Serene Retiro Park
One of our favorite places to spend time in Madrid is the beautiful Retiro Park. It offers many acres of gardens, fountains, monuments, exhibit spaces, and a large pond. There are apparently more than 15,000 trees in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. So, it can be a great place to escape the sun and heat on warmer days of the year. It’s enjoyed throughout the year by locals and tourists alike, jogging, doing yoga, rowing boats, wandering, and exploring. Last year on the afternoon that we had planned to spend there it was very windy. So, the park was closed. The same thing happened on our 2018 visit to Madrid. We enjoy this park so much that we didn’t want to miss it again. So, we rearranged our itinerary with the hopes that it would be open the next day. And it was! We put our wish out to the universe and our wish came true!
A Brief History of the Park
Designed in the mid-sixteenth century and eventually built in the early seventeenth century, Retiro Park was originally a second home for the king and his court with extensive gardens for their entertainment. It had a palace and a theater, both of which burned down in the seventeenth century. The palace was rebuilt but then destroyed again during the Peninsular War (one of the Napoleonic Wars) in the early 1800s, never to be rebuilt.
The park was first opened to the public in 1868. It’s approximately 350 acres which is a little shy of the area 200 soccer fields would occupy. Each time we visit this great city we have Retiro Park on our agenda. We love strolling along its paths, admiring the gardens, monuments, and museums, and having an absolute blast rowing boats in its large pond (about the size of three NFL football fields).
Renting Rowboats
To rent the rowboats you go to the north end of the lagoon. It's a very popular activity so you might need to purchase the tickets for a later time slot, go enjoy other elements of the park, and return to row the boats. I think the boats only accommodate up to four people. If you have a larger group, you’ll have to split up. But this can be even more fun. There are life preservers supplied in the boats and it’s worth noting that the average depth is something like 1.27 meters (a little over four feet), and it's just over 2 meters deep at the deepest point. As of this writing, the tickets are 6€, 8€ on weekends and holidays. You can buy tickets online or with an app up to 12 hours ahead. But the app and website are currently only in Spanish, as far as we know.
Monument to King Alfonso XII
Our cover photo is a monument on the east side of the lagoon consisting of a statue of King Alfonso XII flanked by colonnades and adorned with various other bronze and marble statues, such as the four lions that appear to be watching over the pond. If you're interested in reading more about this statue there is a lot published online. Try googling “monument to Alfonso XII in Retiro Park” and you'll find a bunch of information. The importance of this monument is that King Alfonso XII was a very popular monarch. He unfortunately died at the young age of 27 when his wife, Christina of Austria, was expecting their child. As regent, she held a contest and then commissioned the building of the monument. It's really quite spectacular and you need to get up close to really appreciate it. It’s a great place for a photo opportunity or just to hang out.
Within this monument complex there is a lookout tower with free access where you can get nice views and photos. But it's only open at limited times, and tickets may be purchased here if they are available at the time of your visit. The website is only in Spanish, as far as we can tell.
Some Notable Monuments and Gardens in Retiro
Among the more notable fountains are the Galápagos fountain and the Artichoke fountain found on the northwest and southwest corners of the pond respectively. If you’re looking for a restroom, there are public ones near the Artichoke fountain. There are others at the far east end of Paseo de Venezuela in the park. At the south end of the park you'll find the Fallen Angel fountain, it's a masterpiece that was originally created in plaster in 1877 but later cast in bronze. If you can find the time, it’s worth a visit (image included in the slide show below).
While you're in the area south of the pond you should make time to visit the Velázquez Palace and the Crystal Palace, both of which are part of the Reina Sofía Museum. A bit farther down is a rose garden and the Fallen Angel fountain mentioned previously. The Velázquez palace houses art exhibits that we always find interesting, and the Crystal Palace typically has sculptures on display but it's currently closed for renovations.
West of the pond there is a path flanked by a dozen large statues of past kings. This is called the Paseo de las Estatuas. These statues were originally planned to be on top of the Royal Palace of Madrid but were moved here. And just south of the path of statues is the French-style Parterre Garden, known for its geometric patterns. Here you can relax on a bench and enjoy the scenery.
In the northwest corner of the park is the Mountain of the Cats (known locally as Montaña de los Gatos or Montaña Artificial), apparently named for the cats that used to populate the area. Honestly, people whose families have resided in Madrid for various generations are referred to as gatos. So maybe that has something to do with the name too.
It's an artificial hill with water features and paths. You can also see the domed interior during limited hours (11A-1P/6P-8P). This artificial mountain was originally built in the nineteenth century. It reopened to the public in 2023 after being closed for two decades. We had the pleasure of visiting it with friends in September 2024 and updated this article to share a photo with you. At Christmas time in 2024 they adorned the interior with a large nativity scene!
Due to the large number of trees, the park is sometimes closed if high winds are expected. This can be disappointing, but it's for your safety. As I mentioned previously, last year it was closed on the day we planned to go, and we rearranged our schedule so as not to miss it. That is just how much we recommend this impressive park.
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