Private tour in Madrid
The Buen Retiro Park

The Parque del Buen Retiro (Buen Retiro Park) or Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park) is one of Spain’s most famous urban parks, which you can explore with Naturanda.

This historic garden and public park is one of the city’s major tourist attractions. Inside, visitors can admire architectural, sculptural and landscape features dating from the 17th to the 21st centuries.

Of these monuments, those that deserve special attention are the one dedicated to Alfonso XII, the Crystal Palace, the Great Pond, the Parterre, the Gate of Philip IV, the Royal Astronomical Observatory and the Artichoke Fountain. We will also pay special attention to the chapels of San Pelayo and San Isidoro, both of which date from the Romanesque period.

Our guide will show you how it began to be used as an urban park in 1767, when Charles III agreed to its use for recreational activities, and in 1868 it was taken over by Madrid City Council. During the French invasion, much of the original layout was destroyed, but traces of the 17th and 18th centuries remain.

The Retiro Park covers a total of 118 hectares, with a perimeter of 4.5 km. It is bordered to the north by Alcalá and O’Donnell streets, to the south by Poeta Esteban Villegas street, to the west by Alfonso XII street, and to the east by Menéndez Pelayo avenue.