El Retiro Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. It is an exceptional natural urban place with a great number of unique trees, such as the yew found at the Velázquez Palace, the bald cypress at the Glass Palace or the Ahuehuete in the Parterre Garden (aged to be about 400 years old and considered to be one of the oldest trees existing today in Madrid). Walking in these green lungs full of places of interest is a real pleasure.

Thanks to the numerous paths that make up El Retiro Park, one can go on all types of routes, each different from the previous one. Even on the shortest routes, it is still possible to enjoy its grandeur. Some of the must-see places are the Glass Palace and the Velázquez Palace (both from the 19th century) as well as The Retiro Park Lake. In this lake, presided over by Alfonso XII, you can do various activities, such as hire row boats.

If you are in Madrid at the Atocha station near El Retiro with only a few hours to spare, a good option is to go for a walk in the park and visit the Puerta de Alcalá, the Cibeles and Neptune Fountains and see the exterior of the Prado Museum. The closest entrance to the park from Atocha Station is Puerta of the Fallen Angel, which is located near the “Rosaleda”, where you can enjoy the marvelous fragrance of its roses (highly recommended to visit from May to June).

Not only is El Retiro an ideal place for calm walks, it is also great for having picnics, reading or simply relaxing on a bench or the grass. If you are planning a day trip to visit Madrid on foot, this park could be the best place to enjoy a relaxing moment. Besides El Retiro, the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor and the Gran Vía are other emblematic spots in Madrid.

Do you like to run? El Retiro is one of the locals’ and tourists’ hot spots for walking as well as running. You can go on routes with the kilometers you are interested in depending on the laps you complete around the park or uncountable paths to follow within the park. In it, you will find multiple fountains for drinking and others that are purely ornamental, such as the Fallen Angel Fountain. Running in El Retiro is the perfect plan for sunrise or sunset.