Parks · Our pick in Madrid
El Retiro
UNESCO World Heritage
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout El Retiro
El Retiro’s main gate is on the Plaza de la Independencia. Its Palacio de Cristal is a glass pavilion built in 1887 (esmadrid.com), and the park is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences” (2021).
Why it's on our list
- The lake
- Palacio de Cristal
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with El Retiro before you go.
Hotels nearby
The closest hotels in our guide to El Retiro, as the crow flies.
- Wellington Hotel & Spa800 m10 min walk
- Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid800 m10 min walk
- Hotel Villa Real1.2 km15 min walk
- Gran Hotel Inglés1.4 km18 min walk
- Four Seasons Hotel Madrid1.5 km18 min walk
What’s nearby
Distances from El Retiro are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest metro stations
- IbizaL9600 m7 min walk
- RetiroL2650 m8 min walk
- Príncipe de VergaraL2L9900 m11 min walk
Key sights
- Museo del Prado750 mWalk 9 minCycle 3 minCar or taxi 6 min
- Thyssen-Bornemisza1.0 kmWalk 12 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Museo Reina Sofía1.2 kmWalk 15 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Puerta del Sol1.8 kmWalk 22 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Plaza Mayor2.0 kmWalk 25 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Royal Palace2.6 kmWalk 32 minCycle 10 minCar or taxi 11 min
- Templo de Debod3.1 kmWalk 38 minCycle 12 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Santiago Bernabéu4.3 kmCycle 17 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Madrid-Barajas Airport13 kmCar or taxi 39 min
Main railway stations
- Madrid Puerta de Atocha1.0 kmWalk 12 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 7 min
- Sol (Cercanías)1.7 kmWalk 21 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Príncipe Pío3.1 kmWalk 39 minCycle 12 minCar or taxi 13 min
- Nuevos Ministerios (Cercanías)3.5 kmWalk 44 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 14 min
- Madrid Chamartín6.6 kmCycle 26 minCar or taxi 22 min