Retiro Park (lake, Crystal Palace)

What to expect

Retiro Park began as the royal retreat of Philip IV in the seventeenth century and became a public park in 1868. It covers around 140 hectares in the middle of Madrid and has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape with the Paseo del Prado since 2021. Much of the old palace complex was lost in the Peninsular War, but the gardens, avenues and monuments remained.

Inside you can row on the large artificial lake in front of the monument to Alfonso XII, walk the tree-lined avenues, visit the Palacio de Cristal, a glass pavilion built in 1887, and stroll through the rose garden. It is an open-air park with free entry to the grounds. Locals jog, picnic and play music here, so weekends are lively. Allow two hours, or half a day if you explore.

Don't miss

• The lake and the Alfonso XII monument
• The Palacio de Cristal
• La Rosaleda rose garden
• The Fountain of the Fallen Angel
• The Paseo de las Estatuas

Tips for your visit

• Hire a rowing boat on a calm afternoon for a relaxing hour on the water.
• Enter from Puerta de Alcalá or the Plaza de la Independencia entrance, near the Prado.
• Bring a picnic or buy snacks at the kiosks.
• Weekends are busiest; weekday mornings are calm.