Next summer, residents of the Latina neighborhood will be able to enjoy a Cerro Almodóvar that is much more suited to their needs. And in every way. The emblematic park also shared by the inhabitants of Carabanchel is today undertaking a metamorphosis which will be perceived as much … in the landscape as well as in the way of traveling through it: new pedestrian routes, more comfortable access and a greater number of trees which will provide shade. But the renovation will go beyond the promenade. Madrid residents will find different spaces to exercise outdoors, whether it’s working their muscles, rollerblading or trying their hand at skateboarding. Even dogs will have their own space: an exclusive space where they can also enjoy a small gym designed for them.
The Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility sector, led by Borja Carabante, has started work in “one of the most emblematic green spaces” of the Latina district to respond to “a request from the neighborhood”. As ABC progresses, these works will last seven months, so they will be ready in mid-2026, after a municipal investment of one million euros. The development of the park, opened to the public in 1986, pursues two objectives: on the one hand, to make it more accessible to passers-by and, on the other hand, to offer residents new leisure spaces.
For the latter, the Town Hall will create up to five new zones, almost all intended for physical exercise. New benches, picnic tables and furniture for parking bicycles will also be installed. The first of these spaces will be dedicated to Swedish gymnastics, for which metal training structures, parallel bars, an abdominal bench, stairs and chairs for arm exercises will be placed. The second area will be bio-healthy, which will include a complete circuit with physical exercise equipment, especially for adults, who will be able to exercise muscle tone and work on rehabilitation.
The municipality acquired the hill in 1970 and transformed it into a public park in 1986.
In the space farthest from the houses, there will be a fenced area for dogs which will include play and training elements for the pets. The fourth space will be dedicated to skateboarding enthusiasts, who will be able to practice this sport in a space with curved and sunken shapes – similar to an empty swimming pool – designed to perform tricks, turns and maneuvers. And also in another neighboring plot with stairs, balustrades, borders and benches, where they can perform more technical figures. Finally, there will be an ice rink, surrounded by a metal ramp.
The second axis of work aims to make the park more accessible, to provide better lighting, to prevent it from being flooded by rain as well as to provide it with more vegetation. This involves renewing the green space which dates from the 20th century and which was in private hands until the Town Hall acquired it in 1970 and redeveloped it to transform it into a public park.
Thus, part of the works will consist of creating routes for pedestrians, with continuous and non-slip sidewalks, as well as improving the main accesses, redeveloping paths and creating new routes that connect all areas, from sports areas to shade and rest areas. For example, the drainage network will be renewed and expanded: “90.14% of the total surface of the park will be permeable, which will help restore the natural water cycle and avoid erosive processes,” says the Carabante area.
The park will have picnic tables, bike racks, benches, 15 new trees and more than 2,300 shrubs.
15 new trees and more than 2,300 shrubs that “minimize allergen risks” will also be planted, among which the paper mulberry and the lantern tree will be selected, as they are adapted to Madrid’s climate and require less irrigation. In addition, the new low trees and shrubs “guarantee open spaces, eliminate hidden places and enhance the feeling of security in pathways and living spaces.” And as for the rest of the work, the lighting will be adapted to an LED system.
Likewise, the Town Hall is taking advantage of the work to recover the old Fuente del Carnero, currently degraded. Thus, the wall will be rehabilitated and its surroundings will be adapted through a new accessible path, gardens and a living space with wooden seats with backs.
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