El Invernadero at Atocha in Madrid among palm trees and tropical species

The Invernadero of the Atocha Station in Madrid projects to lush and distant hemispheres. As many as seven thousand exotic plants are housed in this green space in the atrium of the city's most important railway station, transformed into an Amazon jungle. The temperature is a constant 22 degrees, while the level of humility is close to seventy degrees. After the absurd terrorist attack in March twenty-two years ago, spending some time in this rainforest garden in the heart of the Spanish capital is full of meaning: remembering those who lost their lives here, admiring the height reached by the trunks of the palm trees and the fan shape of the traveller's palm that can be considered the botanical mascot of Atocha. The Washingtonia Palm is an equally spectacular species, just as finding the many turtles and watching their movements brings joy. The bottle palm, the monstera deliciosa, the Ceiba speciosa and the pond in which twenty-two types of fish live have also attracted filmmakers such as Pedro Almodovar, Fernando Trueba and Alejandro Amenabar, who have often shot films in Atocha. Staying at the NH Madrid Atocha hotel, it is possible to enjoy this garden at different times of the day, thus having the opportunity to understand the citizens' connection with the Invernadero's palm trees, the interaction with this muffled yet busy place. Also within walking distance is the Bodegas Rosell, a historic wine bar opened in 1920, later to become a trattoria, with a hand-painted mosaic tile sign. Atocha, indeed, is a place of memory, daily life and botanical immersion.