Great Pond of El Retiro

Lovely and great value way to spend 45 minutes. A rowing boat costs from just €6 depending on the day. Our kids love it as much now as teenagers as they did when they were little.

Beautiful & expansive park in an equally beautiful part of Madrid. Free entrance to the public & easily accessible by public transportation. The pond has boats that you can rent & there may be a wait on weekends.

The Great Pond of El Retiro was one of my favorite spots in Madrid. Watching the rowboats glide across the water with the grand monument in the background felt like a scene from a movie. It’s peaceful, scenic, and full of charm — perfect for relaxing or just soaking in the beauty of the park.

A gorgeous place where you can spend great time with family and children. You can walk around, eat, relax, admire beautiful statue, rent a boat and use the lake to go around. Excelent place what you don't have to skip if you are in Madrid! Highly recomand it

Beautiful pond in the middle of the city. Big Fish can be seen swimming. Crowded and hard to find a table in the restaurants. There will be people playing instruments throughout so expect a bit of that.

One of the iconic sights of Madrid. Well worth a visit any time of the year but definitely at its best in spring. No matter whether you just want to enjoy the scenery or if you decide to take a ride in one the boats you are sure to enjoy this place.

A beautiful lake in the middle of a beautiful park. Has a cafe next to it. Boating options. Another good and popular spot for sunsets in Madrid.

Really nice lake in the middle of the park. It is much larger than I expected it to be and was quite the pleasant surprise to walk around. I did not rent a boat but I wish I had because it looked fun to paddle around. It was raining I was there but that still did not hamper my enjoyment. Park itself is great too so I would definitely visit if you go to Madrid.

Retiro Park is like the Central Park of Madrid. This gigantic park has it all. Large grassy areas for a picnic or long pathways to run or walk. A big lake in the center to rent a row boat and ride around or a crystal palace to swoon over. Retiro is big and it can be hard to see everything on foot. There are lots of available rental bikes to make your trip throughout the park even easier.

Beautiful park ! Lots of space for kids to run and play ! Plenty of cafes to grab coffee before and evening stroll! Came in winter and still is stunning

The park is in middle of Madrid and it's a very beautiful park to visit day or night. There is a nice lake in the middle of the park where you can rent a boat. Dogs are allowed in the park. It's free to enter the park.

On our 4 day stay in Madrid we were able to explore part of this beautiful park! It is massive and hard to see all of its glory in a one stop visit since we had many things to tour on our trip! Everywhere you look is pure beauty and at any time of the day you can find people picnicking, bike riding, running, reading, or just hanging out enjoying the scenery. There are tons of birds and squirrels around too. Overall I loved this park and I truly believe it is one of Madrids greatest gems in the city! I will definitely go back next time I am in the city of Madrid!

El Parque del Buen Retiro translates in English to "park of the pleasant retreat" and I couldn't agree more. Yes, it was pleasant. Yes, it was a retreat from the city. Check and check. This was one of my favorite things that we saw in Spain. On a sunny, warm day what could be better than a leisurely stroll in a beautiful park? Our main objective in visiting was to go see the Crystal Palace but I enjoyed walking around the gardens and the lake just as much. On the park grounds, there is a cafe, a contemporary art museum, a library and various health clubs and cultural centers. The park is also close to the Prado Museum and other attractions. Although this park is not as big as our famous Central Park in New York I enjoyed it more! The history and the gardens and the walkways were all just stunning. There are people who rent a boat to take them around the lake, but I enjoyed everything just as much from dry land. A must-see when visiting Madrid. After the fast-paced city experiences this is a breath of fresh air. Note: The 'Retiro' stop on the subway will get you here on the North side of the park. The 'Estación del Arte' stop is on the South side if you're wanting to go to the Reina Sofia and the park.

Serene green scene with the gardens and fountains! I walked some miles through this picturesque, massive garden and park! I got my steps in for the day, surely and it was an absolute pleasure to delve into this surrounding all afternoon! There were plenty of different scenes to take in. Breathing it all in. "The mind is a treasure box to keep love, sweet memories and happiness in."

It's free It's beautiful It's not crowded. The Crystal Palace is close currently but you can check it out. People are just hanging around and just take pictures. There's places you can sit down eat or just grab a drink.

Awesome place for a bike ride, walk, jog/run and ppl watch. I don't know how large it is in terms of feet but it looks huge. I didn't get to roam the whole park since that would take forever but with the leaves changing it felt like fall. It was crowded but not as bad as primetime summer season. Definitely put it on that to-do list.

I didn't spend as much time here as I would have liked to. It is a beautiful and very large park (about half the size of New York's Central Park) in the center of Madrid literally across the street from my hotel. Easily accessible from Estación de Retiro. The large pond in the center has floats and boats for rent. Lots of long tree-lined avenues. The monument to King Alfonso XII is spectacular. One afternoon as I was passing through, there seemed to be some peaceful demonstration going on. No idea what they were protesting but it looked like an interesting time.

Estanque means "pond" in English, and boy is there a huge one in Retiro, Madrid's massive public park. You can rent a little paddle boat here for a couple Euros and spend an hour floating around the pond, soaking in the great weather. I recommend wandering around the park as well to see the Crystal Palace as well. The area around the pond is definitely the most touristy, with people trying to sell you things in every direction, however definitely come here at least once and enjoy the view!

Wished we had more time and energy exploring this huge park in various seasons. Mid-May around noon was a little bit too hot! Many people sunbathing on the lawn, reading, conversing with group of friends, families enjoyed get-together..... what a wonderful place for everyone to enjoy!

One of my favorite parks in the entire world! Think of it as the Central Park of Madrid. There is a giant lake where you can rent a boat to paddle around, you can lounge in one of the many green areas and have a picnic, explore the two art collections (my favorite being in the Crystal Palace), or simply walk around the gardens to find some peace and quiet. You can also run the perimeter of the park and that'll equal about 2.5 miles depending on the exact pathways you take. There are a couple of cafes surrounding the lake to grab a bite or drink and there you'll usually find performers of all sorts. I would definitely recommend going the picnic route, however. You really can't beat a fresh baguette, cheese, grapes, jamon and some wine in Parque del Retiro!

Built in the 1600s as the King's private park. Opened to the public in the early-mid 1800s. What an amazing park. It's huge, it's beautiful, it's lush, it's green, it has some of the most amazing statues and fountains and lakes and so on. Grab some ice cream and stroll, or hell grab some bocadillo's and some Mahou and a spot on the luscious grass and people watch. You'll hear children laughing, lovers smooching and musicians playing their music for themselves and for you (tip 'em, yo!). I only spent about an hour or two, but I definitely could have spent all day wondering through this massive green space. Take me back any day of the week.

My favorite park I visited while in Spain! This oasis in the concrete jungle was beautiful and peaceful. My favorite? The lake! For 4 euros, you can rent a rowboat for 45 minutes to take out onto the lake - a very relaxing activity after a day of sightseeing and walking around. There are also vendors and performers throughout the park for treats and entertainment.

This park is awesome. there are snack places all around.. you can rent a row boat to watch the sunset.. you can walk through the beautiful park for a couple of hours. its huge and its very close to a lot of city life when you are ready to leave the park. def check it out if you are in madrid.

First spied the park when we were in our taxi on the way to our hotel and it immediately reminded me of Central Park in NYC. It turns out that the Parque is Madrid's version and everyone who visits the city should come here. We happened to be here on Good Friday which is a holiday and everyone was out and about enjoying the fabulous weather. There are nicely groomed paths to walk or run on, a lake where you can rent a boat (the line was super long), gardens galore, sculptures, plus the Palace de Cristal. Walk around and see it all or set yourself down on a bench or piece of grassy lawn and enjoy the scenery: the people watching is top-notch.

One of my favorite spots in Madrid. It was our first day in Madrid and we decided to check out this park. It's pretty big, and there are a lot of people. Not so much that you don't have room to breathe, but enough so that you don't feel isolated. There are a lot of little gardens if you feel like being alone, and plenty of areas to sit or walk around. Fountains, sculptures, and the like. A few "palaces" based off of contemporary art concepts (which I didn't really understand, but the Crystal Palace looked pretty neat). There is also a lake in the middle and you can rent a rowboat for 45 minutes. Do it! It's a little small and crowded, but if you find a spot off the side, you can just lie there and soak up the sun. So relaxing! :)

Gayle and I had arrived in Madrid on a late Monday Afternoon. After checking into our Hotel and hanging out at the Plaza Mayor, taking a long walk sounded like a great idea. The October weather was glorious and nothing beats jet lag like being out there for as long as possible. Parque del Buen Retiro was once the private domain of Royalty, but has been a favourite of us commoners since Charles III decided to share it with his subjects in the late 18th Century. It's a wonderful 300 acre green-and-breezy escape from the City. We particularly enjoyed hanging out by the big Lake, people watching, and walking down and around the many paths throughout. What a nice way to ease into the Big Ciudad!

Beautiful park to stroll though, rent a segway, rent a boat, feed the ducks, buy fake purses from the hockers selling fake LV's there, lol, and picnic with your family. There's plenty to do. I loved that the landscaping is so perfect and clean everywhere you go. We spent a good 2.5 hours here because it was so nice. There are vendors around the park that sells food and drinks too.

Simply a beautiful park . . . Expansive and well designed, plenty of pathways, boulevards, lakes, and cafés. On this gorgeous Sunday in May, the park was well attended, but you could find peace and quiet (and plenty of shade) in dozens a of side paths and gardens. Just a nice way to spend an afternoon admiring the scenery and watching the locals enjoy life--fine day at a beautiful park. Cheers! RS

A must visit while in Madrid. We spent a full day here. Beautiful park and gardens with meandering paths, playgrounds, fountains, statues, paddle boats, vendors and more. The park is full of locals as well as tourists. Plenty of shade trees and benches to avoid the sun and vendors selling cold water and ice cream. Easy access on the Las Rosa Metro Retiro stop.

Came for the row boat ride here, which was very nice. The park is large and this is a large green space to enjoy in Madrid. You can walk around, ride a bicycle, run, picnic, play, or just hang out and enjoy the space. It's important to have a park for the people of Madrid to relax in and escape the urban hustle and bustle of the capital of Spain. Would highly recommend a visit here to escape Madrid!

This park is like a fairytale.... Great for families, friends and couples! It's beautiful especially in the autumn. It's a very large park so I would make sure to give yourself ample time to enjoy it. It also has an adorable pond where you could ride little paddle boats. Came here with my boyfriend! It was amazing.... Then again excuse me for being biased on the park as he did chose it to propose! Enjoy!

SUMMARY: perfect way to spend a couple hours on a sunny day. A "must visit" for tourists in Madrid. This sprawling, lush park in the middle of the city is located close to the Prado museum and conveniently has a RETIRO (line 2) metro station nearby. Highly recommended. Activities: running, rowboat on man-made lake, visit glass house, art gallery (free), playground for children, bike riding, lots of greenspace to either lie down and relax, or play football. Amenities: washroom, coffee and snack vendors. Getting here: closest metro station is line 2 "Retiro".

This park is breathtaking. Walking through the park allows you to be surrounded by its beauty. In the park there is a small body of water where you can rent paddle boats for extremely cheap. It was extremely beautiful and relaxing

My partner and I just visited the the Palacio de Cibeles, decided to have a walk around. And we found this amazing park/garden. Parque de El Retiro, this place was so huge, I called it the centre park in Madrid. The park was already full of green in April, Which it was really nice to see it after the long winter back in Berlin. We walked along this manmade lake in the middle the place. We just saw this amazing Monument Alfonso XII, it simply made the park even more brilliant. And a bit further it was the Palacio de Velázquez, I love the architecute style of this place. It happened to be visiting hour, We went in and had a look around. There were an exhibition There, it was quite nice. And the no admission fee. After Palacio de Velázquez we were keep walking, couple minutes later. We reached the famous Palacio de Cristal. A lovely glass building. I thought it would be a garden inside. Since it looked really much like a botanic garden. But it was empty insides, literary got nothing beside the wc at the lower floor. Well, I did like the style. There was also a small pond in front of the building and some animals. There were a black swan couple there. It was really beautiful and romantic. At the end, we both enjoyed our time here. It was really refreshing to walk around this place. This is simply one of my favourite places in Madrid.

What a beautiful park!! It's like Central Park in Madrid. Kayaking, picnicking, exercising, dog running - it's got it all! Fantastic architecture and landscaping everywhere. Plenty of spots in both the sun and shade. The policemen on horseback even stopped to smile and pose as I was taking a photo of them, even though I didn't ask them to, ha. How nice!

Best of the best! This was the No. 1 attraction I wanted to see while I was in Madrid. I'm so glad I made it here, and spent the morning wandering the paths. This park is stunning. Beautifully designed, it really reminded me of Lazienki Park in Warsaw. The large lake, with lover rowing across it. The musicians pan-handling for money. The meticulously sculpted trees. A rose garden (being prepared in early spring - I'm sure it's amazing come May). The glass house. Really - it was simply stunning. I loved people watching. A man practicing tai-chi. A group of older people exercising together. Tourists and natives alike. Despite my love for the park, and the 5 star rating, I'd like to issue a warning. I was alone in the park (though not truly alone given the number of others there), and I was approached by a man. He claimed to be from the carribbean, but his accent led me to believe otherwise. He tried to chat me up about squirrels. I'm not sure if you can feed the squrrels here from your hand (I know you can at Lazienki), but I never saw a squirrel while I was there (over the course of 2.5 hours). The man then tried to pry me for information about where I was from, how long I was in Madrid, and then he invited me to have tea with him (his treat). I politely declined, because my father taught me better. The weirdest thing was that while this was all happening, two uniformed men (I'm not sure if they were security/police/park employees) approached and stopped at the end of the foot bridge I was standing on while this man talked to me. My sensors alerted me that this was not normal, and I said goodbye, and the man departed. I headed in the opposite direction after he'd left. I don't know what was the meaning of this interaction. Perhaps it was all innocent. Maybe he wanted to kidnap me. Maybe he thought I'd buy some drugs. Who knows? And what was with the uniformed men? Were they on to him - keeping an eye on him? Or were they in cahoots. Again, I don't know. But this is warning to be aware while you travel abroad - man or woman - it doesn't matter.

Beautiful park to spend time in. You can rent boats on the little lake for 8 euro for 45 minutes. Or you can just walk around and enjoy the scenery. Don't forget to stop in a see the Crystal Palace for some beautiful photos. Lots of shaded areas to enjoy a picnic. Felt very safe there with a lot of police on horseback patrolling the park. Lots of food vendors in the park and plenty of places to buy drinks and ice cream.

El Parque Retiro is gorgeous (and enormous). If you're exploring it for the first time, make sure you have comfortable footwear and snacks. We picked up some Serrano ham, some fresh bread, some cold beer, and had a fantastic little picnic. It was incredibly relaxing after a morning of exploring the Prado.

I love nature, and I especially love Parks! Parque Del Retiro is an oasis of green in one of the busiest cities in Europe. This park is a great place for relaxation, running, picnics and even events.It's massive, varied, full of life and soul, and the best place to reflect and rejuvenate. It's a treasure, and it's essential to the character of Madrid. Totally worth the visit!

Foliage... Foliage everywhere!! El Parque Del Retiro is absolutely beautiful! Once owned my the Spanish Monarchy, this park boasts beautiful gardens, two palaces (Crystal Palace being my favorite), street vendors and performers and a grand lake in front of Monument Alfonzo the VII where you can take a romantic paddle boat ride. Think of it as the Central Park of Madrid except quieter. Grab some jamon serano or montaditos with una jarra de sangria and it makes great place to retreat for picnic with your better half and/or friends. Go during the week for less of a crowd since this park is a destination for both locals and tourists! We had easy access to el Parque del Retiro from both our hotel and our hop on/hop off tour and is definitely a Madrid must see!

Beautiful and spacious park in Madrid. My friends and I rented a boat for 8 euros and had a blast rowing around the lake. Highly recommend checking it out.

Wow is all I have to say after walking through this park. I mean, this really sets the standard of what a public tourist attraction should look and feel like. It sets the standard for public facilities, period. The park has many different sections. Each consists of something different that offers visitors plenty to look forward to. There's photographers taking semi professional photos, live Spanish music, a pond where people can canoe, an outside food and drink cafe, and endless beautiful trees and fields that lead to statues and historical monuments. I spent a few hours really exploring the park and appreciating how much care goes into this place. It's absolutely spotless and there are people from all walks of life and every nationality just walking/around and enjoying the atmosphere. This place makes Central Park look like a garbage dump. This is definitely a must see attraction in Madrid. In the warmer months, it's one of best outside activities to do. Highly recommended!

Clearly this is Madrid's answer to New York City's Central Park. The place is crawling with people, vendors of treats and drinks, photographers, African street vendors Hawking imitation high end bags, and more. Fountains, statues, flora and fauna, lots of shade and the Crystal Palace at the center and other buildings and spots. You can rent little row boats--which plenty of people were doing. If you are a verse to walking far, this is not a place for you. It would be really fun to ride bikes through this park and there is plenty of space to do so. Seemed like a big concourse of sorts along the outskirts, where we saw cyclists and power walkers.

My first international trip...as a stupid high-school teenager. Which translates to: we don't appreciate anything, but we get to run around a foreign city without parental supervision! But, instead of drinking all that I could, I'm pleased to say I have an actual, clear memory of my wonderful time here. After barely paying attention in Spanish class, we had a crash course before we travelled over. I was really looking forward to this for some reason; it was the one thing that really had my attention during class. Since we were a smaller group, we were allowed to do more during out short time here. After traveling to Toledo and Seville, we had one day off where we could do as we pleased. Parque del Retiro was first on our agenda. As most tourists-and hopefully some locals do-we rented a rowboat to sail around the Alfonso XII Monument. I have photos on film somewhere and hope to upload them here. We met some fellow Americans who of course attempted to tip us over, thankfully not succeeding. Strangely, I remember the public restrooms nearby having no toilet paper and we were charged .15 cents for a few squares this random person was doling out. This is when I learned to carry napkins/tissues with me on every foreign trip I've taken since. I'm sure today it will be overrun with people walking into you too busy on their iPhones to be paying attention to their surroundings, but if you find yourself here one day, put away the damn phone for just a few minutes or more to appreciate the beautiful surroundings of one of the best places Madrid has to offer.

This is a great park in the middle of Madrid. It makes a great break from sightseeing. It is large with lots of statues, trails and seating. There are several different areas. From plantings to my favorite area a small lake with a nice structure, the glass building is cool to. The lake has several perminant venders around it selling ice cream etc. You can rent a boat to take out. Or you can just find a seat and people watch. You can also listen to Vario's musicians. The park is popular with locals running, walking chatting etc.

I am not really a park person. However, this is a very beautiful park and definitely the "Central Park" of Madrid, if you will. For centuries, Madrilenos have been coming here to take a break, have a siesta, enjoy lunch or play with family and friends. It is a huge park! You may get lost. However, you are not that far away from civilization even if you think all hope is gone as what happened with me. It is peaceful at times and quite active at others. I'm glad I walked through it at least to say I've been here. Again, not my favorite place in Madrid since I'm not into parks but maybe it is worth a visit if you've run out of other things to do in this gorgeous city.

I don't know how you can give this place less than 5 stars. Hubby and I were strolling through Parque Retiro and stumbled upon Estanque without knowing about it. What a beauty!! I was so in love. Big pond with a monument in the middle. People row boating in the pond. Cafes just steps away. Ice cream and candy stands steps away! What else do you need? This was definitely one of my favorite parts of Madrid. Wish we had enough time to get in one of the rowboats. Next time!

I love love love this park. New Yorkers, please don't be mad at me but I dare say it is better than Central Park in NYC. The stone sculptures all over, the level of physical activity and gathering that occur weekend and weekday alike, the food options and vendors offering up stuff aside from hotdogs and pretzels (sorry again for the comparrisons). Everyone here looks so relaxed and happy. The landscaping is impeccable and on a nice day, being here will make you smile, plain and simple.

A beautiful park! It kind of reminds me of Central Park in New York. It's not just a park but a place with tons of things here. There's even a lake for you to rent row boats. There are street performers, people selling bootleg purses, vendors selling snacks and ice cream. There is a rose garden here and lots of people biking and running around. It's a nice place to walk around. And don't worry there's bathrooms here too.

MUST VISIT! This place probably doesn't even need any more perfect reviews, but you must go here if you are visiting Spain. I'm from NYC, and this place makes Central Park look like crap. When I think of a perfect park, this is what it should look like. Not to sound poetic, but it really was heavenly. You can catch the sunset here by the pond and have pizza from one of the cafes. The pizza was phenomenal! I ended up going back here a few times during my trip. It's absolutely breathtaking, romantic and relaxing. Instant happiness :)

This park is BEAUTIFUL!!!! There's pretty statues, a nice walkway, you can boat along the water, etc. Awwwww. Just strolling along this place is fun!! You'll also see dressed up characters like you do in Times Square, haha (we saw a Transformers guy, as well as Mickey Mouse).

Beautiful park in Madrid. We stumbled upon Parque del Retiro while waiting for the "free" hours to being at Museo del Prado. There are so many sections to this park, if you walk for 5 minutes, you enter a whole 'nother world. Once we entered the park, we were right next to the athletic courts. I'm not sure if you have to pay to enter, but it looked like many people were playing futbol there. As we continued into the park, we passed by a section that had these huge trees that looked like broccoli. There were a number of fountains and flower beds in this open courtyard area as well. We continued to stroll through the park and came across the lake right in the middle. I really wanted to row a boat on the lake, so we headed in that direction. On our way, we passed by these different street vendors selling all types of goodies. Although there was a long line for the row boats, it went really quickly. The total cost per boat not per person, from what I remember, was about 4 euros. My friend claimed she knew how to row a boat, and since I was tired, I sat back and decided to let her take over. We ended up circling in the dock for about 10 minutes while the dock hands were laughing at us. I think the boat paddles were too heavy for my friend so I got a hold of the right one while she was in charge of the left one and off we went! Since there are so many boats in the lake, make sure to watch out or you may end up bumping into another boat. The weather was so warm and nice, and the lake was so peaceful. We enjoyed our 45 minute row around the lake. Next time, I will go with maybe some snacks or something to enjoy while rowing around the lake. We also spoke with a bunch of locals basking in the sun around the lake. This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip in Madrid.

A huge park in Madrid and absolutely worth going to. Whether you want to walk around and see the entire thing, or relax in the warm weather and look at the beautiful flowers and architecture, it has something for you. We loved the architecture and couldn't get enough of the primary structure next to the water with all of the columns. Definitely worth going and checking out.

A lovely Sunday stroll with locals. Watch people paddle the blue row boats on the man made lake. It's beautiful and huge and great to change things up after walking the narrow, crowded streets. Different beautiful.

El Retiro is indeed a nice retreat from the city. I especially liked the Estanque area - (artificial pond), and the delightful Rosaleda rose garden. You can meet some nice people here to practice your Spanish. Many of my colleagues, who are locals, joked about what goes on at Retiro, and said that this isn't the place to strike a conversation with a stranger, but overall, a nice haven, and enough people around.

What a beautiful way to spend an afternoon in Madrid. So large, a small lake, areas for young children, young lovers, elderly. Spots of sun, areas of shade. Cafes. Lovely! Not to be missed.

One of my favorite urban parks in the whole world. Spain royalties former private retreat has been turned into an oasis in the middle of this beautiful city.