The Retiro can’t claim to be Madrid’s green lung in the way that the Casa de Campo can, but it has an ineffable charm nonetheless. It’s the place to promenade and on Sundays, particularly, there are vendors hawking everything from wafers to etchings, tarot readers, football and elderly men playing petanca. Below the Prado is the verdant Jardín Botánico (Plaza de Murillo, 91 420 3017, www.rjb.csic.es), with more than 30,000 plant species.
The eastern border of Huertas is Paseo del Prado, also known as Paseo de los Artes or "Boulevard of the Arts," which lies between the emblematic Plaza de Cibeles and Puerta de Atocha. The southern border is calle Atocha, which runs all the way from the train station to Plaza Mayor, and the northern border is Carrera de San Jerónimo, which ends at Puerta del Sol.
Metro stops in this area: Antón Martín, Atocha, Sevilla, Banco de España
Huertas is also known as "El Barrio de las Letras," literary Madrid. This is where Spain's most celebrated Golden Age authors - Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Tirso de Molina - lived during the 17th century. The streets radiating off its core, Plaza de Santa Ana, are packed with tapas bars and disco-pubs, popular as much among Spaniards as with an international crowd. And of course, the Paseo del Prado holds the magnificent Prado Museum and Botanical Gardens, along with a number of important architectural sights.