London has many green spaces in the form of parks and gardens to enjoy. Places where you can retreat into nature and almost forget you are in one of the biggest cities in the world. Lakes, greens and abundant fauna and flora will surprise visitors to central London. Hyde Park is one of the main parks in the city, but by no means the only one.

Hyde Park is an oasis of nature in the middle of London. The park is divided into two zones by a lake called the Serpentine. Hyde Park is a royal park and is located next to the gardens of Kensington Palace, home to Princess Diana after her separation from Prince Charles.

The park covers an area of 140 hectares, 250 hectares if we include Kensington Gardens. It is a place which a rich history. In recent decades it has been the scene of important political demonstrations and marches. Henry VIII lived here before the Norman invasion. There are several interesting spots in the park, such as Speakers' Corner, the Serpentine Lake, The Diana Memorial, botanic gardens, etc...

Hyde Park has also been the scene of numerous concerts with performances by the Rolling Stones, Pavarotti, The Who, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the Foo Fighters, Depeche Mode and Queen, among many others.

Besides Hyde Park, there are several other parks in London such as St James Park near Buckingham Palace. The lakes here are home to pelicans, swans and several species of ducks, and in the park you can see many squirrels.

Regents Park to the north of central London has an impressive variety of roses, and is home to London Zoo. Kensington Gardens is a great place to visit with kids as there are several play zones and paths to explore.