The Parque del Buen Retiro, simply el Retiro to everyone, is the great park in central Madrid, a stone's throw from the Prado. On Sunday mornings it fills with families, runners, musicians, puppeteers, fortune-tellers and couples in rowing boats: it is the best place to see how Madrileños love living outdoors. In 2021, together with the Paseo del Prado, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as a landscape of arts and sciences. It is part of the Madrid guide.
From royal palace to people's park
In the 1630s the Count-Duke of Olivares, Philip IV's favourite, built the king a pleasure palace on the eastern edge of the city, the Buen Retiro palace, with gardens, lakes, hermitages and a theatre where Calderón's plays were staged. The palace was almost completely destroyed during the war against Napoleon; only two buildings survive, the Salón de Reinos and the Casón del Buen Retiro, now part of the Prado. The gardens remained crown property until 1868, when they passed to the city and opened to all.
What to see
- The Estanque Grande, the large rectangular lake where you can hire rowing boats, dominated by the monumental Alfonso XII monument, with colonnade and equestrian statue: sit on its steps in the sun and watch the boats.
- The Palacio de Cristal, an iron-and-glass greenhouse built in 1887 for a Philippines exhibition, overlooking a pond with bald cypresses: the park's most photographed spot, hosting contemporary art installations by the Reina Sofía.
- The Palacio de Velázquez, from the same period, in brick and ceramic, also used for Reina Sofía exhibitions, with free entry.
- La Rosaleda, the rose garden, with thousands of roses in bloom in May and June.
- The Fallen Angel fountain, one of the world's rare statues dedicated to Lucifer, the angel cast out of heaven.
- The Paseo de la Argentina, or avenue of statues, with stone kings of Spain, and the Galápagos fountain.
- The Bosque del Recuerdo, the forest of remembrance for the 192 victims of the 11 March 2004 bombings, near Atocha.
- The Cecilio Rodríguez gardens, secluded, with peacocks.
- The Parterre, the French-style garden towards calle Alfonso XII, with the ahuehuete, a Mexican cypress considered Madrid's oldest tree.
Events and activities
The Retiro is lively all year. Between late May and early June it hosts the Madrid Book Fair, with hundreds of publishers' and booksellers' stalls and authors signing copies. On Sundays there are municipal band concerts in the bandstand, puppet shows at the Teatro de Títeres and dozens of street performers. You can hire bikes, run along the avenues or do yoga on the grass. In summer people seek the shade of the avenues and the kiosks with outdoor tables.
Around the Retiro
At the north-west entrance, in the Plaza de la Independencia, stands the Puerta de Alcalá, the triumphal arch designed by Francesco Sabatini for Charles III, a symbol of the city. To the west the park borders the Royal Botanical Garden and the Prado; to the south Atocha station and the Reina Sofía Museum. To the east lies the residential district of Ibiza, with many bars and restaurants popular with locals. To the north begins the elegant Salamanca district.
Tips
- The park is open daily from early morning until late evening, with seasonal hours; it may close in high winds or extreme temperatures.
- Boats are hired at the lake's jetty: in summer and on Sundays there are queues, so go in the morning.
- For the Crystal Palace the best light is in the morning or late afternoon.
- The Retiro is the perfect break between the museums of the Paseo del Prado: see Madrid museums.
- With children: boats, puppets, playgrounds and room to run.
For other green spaces see the parks section of the Madrid guide.