# Retiro Park, Madrid > The Retiro is Madrid's great park, some 125 hectares of former 17th-century royal gardens right behind the Prado. You can row on the Great Pond beside the colonnade and monument to Alfonso XII, step into the glass Crystal Palace above its lake, and wander the rose garden and shady avenues. Entry is free; allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/retiro-park - City: [Madrid](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid), Spain - YesGo score: 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 45 min - Opening hours: Daily from morning until late evening - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Boats: Rowing boat hire on the Great Pond, paid - Highlights: The Great Pond, the Crystal Palace, the rose garden - Time needed: 1.5–2 hours - UNESCO: Since 2021, with the Paseo del Prado - Location: Behind the Prado, Retiro metro (L2) - Coordinates: 40.41500, -3.68389 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 125 ha** — area of the park (source: English Wikipedia) - **17th c.** — the royal palace gardens were laid out (source: English Wikipedia) - **1868** — the park opened to the public (source: English Wikipedia) - **2021** — added to the UNESCO list (source: UNESCO, no. 1618) ## About Retiro Park The park began in the **17th century** as the gardens of King Philip IV's **Buen Retiro** palace, the 'pleasant retreat'. Little of the palace survives, and the gardens stayed royal for centuries. In **1868** they opened to everyone, and the Retiro has been Madrid's favourite place to relax ever since. Today it's a huge green island of about **125 hectares** in the middle of the city, between the Prado and the Salamanca district, with thousands of trees, ponds, fountains, sculptures and exhibition pavilions. In **2021** the park and the Paseo del Prado joined the **UNESCO** list as a landscape of arts and sciences. ## The Great Pond and the boats At the heart of the park is the **Great Pond**, the Estanque Grande, a rectangular lake where you can hire a rowing boat. On one bank stands a grand semicircular colonnade with an equestrian statue of King **Alfonso XII**, whose steps look out over the whole pond. At weekends musicians, puppeteers and street artists gather around it. Row in the morning or towards evening, when it's cooler. There's a queue at the jetty at weekends, so weekdays are easier. Cafés with terraces ring the pond for a coffee by the water. ## The Crystal Palace and rose garden The park's most photogenic spot is the **Crystal Palace**, the Palacio de Cristal, a glass and iron pavilion from **1887** on the edge of a small lake with a fountain and ducks. Inside are free contemporary art exhibitions, while outside its glass walls are mirrored in the water. Nearby is the brick **Velázquez Palace**, also used for exhibitions, and in the south of the park the **rose garden**, La Rosaleda, where thousands of roses bloom in spring and early summer. There are plenty of quiet corners too: an avenue of statues of Spanish kings, gardens and woodland paths popular with joggers. ## What to see in Retiro Park - **The Great Pond** — rowing boats and the Alfonso XII colonnade. - **The Crystal Palace** — a glass pavilion over a lake. - **The Velázquez Palace** — contemporary art exhibitions. - **The rose garden** — thousands of roses in spring. - **The avenue of statues** — Spain's kings along the paths. - **Puerta de Alcalá** — the triumphal gate by the park entrance. > **Making a day of it** Enter from Plaza de la Independencia by the Puerta de Alcalá, walk to the Great Pond, then the Crystal Palace, and leave by the rose garden in the south, 10 minutes from the Prado and Atocha station. Bring water and a snack, as there are only a few cafés. ## How to get to the park 1. Metro: **Retiro** station on line L2, exiting by the main gates. 2. Or **Ibiza** station (L9) for the eastern side. 3. From the [Prado Museum](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/prado-museum), 5 minutes on foot via Calle Felipe IV. 4. From Atocha station, a 10-minute walk to the south gates. ## Tips for your visit The Retiro is lovely all year: roses and chestnuts bloom in spring, the shade keeps it cooler than the streets in summer, and the avenues turn gold in autumn. Sundays are liveliest, with families, musicians and puppet shows for children. With children you could spend half a day here: boats, playgrounds, a puppet theatre and lots of space to run. Bikes and scooters are allowed on the main avenues. The park closes at night and may close by day in strong winds, so check the notices at the gate. The Retiro pairs naturally with the Prado, right by its western gates, and a walk along the Paseo del Prado to the Cibeles fountain. In the evening you can stroll into the elegant Salamanca district next door for shops and restaurants. ## Walk checklist Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Row a boat on the Great Pond - [ ] Photograph the Crystal Palace - [ ] Visit the rose garden - [ ] Sit on the colonnade steps - [ ] Walk out to the Puerta de Alcalá ## Places in Madrid: compare and choose Places in Madrid rated by YesGo. - [Retiro Park](https://yesgo.io/spain/madrid/retiro-park) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Free ## Don't mix it up Retiro Park and Casa de Campo are different parks. Casa de Campo is a vast wooded park in the west of the city, across the Manzanares. ## Tips - Entry is free. - Hire boats on weekdays. - The Crystal Palace is by the lake. - The Prado is next door. ## Questions ### Is Retiro Park free? Yes; boat hire is paid. ### What is there to see in Retiro Park? The Great Pond and boats, the Crystal Palace, the Velázquez Palace, the rose garden and the avenue of statues. ### How long do you need in the Retiro? 1.5 to 2 hours for a walk; half a day with boats and exhibitions. ### How do I get to Retiro Park? By metro to Retiro (L2) or on foot from the Prado in 5 minutes. ### Can you go boating? Yes, there's rowing boat hire on the Great Pond. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia and UNESCO. Opening hours and boat hire prices weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - UNESCO: Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro (no. 1618) - English Wikipedia: Parque del Buen Retiro --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.