What would be the best activities in Madrid for travelers? We are going to offer you something original. Whenever you travel, one of the best experiences is to visit those parks that function as the lungs of the big cities. In the case of Madrid, the most outstanding is El Retiro Park , one of the favorite places of the people of Madrid to walk, play sports or simply lie down on the grass to sunbathe when the weather is good. The Retiro Park is a paradise in the center of Madrid with 125 hectares and more than 15,000 trees. It is the best place to forget about the cars, the rush and the noise of the city. It is a place that fills you with tranquility and good feelings. And you always see, even in bad weather, people running, cycling or skating, some of the most common activities in Madrid, both for travelers and locals.

 

Inside the park there are different gardens, monuments, fountains… We especially love the Artichoke fountain, the Galapagos fountain and the Fallen Angel fountain. Near the latter you will find one of the most beautiful corners of the park, the Rosaleda del Retiro. The central axis of the park is the pond , where you can rent a rowboat and have a good time, especially if you go with children. This will be one of the activities in Madrid that will leave you with the best taste in your mouth, in addition to the musicals. In addition, bordering the pond there are usually shows for the little ones such as puppet and puppet theaters. Next to the pond there is also the characteristic monument to Alfonso XII , always full of people chatting or playing music. Very close to the pond is the Velázquez Palace building and a little further on, the Crystal Palace, built at the end of the 19th century and one of the best examples of iron architecture in Spain. The two palaces are headquarters of the Reina Sofía museum, so they usually have exhibitions of contemporary art. Strolling through El Retiro you will also find the Walk of the Statues where there are numerous statues of Spanish kings, the Casa de Fieras (former zoo), the Casita del Pescador, the Casa del Contrabandista and the Artificial Mountain, former recreation buildings of Fernando VII. Its hours are from April to September from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and from October to March from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.