Retiro
Explore the area around Madrilenians' most beloved park.
El Retiro Park is the real star of this neighbourhood, bordered by Calle de Alcalá and Calle O’Donnell to the north, Doctor Esquerdo to the east, Avenida del Mediterráneo and Paseo de Reina Cristina to the south, and Calle de Alfonso XII to the west.
The park was developed under the Catholic Monarchs, in the early sixteenth century, but the neighbourhood itself is much younger. With an increasingly larger population in the late nineteenth century, the city expanded. The layout of Retiro is similar to that of neighbouring Barrio de Salamanca, featuring perpendicular streets with wide pavements, some of them embellished as attractive boulevards, like Ibiza or Alcalde Sainz de Baranda. It’s basically a residential area but, being so close to the centre of Madrid, it’s borrowed some of its business and shopping character.
Visitors coming to Madrid can’t miss El Retiro Park and its surroundings, filled with cultural attractions, restaurants and shops.
The Paseo del Prado / El Retiro area was declared UNESCO World Heritage as Cultural Landscape in 2021, which includes the Paseo del Prado between Cibeles and the Plaza de Atocha, the whole of El Retiro Park, and the Jerónimos neighbourhood.
There are a few sights you must see at El Retiro Park. The monument to Alfonso XII, adjoining the Lake, where you can enjoy a pleasant boat trip, the Glass Palace, the Velázquez Palace and the Fountain of the Fallen Angel are all good reasons to spend a day in the park. However, there’s more to this district than just its beautiful green area.
Situated on Plaza de la Independencia, on the northwest corner of El Retiro, at the intersection of Calle de Alfonso XII and Calle de Alcalá, it was commissioned by King Charles III of Spain and built by architect Francesco Sabatini in 1778.
About 30 bookstalls were set up on Calle de Claudio Moyano in 1925. They offer genuine literary gems in the form of new and second-hand books.
Every year, in late May and early June, Paseo de Fernán Núñez accommodates a book fair that gathers booksellers and publishing houses from all over Spain.
A cultural centre, Casa Árabe unveils the Arab culture holding events, exhibitions, concerts and all kinds of activities. It also has a terrace open to the public.
Other interesting attractions are the Panteón de Hombres Ilustres, designed as a mausoleum for illustrious men, the Royal Tapestry Factory and the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha.
Considered to be one of the world’s most important museums of its genre, it invites you to discover the history of money from its origins through its different forms of production throughout history. The museum was the main location used to film the hit TV series Money Heist (2017-2021).
Popularly known as 'El Pirulí', this RTVE communications tower is one of the icons of Madrid and a reference on its skyline in the north of the city.
An institution in its own right for children in Madrid, with year-round shows, this open-air puppet theatre puts on free performances every weekend of the year, in the morning during winter and in the afternoon/evening during summer.
Retiro features the stores you can find in any residential area (food and basic supplies), plus others that locals and visitors to Madrid will find really interesting.
The busiest street is Calle Narváez. It has countless fashion retailers, especially shoe shops, small boutiques, and also specialty establishments offering slot car tracks and accessories, as well as car model-making kits.
The commercial streets are interspersed with avenues like Del Mediterráneo and Menéndez Pelayo, and thoroughfares such as Paseo de la Reina Cristina, Ibiza and Sainz de Baranda. Bicycle rental shops, such as Diverbikes or Rent & Roll are particularly interesting to visit the El Retiro Park, shops specialising in trainers, mountain gear and ski clothing such as Barrabes, as well as skateboard and skating shops, as sport is one of the main features in this area.
El Retiro is a fabulous place to do sports. Its 4.5km perimeter attracts a large running community. Because El Retiro is a mecca for athletics and sport in Madrid. Indeed, for years it was the finishing line for the Madrid Rock & Roll Marathon and the Madrid Half Marathon.
Besides athletics, the area gathers numerous rollerblading lovers who meet on Paseo de Fernán Núñez, also known as ‘Paseo de Coches’, to do their favourite sport or take classes for different skill levels. Skateboarding enthusiasts are also to be seen carrying their boards, longboard decks being the most popular.
For cyclists there are bike hire facilities close by. Swimmers can go to the M-86 Swimming Centre, whose pools have held international events and are the annual venue of the Grand Prix Comunidad de Madrid diving competition. And within walking distance is the old Real Canoe Swimming Club.
On lunch break, the people who work in the area and visitors to the park meet in the countless restaurants and gastrobars situated around El Retiro Park. There are from fast food eateries to more formal fine dining establishments. Their menus include a long list of dishes from all Spanish regions.
To take a break after a long stroll, you’ll enjoy sitting at a café or bar to order a nice cup of hot chocolate, better if accompanied with churros (fried-dough pastry forming loops) or porras (same recipe, but thicker and straight).
Here you can find traditional bars and restaurants, along with the very latest hot spots. Its more traditional offerings include La Castela and Laredo, and newer spots include Arzábal, La Tasqueria run Javi Estévez, which has one Michelin star, Salino and La Raquetista.
The Levél Veggie Bistro restaurant is also in the area for those seeking a vegetarian option.
It is also worth mentioning Florida Park, which, after a spectacular renovation, has several rooms, some of them outdoors, and offers the option of dinner + show every day of the week. On weekends it is one of the busiest places in the neighbourhood to have a drink or dance until the early hours of the morning.
Close to El Retiro Park is the district of Ibiza, which covers Calle Ibiza, Calle Menorca, Calle Doctor Castelo, Calle Narváez and Calle Lope de Rueda, an area that is home to one of the greatest concentrations of bars and restaurants in Madrid. Quite a culinary tour, promoting traditional Spanish gastronomy, with places like O'Grelo, KultO, Taberna & Media and La Castela.
One of the newest restaurants to open is Arrayán, which serves classic Mediterranean dishes with creative touches and also puts on flamenco shows on Wednesdays. Q78 Gastromezcal is another option, offering contemporary and traditional Mexican cuisine prepared by Mexican chef Pedro Evia; and Cheesecake Avenue, the perfect place to enjoy a slice of classic New York cheesecake.