This recreational-sports complex spreads between the El Pardo road, the River Manzanares, and a beautiful stone bridge flanked by the statues of Ferdinand VI and his wife Barbara of Braganza.​ On account of its size - over 300,000 m2 of green areas - and the variety and functionality of its facilities, El Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro (previously known as El Parque Sindical) is one of the largest sports facilities in the region of Madrid.

Without undermining its possibilities as an area for leisure and sports recreation, the inclusion of Sports Technique Centres has changed the philosophy with which it was originally designed. Up to eight Madrid Federations are currently based at this complex.

El Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro has the largest of the three summer swimming pools managed by Madrid's Regional Government, with a total of 7,258 square metres (almost seven times larger than an Olympic pool, and when it first opened in Madrid it was the largest outdoor pool in Europe).

It has three inter-linked pools: one general pool with a surface area of 5,693 square metres, in addition to an 800 square metre Olympic pool and a 765 square metre children's pool.

The complex also has a lawned area, café, toilets, showers and changing rooms, all in an area of 23,600 square metres, with a total capacity for 5,963 users, with a total pool capacity for 3,629 users. It also has diverse sports facilities, such as a fronton and mini-fronton court, a skating rink, 2 covered multi-sports courts, a gym, sand boxes for rescue and first aid, a golf course, padel courts, a rugby pitch, tennis courts, archery and volleyball courts.