Museums.artTickets

Retiro Park: the kings' garden that became Madrid's

On a Sunday morning half of Madrid seems to be in the Retiro, rowing on the pond, running, reading on the grass or listening to the buskers by the monument. It was built for a king's pleasure, and it is still the city's.

Find Tickets
Admission
Free
Open
Daily from 6:00
Closed
In high winds
Allow
1 to 3 hours

Madrid this week

    What to see at the Retiro

    1. The great pond

      The rectangular lake of Philip IV's court, where plays and mock sea battles were put on. Rowing boats can be hired at the jetty, below the colonnade and equestrian statue of Alfonso XII.

    2. The Palacio de Cristal

      A glass and iron hall built in 1887 for an exhibition of the Philippines, on the edge of a small lake with swamp cypresses. The Reina Sofía uses it for installations.

    3. The Palacio de Velázquez

      An exhibition hall of brick and coloured tile under a glass roof, built in 1883 by the same architect and also run by the Reina Sofía.

    4. The Fountain of the Fallen Angel

      Ricardo Bellver's bronze of Lucifer tumbling from heaven, with a serpent coiled round him, on a tall pedestal in the south of the park.

    5. The Rosaleda

      The rose garden of 1915, at its best in May, with arches of climbing roses round a fountain.

    Tickets and tours for the Retiro

    • Sold by GetYourGuide

      Madrid: Retiro Park and Literary Quarter by Bike

      A guided bike ride through the Retiro and the Barrio de las Letras, past the front of the Prado.

      Included

      • A guided bike ride through the Retiro and the Barrio de las Letras
      • A guide for the whole ride

      From

      €35

      Book Tickets

    More tickets and tours in Madrid

    Visiting the Retiro: hours and admission

    Opening hours

    Every day, April to September
    6:00 to midnight
    Every day, October to March
    6:00 to 22:00
    • The city closes the park, sometimes for a whole day, when strong winds are forecast, because of the risk from its old trees.
    • The Palacio de Cristal and the Palacio de Velázquez are run by the Museo Reina Sofía and keep their own hours.

    Who gets in free

    • Everyone. The park and its two exhibition halls cost nothing to enter.

    Getting there

    Metro
    Retiro (line 2), at the north gate on the Calle de Alcalá. Ibiza (line 9) and Príncipe de Vergara (lines 2 and 9) are on the east side, and Estación del Arte (line 1) near the south-west corner.
    On foot
    Five minutes from the Puerta de Alcalá, and ten from the Prado up the Calle de Felipe IV.
    By car
    The centre of Madrid is a low-emission zone, and parking in it is scarce and paid. Leave the car outside.

    Address

    Parque del Buen Retiro
    Plaza de la Independencia 7
    28001 Madrid, Spain

    Entrances

    The park has many gates. The Puerta de la Independencia, on the Plaza de la Independencia beside the Puerta de Alcalá, leads most directly to the great pond. The Puerta de Felipe IV faces the Prado, and the Puerta del Ángel Caído is at the south end by the Fountain of the Fallen Angel.

    On the map

    Before you go

    • Enter by the Puerta de Alcalá side and walk straight to the pond. The Palacio de Cristal is ten minutes south of it.
    • The Palacio de Cristal was closed for works on the day this was checked. The Reina Sofía's site says when it reopens.
    • The city closes the park when strong winds are forecast, because of the old trees. The gates are shut, sometimes for the whole day.
    • Boats are hired at the jetty on the pond. On summer weekends there is a queue.
    • The Prado is a ten-minute walk from the western gates, so the two go well together.

    The king's retreat, given to the city

    In the 1630s the Count-Duke of Olivares gave Philip IV a palace and gardens on the eastern edge of Madrid, the Buen Retiro, or good retreat. The palace was largely destroyed in the war against Napoleon, but its gardens, laid out by Cosimo Lotti, who had worked on the Boboli Gardens in Florence, survived.

    They belonged to the crown until the revolution of 1868, when they were given to the city. The park covers about 1.4 square kilometres, a short walk from the Prado, and in 2021 it was made a World Heritage Site with the Paseo del Prado.

    The nineteenth century filled it with monuments and pavilions: two exhibition halls by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, the great colonnade to Alfonso XII on the pond, and the statue of Lucifer falling from heaven.

    Retiro Park: common questions

    What are the opening hours of the Retiro?
    Every day, April to September: 6:00 to midnight. Every day, October to March: 6:00 to 22:00. The city closes the park, sometimes for a whole day, when strong winds are forecast, because of the risk from its old trees. The Palacio de Cristal and the Palacio de Velázquez are run by the Museo Reina Sofía and keep their own hours.
    What does the tour include?
    A guided bike ride through the Retiro and the Barrio de las Letras. A guide for the whole ride. It is sold by GetYourGuide.
    Is Retiro Park free?
    Yes. The park and its two exhibition halls cost nothing to enter. Only the rowing boats on the pond are paid for.
    How big is Retiro Park?
    About 1.4 square kilometres. A walk round its main sights, the pond, the Palacio de Cristal and the rose garden, takes about an hour and a half.
    Can you row a boat in the Retiro?
    Yes. Rowing boats are hired at the jetty on the great pond, below the monument to Alfonso XII. Go early on a weekend, when the queue is shortest.

    What visitors say about the Retiro

    Rating from Google

    4.8

    216,772 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 17 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

    More to see in Madrid

    Everything in Madrid

    Things to do near the Retiro

    The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.

    All 20 things to do in Madrid

    Where to eat near the Retiro

    The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.

    All 20 restaurants in Madrid, ranked

    Hotels near the Retiro

    The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.

    All 14 hotels in Madrid, ranked