As you’re probably aware by now, I love exploring parks in the cities I visit. Madrid’s Parque del Buen Retiro was therefore pretty high on my list of sites to visit and, as per usual, I scheduled myself a whole day to wander through the park.
El Retiro not only has the usual trees, ponds and streams, but it also features formal gardens, galleries, and even a glass palace. The park was originally created as a retreat for the Spanish royal family, but became public in the late 19th century. In fact, the name even translates to ‘Park of the Pleasant Retreat’.
That is exactly how I would describe Retiro Park: a green retreat in the middle of the city. With this list of highlights, it’s easy to spend a day seeing the best of El Retiro.
Palacio de Cristal
(AKA the Glass Palace)
To begin with, Retiro Park’s Palacio de Cristal was something I was very excited to see. Built in the late 1800s, the pavilion design was based on SE London’s Crystal Palace. The palace is a conservatory made almost entirely of glass, with a glass dome perched on top of the cross-shaped structure. Its reflection shimmering in the pond next to it, the palace’s grand appearance definitely lived up to my expectations.
Once used as a conservatory for tropical plants (which must have been amazing!), it now displays art exhibitions. Sadly they were installing a new exhibit when I visited, so I wasn’t able to go inside. However, there was so much to admire about the building’s exterior that I spent ages here, photographing the palace from every angle.
Because it’s made primarily of glass, I was also able to peek inside. The sun was still quite low and it shone through the trees, reflecting off the many panes of glass and casting dancing lights on the palace floor.
Palacio de Velázquez
Standing near the Glass Palace, the Palacio de Velázquez is another pavilion that houses temporary exhibitions.
Though Retiro Park already has one glass palace, the Palacio de Velázquez also has ceilings of high, vaulted glass. Like the Palacio de Cristal, it takes design inspiration from London’s Crystal Palace and Kew Gardens.
Confession: I didn’t actually go inside, but I’ve heard good things. If the building’s fancy two-toned brick and ceramic exterior is anything to go by, the exhibitions inside are sure to be excellent. I bet it’s even more beautiful for being lit by the natural sunlight that filters through the glass overhead.
Fuente del Ángel Caído
(AKA Fountain of the Fallen Angel)
Rumoured to be the only public monument in the world dedicated to the Devil, this fountain is definitely a USP of Retiro Park!
The bronze statue depicts Lucifer being cast out of heaven, inspired by verses from Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’. It sits on a pedestal decorated with other demons and reptiles, water spouting from their eerily sharp-toothed mouths.
I couldn’t get too close to the fountain, as it’s surrounded by a bed of colourful flowers. Instead I admired its details from afar. To be honest, I was expecting a horned demon to be sitting on top of the marble pillar. I felt a bit bad for floppy-haired Lucifer, his limbs bound and tangled in snakes. Well, I guess you reap what you sow Lucifer.
Alfonso XII Monument
King Alfonso XII reigned in Spain from 1874 to 1885. Though his rule was short, he was very well liked and basically did a good job at being king. El Retiro’s monument to him is one of the largest structures in the park and it cannot be missed.
King Alfonso is depicted in bronze on top a 30m high column. Statues representing peace, liberty and progress surround the king, while semi-circle of enormous, grand pillars frame the statue. As if this wasn’t impressive enough, steps flanked by giant stone lions lead straight down to the lake, which, unbelievably, is also part of the monument.
I was lucky that I arrived at the monument just after the park opened and I could admire the monument alone. The Estanque Grande del Retiro (AKA the Great Lake) stretched out undisturbed with King Alfonso’s reflection in the still water.
Jardines de la Rosleda
La Rosaleda is a rose garden, and one of Retiro Park’s more formal, gated gardens. It was designed in 1915 in an attempt to bring more elegance to el Retiro. I’m going to go out on a limb and say they succeeded.
The entire garden is symmetrical (which automatically brings elegance to a garden in my eyes!). It’s shaped in an oval, with low hedges marking out concentric patterns on the ground. Arched lattices, or pergolas, decorate the garden, with creeping plants woven through them.
Being so early in spring, sadly many of the plants were not yet fully in bloom. However, as I threaded my way through the garden, I did manage to find a few roses scattered around. I can hardly imagine how colourful the garden would be later in spring when in full bloom.
Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez
I made my way into this walled garden, excited to find some shade after the open rose garden. Stretched around the garden’s walls were were terraced walkways, supported by columns adorned with vines. They gave the garden a very grand appearance and, more appealingly, the walkways were dappled with shade.
As I headed for a bench hidden from the sun, I jumped with surprise as I was confronted by a peacock! Looking closer I saw that the garden was full of them, strutting around with no regard for the people ambling through their home. Most of them had tails nearly a metre long, rich with green and turquoise feathers.
From my seat surrounded by vines, I had a great view of the peacocks without disturbing them. I even watched as a peacock fanned its tail feathers a couple of metres from me. I’d forgotten how beautiful and impressive this was to witness.
Jardín del Parterre
I nearly walked past this parterre garden without exploring as I made my way out of the park. However, the neatly clipped hedges caught my eye and I couldn’t resist heading into their midst.
Created in the 1700s by King Felipe V, the Parterre is based on a French-style garden. Much like La Rosaleda and the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens, the neat hedges and symmetry made me feel very chilled and relaxed, despite it being right next to the main road.
My favourite part of the Parterre, without a doubt, was the incredible and apparently rare Cypress trees. I have NEVER seen a tree that looks like this before, and I burst out laughing as I stared at them. See the picture below for how bizarre and cool they are! They look like a cartoon, or a vegetable, or a piece of modern art.
After staring at these trees with glee, I headed to the top of the garden. From the balcony I could appreciate the perfect symmetry of the tall hedges and flowerbeds. To accompany the sound of gushing water from the fountain below, a street artist nearby was playing the accordion. It added to the French feel and made the atmosphere even more relaxing.
I don’t know why I’m still surprised every time I enjoy exploring a park in a new city. I’m definitely a city lover, but what’s a city without a good park to escape into?
Madrid’s Retiro Park certainly lives up to the promise of a “retreat”, and that leisurely atmosphere was what I loved about it. Hopefully, with this guide you can enjoy a retreat into El Retiro as much as I did.
Read more about what to get up to in Madrid with this 3-day itinerary, perfect for a city break to explore the rest of Madrid: Three Days in Madrid
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