One of the must see in Madrid; it is certainly not the only park but it is specially beautiful in all seasons. It was the park sorrounding a royal palace for the King Philip IV; it was very near the Alcazar but it was outside Madrid.

This is why the park contains so many different buildings, and gardens and it is beautiful in its diversity and full of history, too. The King Charles III allowed the public of Madrid to enjoy it as long as they were "decently dressed". It was the place of a Royal Palace (small one), there was a theater where Lope de Vega or Calderón works were played, a factory of china, a few wild animals that became a small zoo (La Casa de Fieras) that remained there until 1974 and is now garden.

The big lake sorrounded by a monument to the King Alfonso the XII built at the beginning of the XX century was there for centuries before, and naval battles were enacted in those water, there,s another lake with a glass palace (it was a conservatory), a splendid rose garden, avenues lined with sculptures and fountains plus 27000 trees. You can also see the only statue dedicated to the Luzbel, the fallen angel (the devil). When I,ve visited it with foreign friends, en route to the Prado Museum normally we have arrived to the museum rather late.

The largest and most beautiful of all Madrid's parks is the Retiro. It has 130 hectares of woodland which form a green, tree-clad (more than 15.000 trees) island in the middle of an asphalt sea. One may enter it through any of the fine gateways. These are located in the Plaza de la Independencia, the Calle de Alcalá, the Calle de O'Donnell, and the Calle de Alfonso XII. White stone figures of the Kings and Queen of Spain peep out from the avenues of lofty tees and thick bushes, and just inside the park there is a large artificial lake where row-boats can be hired. The park also has its rose garden, as well as the Cecilio Rodríguez gardens and many delightful secluded nooks where strollers can enjoy a little privacy. In the middle of the park there are two buildings known as the Palacio de Velázquez and Palacio de Cristal, where art exhibitions are sometimes held.

This is a beautiful park with many offers for its visitors. You can have a walk or run, ride a boat in the lake, see people practise many forms of art (circus, dance, painting, singing, theatre) and sports (there are taichi groups!), have picnics, see nice buildings (my favorite is the cristal pavillion) or just lay down on the lawn and enjoy the sun peaking through the trees. Animals are allowed in, but for the sake of those that do not like them that much, owners cannot let them loose. The park guards will ensure that no animal owner breaks that rule, not even in places where there are no people.

I visited Parque del Retiro during my stay in Madrid, and found it to be a very quaint and peaceful respite from the hot, crowded streets of the city. There are a couple small eateries on the edge of the park, and a central lake where visitors can rent paddle boats. I had fun just walking around the park grounds, and enjoyed the garden area located on the west side of the park, bordering Calle de Alfonso XII. The park is a close walk to the Prado Museum, making it a convenient stop on the way, or after a visit.

Parque del Retiro is an absolutely beautiful park where locals go to relax in the afternoons, and especially on the weekends. There's a really nice sports complex, lots of paths to wander around, the estanque (where you can take boat rides), an outdoor theater, and many more things. Another bonus for tourists and locals alike is the location: near the center of the city and not even a 2 minute's walk from the famous Museo del Prado and other famous landmarks.