Retiro Park
Retiro Park is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Madrid audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~120 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type park
- Suggested visit ~120 min
- Madrid Madrid guide
About Retiro Park
Madrid's beloved 125-hectare central park, featuring a rowing lake, the Crystal Palace, the Monument to Alfonso XII, and the world's only public statue of the Devil, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021.
The Parque del Retiro is the great green lung of central Madrid, stretching for 125 hectares just east of the Prado Museum. Originally the private retreat (retiro) of the Spanish royal family in the 17th century, it was opened to the public in 1868 following the Glorious Revolution. The park features a large artificial lake, the Estanque Grande, where rowboats can be hired on weekends; the magnificent neoclassical monument to King Alfonso XII rising from the water's edge; the exquisite iron-and-glass Crystal Palace built for an 1887 colonial exhibition; the Rose Garden (La Rosaleda) with thousands of varieties; and the extraordinary statue of El Ángel Caído, the Fallen Angel, representing Lucifer's expulsion from heaven, one of only a handful of public devil statues in the world. The entire park and Paseo del Prado were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.
Did you know? El Ángel Caído, the Fallen Angel (Lucifer) statue in the park, is situated at exactly 666 metres above sea level.
How long should you spend at Retiro Park?
Plan about ~120 min at Retiro Park. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Retiro Park worth visiting?
Retiro Park is one of the 45 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Madrid, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Madrid
Hear the story of Retiro Park
Preview the Madrid tour free in the Gingerguide app.