El Parque de Retiro or El Retiro park was a beautiful and large park. This was Madrid’s version of New York’s Central Park. We went there on a Sunday afternoon when most of the Madrilènos and their families were also spending a day at the park. The weather was surprisingly warm, in the mid-70’s, in the middle of October.
We entered the park through the Alcala gates coming from the street where the Communication Palace was. There was a playground with slides near the entrance with benches around it for parents to watch the kids. We made a quick stop to let the kids play and burn that extra energy from lunch.
Some of the leaves were just beginning to change colors and made for a wonderful scenery. A quick photo op by the sculpture that looked like an alien was a highlight for my 4-year-old son. There were a lot of people here but it wasn’t too difficult to find open benches and spots.
At the center of the park was Buon Retiro Lake (an artificial one) with the semi-circle monument dedicated to King Alfonso with some animal statues surrounding the monument. Rowboats were available for rent for 2 Euros per hour to row around the lake.
Unfortunately, the tourists and locals had rented all of them by the time we got there in the afternoon and we didn’t feel like waiting around for one. Plus, my husband wasn’t too keen on rowing us around while still a bit jet lagged with an active 4 year old boy who would definitely stick his hand in the water.
There were also various entertainers on the sidewalks of the main walkway at the park as well as vendors selling food and trinkets. We took a rest stop on a little side area by the lake with benches. Some people were having picnics in the grassy areas or just had blankets and were soaking up the sun.
My husband probably found the environment too inviting because he decided to take a siesta on one of the benches for almost an hour. Surprisingly, the kids didn’t want to take a nap and were interested in the different birds and started collecting rocks and leaves around the area. It was fascinating to people watch and there was a Flamenco dancer nearby entertaining a growing crowd.
Our last detour through the park was to the Cristal Palace. This was a structure made of glass built to house the tropical plants and orchids they had brought from the Philippines. With the afternoon sun hitting it at different angles, it was simply stunning. The surrounding area was pretty popular with a lot of picnickers.
There was a little lake in the front with a small waterfall on one side and a fountain of water sprouting in the middle. It was enclosed with a short railing. My kids spotted quite a few ducks and turtles on the way to the Cristal Palace and joined the other kids in watching the animals. It doesn’t take much to keep them occupied. Many people were resting on the steps of the Cristal Palace. Unfortunately, it was closed at the time we were there and the building was empty.
Walking out of the park on a side entrance from the Apricot fountain on the way to the Prado Museum, we passed by a park with a lot of benches and unique manicured trees. Our kids had fun with what they dubbed as “umbrella trees” and picked their favorite ones.
These were little trees shaped like shaded domes. It was a great place to relax and the grassy area was perfect for the kids to run around and play. El Retiro was a wonderful way to spend part of the day and this beautiful, expansive park was a great and free family-friendly attraction in Madrid.
Visiting El Parque de Retiro with kids Tips:
● Be sure to use the restrooms before entering the park. I don’t remember seeing any public restrooms around there. We were lucky to have passed a bakery and used their restroom before entering the gate.
● Buy some snacks and drinks and have a little picnic in the grassy area. There were also plenty of food vendors within the park.
● Encourage the kids to take their shoes off and run around the grassy area.
● Try to come early, if coming on the weekends, to have a better chance of getting a row boat. It looked like a great family bonding moment on the lake.
● Take your time and enjoy the park, admire the fountains, sit on the many benches and people watch
Address: Alfonso XII , 14 28014 Madrid Metro: Retiro
Don’t want to overwhelm you with comments, but I just wanted to tell you that I’m pinning this post to my Madrid board, because I’d like to link to it from my post about Madrid (when I finally get to it :) )