Autumn - winter: October - March 06:00 - 22:00.
Spring - Summer: April - September 06:00 - 00:00 h.
NOTICE : On occasions, El Retiro and eight other parks in the city (El Capricho, Sabatini Gardens, Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste, Juan Carlos I and Juan Pablo II parks, Quinta de Fuente del Berro, Quinta de los Molinos and Quinta de Torre Arias) can be found with marked or closed areas in application of the alert protocol for meteorological conditions of the Madrid City Council .
In addition, the 22 information panels located at the entrances to El Retiro Park permanently display the information that affects the operation of the park
With 125 hectares and more than 15,000 trees, El Retiro Park is a green haven in the center of Madrid. Some of its gardens deserve special attention: the Vivaces garden, the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens (classicist gardens with Andalusian airs), the gardens of the Architect Herrero Palacios, the Rosaleda (collection of roses) and the French Parterre with the ahuehuete , the tree oldest in Madrid, which is said to be around 400 years old.
It is not only one of the lungs of Madrid, but it also offers culture, leisure and sports to locals and visitors. Among its most important architectural and historical elements are: the Big Pond that offers various activities, such as rowing boats, boats and solar classroom and the Municipal School of Canoeing, aimed at children and young people between 7 and 17 years old, the Velázquez Palace and the Palacio de Cristal , both currently used as showrooms.
The Palacio de Cristal , a romantic pavilion created to accommodate a display of exotic plants at the 1887 Philippine Exposition, is one of the main examples of iron architecture in Spain.
In addition, El Retiro houses notable sculptures and fountains such as the monument to Alfonso XII , a project by the architect José Grasés Riera -with a viewpoint from which to enjoy beautiful views of the city- or the reserved area of Fernando VII, located on the corner from O'Donnell and Menéndez Pelayo streets. The latter includes the Casa del Pescador, the Artificial Mountain and the Casa del Contrabandista (which now houses Florida Retiro , a modern multi-space dedicated to leisure and hospitality that for years housed the old Florida Park party room), which give it an air Romantic.
Also noteworthy are the statue of The Fallen Angel ; the only sculpture in the world that represents the devil, the Galapagos Fountain , which commemorates the birth of Isabel II, the surprising Hermitage of San Pelayo and San Isidoro, the Forest of Remembrance, in homage to the victims of the terrorist attacks that occurred in Madrid on March 11, 2004, and the Puppet Theater , a unique theater in Europe with stable programming every weekend.
For walks, sports ... and much more
El Retiro is one of the favorite places, for tourists and home visitors, to go for a walk and to practice sports, especially running and skating. If you go with children, you can enjoy with them one of the many play areas of the Park.
Municipal Sports Center La Chopera, the Public Library Municipal Eugenio Trias and the Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas are other places to consider during this tour of the Retiro, and if you are passionate about botany, do not miss the ahuehuete , perhaps the oldest tree in Madrid.
It is said that it has been there since 1630 and it is a very exotic species that has the peculiarity that it does not lose its leaves every year, but only some. It is said that during the War of Independence against the French, it was one of the few specimens that was saved then in the Park, taken by the French as their headquarters. Napoleon's soldiers apparently decided to install a cannon between the branches of the huge tree, and from there they fired.
In the surroundings you can rent a bicycle to enjoy the Park on wheels. And if you are looking for a place to make a 'technical stop', you can take a break in one of its kiosks or terraces.
In the Retiro Park, emblematic events are also held, such as the Book Fair or the fireworks of San Isidro.
Font: (
visit link)