The Aquarium Grotto Garden

On the leafy island of Zamalek, the Aquarium Grotto Garden is one of Cairo's stranger and more charming green escapes. Laid out in the 19th century under Khedive Ismail, its centrepiece is a series of artificial rock grottoes, cool, cave-like tunnels once lined with fish tanks. Today the aquarium element is a shadow of its former self, with dusty displays and little water, giving the place a faintly surreal, time-warped feel.

But the gardens themselves are a genuine pleasure: shaded paths, towering trees, ponds and lawns that offer a rare pocket of quiet and birdsong in one of the world's densest cities. Popular with local families and couples, it is a cheap, low-key spot to slow down between Cairo's grander sights.