The (Not-So) Fantastic Playgrounds of Spain: Plaza de España (Madrid)

Okay, time for a not-so-fantastic playground. This may be a controversial opinion, but I think the new Plaza de España playgrounds are terribly designed. Specifically the Isla de Barataria section (the slides).

Why is the Plaza de España playground so bad? Let me count the ways:

1. Limited visibility. You can't see your kid when they go into the wooden climbing structure.

2. Metal slides that get super hot in not very hot temps. (Why are we still building playgrounds with metal slides???)

3. The slides are very tall (6 meters) and go very fast.

4. Holes with little to keep kids from falling through. It's about one story up, fireman poles and a square hole that kids can climb down. This is located right where kids are waiting to go down the slide, so it can get pretty crowded.

5. No bathrooms. It is a destination playground, and yet there are no public restrooms. There aren't even any private restrooms because there are no cafes.

All that said, of course Don Loco loves this playground and it is his favorite. 

Where: Plaza de España metro. Also a convenient stroll from Ópera/Palacio Real through a lovely walking path.

Do not be deceived: slides are higher and may be hotter than they look!