Parque del Retiro, close to Atocha railway station and Metro Retiro (line 2), provides a shady 290-acre oasis away from traffic in the city's centre. For runners, the path that rims the park is perfect. The tree-lined route is approximately 5 kilometers, with plenty of space to extend the distance by detouring past the lake in the center of the park. On Sundays, the park is at its busiest, with everything from mime artists and amateur musicians to tarot readers and vendors selling Velázquez and Goya etchings. Start at the main entrance in the northwest corner of the park at the Plaza de la Independencia and head counterclockwise. After five city blocks, take a two-block detour down Calle de Felipe IV and scout Madrid's major art museums, including the Prado. Across the avenue are two of Madrid's top hotels, the Ritz and the Palace. Both have first class exercise facilities. At the southern part of the park you may come across The Fallen Angel, a striking statue of the devil, reportedly the only one that exists in a European city. The marble statue, from the late 19th century, depicts a winged Lucifer looking dolefully skyward at the moment of his fall from Heaven.

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