod.

Yes, both have an unobstructed view of the sun as it sets over Casa de Campo to the west, and a splendid view of the Almudena Cathedral, but that’s where the similarities stop. Debod is usually quite busy, with lots of foreign and local visitors. Meanwhile, Las Vistillas is one of those places that doesn’t normally show up in tourist guides, so most of the time there are only locals, and it’s very quiet and relaxed. Except perhaps during some of Madrid’s festivals, when plenty of locals hang around with beers and booze.