Atocha Train station

Opened in 1851 as the Midi station, it was subsequently destroyed by fire and rebuilt again under the direction of Alberto Palacio, a disciple of Eiffel. The roof of the station was made of iron and the rigid structure (similar to the Gare d'Orsay in Paris) was built in Belgium and assembled here.

In 1992, it had to be remodeled to accommodate the growth in passengers and new express trains. The old station became a commercial and greenhouse space in a tropical garden atmosphere, where more than 250 different species have been planted and a pond with fresh water and goldfish is found.

The station has bore witness to many episodes in Spain’s history, and has been immortalized by the writer Benito Perez Galdos in some of his books. It's also known for some unfortunate events, like the terrible terrorist attacks of March 11th, 2004.

Don't miss the amazing tropical garden, located in the same place where the tracks and platforms of the old station were previously erected.

Opened in 1992, today it has 4,000 square meters of green area and a total of 7,200 plants of over 260 species from countries such as India, Australia and China, among others.

Garden highlights:
• The Washingtonia, in honor of George Washington, the first U.S. president, with a height of 40 meters.
• The coconut trees, the Cuban royal palm, the banana tree, the heliconia, the palm bottles, which are extinct in their natural habitat, or the legs of elephants and birds of paradise contribute to recreate a real rainforest.
• The rubber tree, with which the Aztecs made shoes and balls to play.

There are even turtles in the pond and about 200 fish of 22 different species that serve as an ideal complement to the greenhouse.