Take advantage of the autumn to explore Buen Retiro Park, which changes its landscape during this season, turning from green to the ochre of its trees.

Its 125 hectares contain more than 15,000 trees and several remarkable gardens, such as the Jardín de Vivaces, the Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez, the Jardines del Arquitecto Herrero Palacios, the Rosaleda, with its impressive collection of roses, and the Parterre Francés, where the majestic Ahuehuete, considered the oldest tree in Madrid, stands out.

The Buen Retiro Park is not only the lungs of Madrid and part of the Landscape of Light (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2021), but also a place that offers culture, entertainment and sports for locals and visitors alike.

Among the park's most outstanding architectural and historical treasures is the Estanque Grande, where you can enjoy activities such as rowing and boat rides, learning in a solar classroom, and participating in the Municipal Canoeing School, designed for children and teenagers between the ages of 7 and 17.

Two notable architectural gems that the park shelters are the Velázquez Palace and the Crystal Palace, currently used as exhibition spaces in the Reina Sofía Museum.

In addition, El Retiro Park is home to outstanding sculptures and fountains, including the monument to Alfonso XII, from which you can enjoy a panoramic view. The Reservado de Fernando VII, located at the confluence of O'Donnell and Menéndez Pelayo streets, has the Casa del Pescador, the Montaña Artificial and the Casa del Contrabandista, now transformed into Florida Park, a modern place of entertainment and gastronomy.

There is also the peculiar statue of the fallen angel, the restored water wheel in the Huerta del Francés, the Galapagos Fountain in honor of the birth of Isabel II, the surprising hermitages of San Pelayo and San Isidoro, the emotional Forest of Remembrance in memory of the victims of the March 11, 2004 attacks in Madrid, and the Teatro de Títeres, unique in Europe, which offers a stable program on weekends.

More information: El Retiro Park

Image: Buen Retiro Park ©Richard Ramos