In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Retiro is free and open 6:00 to 22:00 from October to March (to midnight from April to September). The Crystal Palace (Palacio de Cristal) has been closed since 2023 for renovation. The Palacio de Velázquez is open and free, 10:00 to 18:00 from October to March, with Fernando Sánchez Castillo’s The Wayward Pearl until 8 March 2027. Allow about two hours. In high wind or heat the council can close parts of the park. Or book a tour: the Retiro bike tourad is from €29 (GetYourGuide).
What the Retiro is
The Retiro covers 125 hectares in the middle of Madrid, with over 15,000 trees, and is free. With the Paseo del Prado it has been a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, the Landscape of Light, since 25 July 2021. The city’s tourism site is esmadrid.com.
The Estanque Grande and the Monument to Alfonso XII. Photo: Carlos Delgado, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Hours: October to March 6:00 to 22:00; April to September 6:00 to midnight.
- Weather closures: under the council’s weather alert protocol, parts of the Retiro can be fenced off or closed. The council posts alerts on @MADRID, its official account on X.
- Audio guide: the council’s audio guide has 38 stops, in English and Spanish, reached by QR code.
The Crystal Palace and the Velázquez Palace
The Palacio de Cristal, the glass pavilion built for the Philippines Exhibition of 1887, has been closed since 2023 for renovation, and an art installation covers it. The Reina Sofía, which runs both palaces, lists it as temporarily closed. Do not plan to go inside.
The Palacio de Cristal from across its pond. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Palacio de Velázquez, the park’s other exhibition hall, is open and free:
| Detail | Palacio de Velázquez |
|---|---|
| Exhibition | Fernando Sánchez Castillo, The Wayward Pearl, 24 June 2026 to 8 March 2027 |
| Entry | Free |
| Hours, October to March | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Hours, April to September | 10:00 to 21:00 |
| Closed | 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 25 December; 24 and 31 December it closes at 17:00 |
| Rules | Visitors leave the hall 10 minutes before closing. No lockers |
A winged lion at the entrance of the Palacio de Velázquez. Photo: Ronny Siegel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
What to see
Allow about two hours for the main sights.
- The Estanque Grande. The big pond, where rowing boats can be hired. The monument to Alfonso XII beside it has a viewpoint over the city.
- The Palacio de Velázquez, for a free exhibition.
- The Rosaleda, the rose garden, and the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens, which are classical in style with an Andalusian air.
- The Parterre Francés and the ahuehuete. The ahuehuete is said to date from 1630, and the story goes that Napoleon’s soldiers set a cannon in its branches. The oldest tree in the park is an olive of about 627 years, near the Puerta del Ángel Caído, dated to about 1396.
- The Fallen Angel (El Ángel Caído). A statue of the devil, which Tourism Madrid says is the only sculpture of its kind in the world.
- The Bosque del Recuerdo. A grove for the victims of the attacks in Madrid on 11 March 2004.
- The puppet theatre, the Teatro de Títeres, which has a regular weekend programme.
The Fallen Angel statue. Photo: Carlos Delgado, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
What to skip: the Palacio de Cristal, which is shut, and the monkey pit of the old Casa de Fieras, which is seen only on group visits arranged in advance.
A bike tour
From €29 · 2 hours · 100 reviews
Madrid: Magic Retiro Park Bike Tourad is run by Madrid Segway with a local guide, in English, French or Spanish, on a traditional or electric bike, in a group of up to 10. It starts at Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo 9, 15 minutes before the tour, and stops at the old Casa de Fieras, the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens, the Rosaleda, the Fallen Angel, the Bosque del Recuerdo, the Parterre, the Estanque and the Montaña de los Gatos. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Practical information
- Entrances: the park has 18 gates, and 14 are accessible.
- Bikes and boats: both can be hired in and around the park.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: a weather alert. Check the council’s account before you go in wind or heat.
The Prado has its Casón del Buen Retiro building beside the park, and the Reina Sofía runs the two palaces. Free things to do in Madrid lists the Retiro with the free museum windows, and what to book before you go to Madrid has the closed days for every sight.
Common questions
Is the Crystal Palace in the Retiro open?
No. The Palacio de Cristal has been closed since 2023 for renovation, and an art installation covers it. The Reina Sofía, which runs it, lists it as temporarily closed. The Palacio de Velázquez, in the same park, is open and free.
What are the Retiro's opening hours?
From October to March the park is open 6:00 to 22:00, and from April to September 6:00 to midnight. The city council can close parts of it under its weather alert protocol.
Is the Retiro free?
Yes, the park and the Palacio de Velázquez are free. The Palacio de Velázquez shows Fernando Sánchez Castillo's The Wayward Pearl until 8 March 2027.
What are the Palacio de Velázquez's hours?
From October to March 10:00 to 18:00, and from April to September 10:00 to 21:00. It is open every day except 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 25 December, and closes at 17:00 on 24 and 31 December.
How long do I need in the Retiro?
About two hours for the main sights. The park covers 125 hectares and has over 15,000 trees.
Can I hire a boat on the Retiro lake?
Yes, rowing boats can be hired on the Estanque Grande, the big pond with the monument to Alfonso XII.
Is the Retiro a World Heritage Site?
Yes. Since 25 July 2021 the Retiro and the Paseo del Prado have been a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, the Landscape of Light.
