Eating outdoors with children is one of the most fun and healthy plans during the summer. It is a unique opportunity for children to spend more time in contact with nature and enjoy quality family time. In addition, it is a perfect excuse to encourage creativity and arouse children’s curiosity, while helping to relax everyday tensions and stimulates emotional development. Fortunately, in Spain there are many green spaces where you can enjoy a family picnic.

Ten green spaces where you can have a family picnic

1. Riofrío Forest, in Segovia

If you are looking for a place to eat outdoors with the children near Madrid, this forest declared a National Heritage Site is an excellent destination. It is an impressive natural reserve of holm oaks, oaks and ash trees of almost 700 hectares that has many places where you can enjoy a family picnic in the middle of nature. If you have time for more, you can also walk some of the paths that cross the forest such as Senda de Los Sotos or Senda Mirador, where children can discover some of the fallow deer and deer that live freely in the forest. .

2. Vallparadís Park, in Barcelona

In the province of Barcelona there are many places to eat outdoors with children, but if you are looking for a particularly quiet place to spend a day with the family, the Parc Vallparadís de Terrassa is perfect. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, it is a huge green lung where the youngest members of the household can practice all kinds of activities, from boat rides and miniature train rides to adventure sports or games in nature. The park has cafeterias and several picnic areas where you can enjoy a family snack. And, if the little ones want more, there is also an open-air museum where they can interact with different elements, a bio-healthy play area and a swimming pool.

3. Turia Garden, in Valencia

On the old course of the Turia river, the largest urban garden in Spain and one of the most visited spaces in Valencia is erected. Throughout its 110 hectares, you will find all kinds of family entertainment, from soccer fields and skating rinks to circuits for cycling or areas to play outdoors. Undoubtedly, one of the favorite spaces for the little ones will be Gulliver Park, a space inspired by the novel by Jonathan Swift whose star attraction is the figure of the giant that the Lilliputians tied up while they slept. The 70-meter figure is equipped with slides, swings and stairs so that the little ones can have fun as they please. Of course, the Turia Garden also has a very large area where you can enjoy a picnic with the children during the summer.

4. Los Pinares de Aznalcázar recreational area, in Seville

Just two kilometers from Aznalcázar is this recreational area, considered one of the forest areas of greatest ecological interest in Seville. It is an extensive pine forest of 12,000 hectares where children will not only be able to discover a lot of vegetation but also some of the colonies of tawny owls and black kites that live there. The park has all kinds of family spaces, from bike lanes and equestrian circuits to leisure areas, walkways and, of course, a picnic area where you can enjoy a meal outdoors with the kids.

5. Monte Artxanda, in Bilbao

If you want to enjoy a family meal outdoors, nothing better than climbing Mount Artxanda to have a beautiful panoramic view of the city of Bilbao in the background. Whether you go up by car or on the funicular, once on the heights you can enjoy the views of the city from a bird’s eye view offered by the viewpoint, discover some of the sculptural pieces that are erected in the park or explore the more green of this beautiful natural space. The park also has spaces for children’s entertainment: it has a playground and a skating rink. And, of course, it also has beautiful meadows where you can enjoy a good picnic , although if you prefer, it also has picnic tables, bars and restaurants.

6. The Plains of Monachil, in Granada

In the heart of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park, you will find the Los Llanos de Monachil Recreational Area, a perfect enclave to enjoy a family day outdoors. From this enclave you can undertake several hiking trails in the surroundings and visit some of the viewpoints in the region such as the Mirador del Fraile or the Mirador del Barranco del Huenes. Back in the recreational area, you can prepare a snack with the little ones at home at one of the 39 tables in the park or enjoy some tapas at the Los Llanos bar while the children have fun in the playground.

7. Cabárceno Nature Park, in Cantabria

This space of more than 750 hectares naturalized by the hand of man that stands in the Pisueña valley, 17 kilometers from Santander, is famous for its routes in direct contact with nature and the more than 120 species of animals that live there , but it is also a beautiful setting to enjoy a family picnic. In the heart of the enclosure, with views of the giraffe and ostriches savannah on one side and the brown bear enclosure on the other, you can organize a meal with the kids. The park also has a self-service shop next to the exhibition of birds of prey flight techniques and has different picnic areas where you can enjoy a delicious snack.

8. Country House, in Madrid

Beyond the Retiro Park, in Madrid there are many other destinations where you can enjoy a picnic with the children, such as the Casa de Campo. It is a huge urban park with great natural wealth where children can be in direct contact with nature. The park covers an area of ​​1,722.6 hectares and has many entertainment spaces, from fairgrounds and a multipurpose pavilion where various activities are organized, to an amusement park and a beautiful lake around which children can have fun playing. The Casa de Campo also has different spaces to eat with the children in the middle of nature, although if you prefer there are also different bars where you can also have a snack.

9. Park of the Gavilanes, in Toledo

Halfway between Toledo and Olías del Rey there is an ideal natural space to escape with the children to eat outdoors. Also known as “El Bosque”, it has numerous playgrounds, sports courts and green areas where children can play as they please. Despite not being a particularly leafy park, it is completely fenced, making it a safe environment for children to play freely. And, for when the energies begin to run out, there is a picnic area where you can make a stop to recharge your batteries.

10. The Palm Grove, in Elche

With more than 200,000 specimens, the Palmeral de Elche is considered the largest palm park in Europe. A World Heritage Site since 2000, it offers endless experiences to enjoy with the family: it has numerous recreational parks for children, as well as a small lake with ducks and swans and various sculptures and fountains of great architectural value. With the date palm as the protagonist, the park has many natural spaces where children can play and run as they please, as well as some areas where you can eat outdoors in this impressive urban oasis.