Photos: Parks packed, terraces open as Madrid and Barcelona celebrate easing

People exercise at the Retiro Park in Madrid. Hundreds of Madrid residents flooded to the city's parks as lockdown measures were finally eased in the Spanish capital and in Barcelona, while beaches reopened in parts of the country after months-long closures.

Customers wearing protective face masks sit at an outdoor terrace table of a bar and cafe in Plaza Mayor in Madrid. As well as reopening the gates of the capital's parks for the first time since mid-March, residents in the two cities can now meet in groups of up to 10 people in homes or on the terraces of bars and restaurants.

Two women wearing practise yoga at dawn at La Barceloneta Beach in Barcelona. The easing measures come as the Madrid region, the city of Barcelona and large parts of Castile-Leon in the northwest, formally enter the first phase of rolling back one of the strictest lockdowns in the world.

Women exercice at the Retiro Park in Madri as the gates of the capital's parks reopen. In Madrid, hundreds of people turned out to enjoy an early-morning stroll in sun in the city's famous Retiro Park, with scores of runners jogging down its wide avenues and past the boating lake.

A woman practises yoga at dawn at La Barceloneta Beach in Barcelona. With the summer heat picking up, beaches along Spain's northern coastline as well as some areas in the south, including the Canary Islands and the Balearics, are now open for swimming, subject to safety measures.

Pedestrians wearing protective face masks cross the street along the Gran Via in Madrid.

A man and his dogs enjoy the Retiro Park in Madrid as the gates of the capital's parks reopen.

People wearing protective face masks walk past an outdoor seating section of a Zurich bar at Catalunya square, n Barcelona.

People play beach volley at La Barceloneta Beach in Barcelona.

Cyclists descend the Gran Via past the Metropolis building during the morning time slot for outdoor activity in Madrid.

Pedestrians and runners travel along the pedestrianised zone of the Paseo de la Castellana road during the evening time slot for outdoor activity in Madrid.

A runner and pedestrians make their way along a street during the evening time slot for outdoor activity in Madrid.

People enjoy a morning out at La Barceloneta Beach in Barcelona.

Pedestrians and runners travel along the pedestrianised zone of the Paseo de la Castellana road during the evening time slot for outdoor activity in Madrid.

People practise paddleboarding at dawn at La Barceloneta Beach in Barcelona.

Workers install a terrace bar at the Barceloneta beach in Barcelona.

Customers sit at tables socially distanced from each other at the outdoor terrace of a bar and cafe at Plaza Mayor in Madrid.

People wearing masks sit at a terrace bar at in Las Ramblas in Barcelona.

Cyclists ride along the Gran Via during the morning time slot for outdoor activity in Madrid.

Customers sit at tables socially distanced from each other at the outdoor terrace of a cafe in Madrid.