Current Time in Latina, Spain

Latina is one of the twenty-one districts of Madrid, the capital of Spain, occupying a broad wedge of the city west and south-west of the centre, between the Manzanares river and the municipal boundary. With around two hundred and forty thousand residents it is among the most populous districts in Madrid and, on its own, would rank as one of the larger cities in the country. Its name is traditionally linked to Beatriz Galindo, the Renaissance humanist and Latin tutor to Queen Isabella who was known as La Latina, though the district should not be confused with the well-known nightlife quarter of the same nickname in the old town.

The district is made up of a string of distinct neighbourhoods, among them Puerta del Angel by the river, Lucero, Los Carmenes, Aluche, Las Aguilas, Campamento and Cuatro Vientos. Most of them grew rapidly between the 1950s and the 1970s, when hundreds of thousands of people arrived in Madrid from the villages of Andalusia, Castile and Extremadura and new blocks of flats spread across what had been fields and military training grounds. The result is a densely built, unpretentious and thoroughly lived-in part of the city, with markets, neighbourhood bars, football pitches and a strong sense of local identity. In recent decades it has become notably diverse, with substantial Latin American, Chinese, Romanian and Moroccan communities.

Its best-known landmark is Cuatro Vientos, the oldest aerodrome in Spain, opened in 1911 and still in use for general aviation and military flying. The Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics on the field displays more than a hundred and fifty aircraft, from early biplanes and record-breaking flying boats to jet fighters and space equipment, and it is one of the most impressive aviation collections in Europe.

Green space is generous. The Parque de las Cruces and the Parque de Aluche serve the neighbourhoods, while the district faces the Casa de Campo across its northern edge, the enormous former royal hunting ground that is Madrid's largest park, with a lake, a cable car and woodland walks. The Madrid Rio project has turned the riverbank at Puerta del Angel into a linear park of promenades, bridges and playgrounds connecting directly to the historic centre.

Everyday life revolves around covered markets, the busy commercial streets of Aluche and General Ricardos, and a calendar of neighbourhood fiestas with concerts, processions and open-air dances.

Transport is a strength. Four metro lines cross the district, Aluche is a major interchange with commuter rail services running west into the suburbs, and the ring roads and the motorway to Extremadura pass along its edges, putting the centre of Madrid within fifteen minutes.

Ordinary in the best sense, Latina is where a great deal of Madrid actually lives, and it rewards visitors curious about the city beyond its monuments.