Madrid is a beautiful city full of things to do and places to visit (enlace a artículo 13 planes diferentes que hacer en Madrid). When visiting a city with such many culture and emblematic spots, a stop on a raised terrace or a good viewpoint to enjoy a good panorama is almost mandatory.

Today you will discover the best views of the city, the best points from which to admire Madrid, its monuments and representative buildings, its skyscrapers, its citizen bustle, the Manzanares river or the mountain aligment of Sierra de Guadarrama.

And, without further preamble and as a gift to be reading, we invite you to follow us on this route for the best viewpoints and terraces of Madrid.

• Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop

In a perfect location, just at the Gran Via entrance, on this rooftop you can enjoy one of the most spectacular sunsets offered by the city of Madrid.

From this famous roof you can recognize main avenues such as the Paseo del Prado, Alcalá Street and Paseo de la Castellana, with its skyscrapers on the horizon, to the narrow and twisted streets of some of the oldest areas of Madrid. In addition you will be able to discover the amount of green spaces that this city offers, contemplating the Retiro and the numerous plazas and parks of the center of the city, or even the Hill of the Angels in the South or the Sierra de Guadarrama in the North.

If you want to take some spectacular photos, we recommend you to visit the roof of the Círculo de Bellas Artes at sunset, to enjoy the orange shades that the sun reflects on the rooftops of Madrid.

• San Lorenzo de El Escorial Monastery from Abantos mountain

In the middle of the Sierra de Guadarrama and just 50 km from Madrid, you will find one of the most spectacular monuments of modern European times: the Monastery of El Escorial.

To observe all its monumentality from a panoramic view, there is no better point than the viewpoint of Monte Abantos. This mountain is the one that crowns the hillside where the population of San Lorenzo del Escorial extends. The lookout is on the rise to the top of the mountain.

• Moncloa beacon

It is located in the middle of Ciudad Universitaria and offers two panoramic views from over 90 meters high.

The climb to the Moncloa beacon is an experience. Let your sight be lost contemplating the spectacle offered through its windows. From here you can enjoy a spectacular landscape of emblematic architectural elements such as the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral, Telefónica building on Gran Vía or the four towers of the business park next to Paseo de la Castellana.

• “El Viso” lookout

The viewpoint of El Viso is a stone’s throw away from Alcalá de Henares. This lookout has two climbing options: car access is allowed, but if you prefer to have a good walk sorrounded by nature, this is your viewpoint! Go with the batteries loaded to climb a slope full of twisted curves and wonderful corners from which you will be able to discover, little by little, the views that are opening at every step.

When arriving to the viewpoint you will be able to contemplate the city of Madrid in its totality, with a skyline in which the Four Towers stand out Business Area, “El Pirulí” (Torrespaña) and other Madrid skyscrapers and buildings. If you have the time, enjoy the wonderful sunset offered by this magnificent enclave, and grasp the sight of one of the cities with the greatest nightlife.

• Templo de Debod viewpoint

It is located a few minutes walking from Plaza de España and many say it offers the best point to see the sunset in Madrid city.

Although the element that differentiates it from other viewpoints is the ancient Egyptian temple that gives its name to the place, its viewpoint offers a panoramic view that extends from the Casa de Campo to the peaks of the Sierra de Guadarrama.

The Temple of Debod was donated by Egypt in 1968 as a reward for the aid Spain granted in the rescue of the temples of Abu Simbel on the occasion of the construction of the Great Dam of Aswan (1960), following a call from UNESCO to this end.

• Navacerrada valley from La Maliciosa

This proposal is only suitable for nature lovers who wish to enjoy beautiful views after a medium difficulty mountain hike. This is a circular route, of about 8 km, that takes approximately 5 hours (about 3 hours to climb and another 2 to descend).

The valley of Navacerrada is a mountain valley located in the Sierra de Guadarrama, at the bottom of the Bola del Mundo and La Maliciosa. To get to La Maliciosa you will have to leave the car in the parking lot of La Barranca. From there you can expect a climb, smooth at first and more complicated afterwards, which will take you to the top of one of the most famous mountains in Madrid.

• Cuatro Torres Business Area terrace

In this post it has been mentioned several times how you can observe the Cuatro Torres de Castellana from some of the viewpoints. Well, these are four big skyscrapers that since 2009 govern the silhouette of Madrid, and which, moreover, are the tallest buildings in all of Spain.

That is why from the top of any of them you will have the best perspective of the capital although, unless you know someone who runs you in an office (the buildings are the headquarters of several multinationals), the only option is to host you in one of the rooms with views of the Eurostars Madrid Tower or to go up to dinner at their restaurant.

• Skyline from Tío Pío hill, better known as Parque de las 7 Tetas

This park is located in the neighborhood of Vallecas. The privileged location of its seven hills (hence the name of the park) makes you feel that you have the whole capital at your feet. It is another viewpoint that offers excellent views of the mountains, the center, the financial area … A really good plan, especially at sunset.

• Guadarrama saw from Asómate de Hoyos

We return to the Sierra de Guadarrama to propose another of the best viewpoints offered by Madrid. The Monte Asómate de Hoyos is part of the Cuerda Larga and offers one of the best views of La Pedriza and Peñalara. From this point you can also enjoy the spectacular views of the Lozoya Valley and the plain of Madrid.

To get there, you can follow different routes, starting from Racafría, Miraflores or Puerto de la Morcuera, among others.

• The viewpoint of the poets

The Mirador de los Poetas, named after the poets Vicente Aleixandre and Luis Rosales, is located in Cercedilla, in the Valley of Fuenfría.

This viewpoint offers one of the best views of the Sierra de Guadarrama and part of the extensive community of Madrid. The distant mountains and its vegetation, in contrast to the sky, make of this view a true work of landscape art.

Have you ever visited any of these places and want to leave us your opinion? Can you think of any point in Madrid from which to see good views? Do you come up with other Madrid spot from where you can enjoy really good views?