Madrid Retiro Park Self-Guided Audio Walk: Puerta de Alcalá, Lake and Fallen Angel





Duration
Free cancellation
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Audio guide
Guided tour
- Walk Madrid's Retiro from the Puerta de Alcalá through the king's old garden to the quiet southern park.
- See the avenue of stone kings, the Ahuehuete, the great lake and Alfonso XII colonnade, the Palacio de Velázquez, the Palacio de Cristal's pond and the Fallen Angel.
- Find out how a royal pleasure ground wrecked in the Napoleonic war was handed to the city in 1868 and filled with palaces of brick and glass.
- Stand on the lake's bank facing the colonnade paid for by public subscription, as the rowing boats go by.
- 11 stops over 2.8 km, about 70 minutes, with English audio you start whenever you like.
- Self-guided audio tour in English, 11 stops, 70 minutes
- Stops at stone kings, Ahuehuete, great lake, Alfonso XII colonnade
- GPS map and walking directions in browser, no app needed
- Lifetime access, start any day, replay anytime
- Live guide
- Fixed start time
- Museum and monument tickets
- Food and drinks
- Tips or gratuities
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Madrid's Retiro was a royal pleasure garden for more than two centuries. In 1868 a revolutionary government handed the whole estate to the city, and Madrid has been filling it ever since.
Start outside the Puerta de Alcalá, Carlos III's granite gate, and walk in past a drinking fountain moved from the city streets and an avenue of stone kings carved for the Royal Palace roof. Meet the Ahuehuete, a Mexican cypress whose age nobody agrees on, and Philip IV's great lake facing the Alfonso XII colonnade. Then the 1880s: the brick and tile Palacio de Velázquez and the Palacio de Cristal, built for an 1887 colonial exhibition, with swamp cypresses in its pond. Finish by the rose garden, the Fallen Angel and the memorial grove for 11 March 2004.
Eleven stops, about 2.8 km and 70 minutes, on gentle paths, at your own pace, in English, on your phone. The park is free; the Palacio de Cristal is closed for restoration until 2027.
What to bring
- Ticket code and phone: Enter your ticket code on the Roamer redemption page from your confirmation before you set off.
- Charged phone: Bring a fully charged phone, as the tour runs in your browser for the full walk.
- Earphones: Bring earphones so you can listen comfortably to the audio as you walk.
- Mobile data or Wi-Fi: Use mobile data, or open the tour on Wi-Fi before starting if you do not have data.
Accessibility
- Step-free route: The walk is step-free except when leaving the Parterre after stop 4, where there is a short flight and then 7 steps.
- Step-free alternative: For a step-free option, exit the Parterre by the entrance gate and follow the north path to the octagonal pond.
Additional information
- Tour activation: Open the Roamer redemption link in your confirmation and activate the tour while you still have signal.
- Tour format: The tour opens in your phone browser, and you do not need to download an app.
- Best time to visit: Visit any day from 6am, with weekday mornings quietest and the lake busiest on weekend afternoons.
- Seasonal highlights: Roses peak in May and June, horse chestnuts flower in spring, and bald cypresses turn rust-brown in late autumn.
- Weather alerts: Do not walk the tour on a red weather alert, as the park is evacuated and closed until trees are checked.
- Orange alerts: On orange alerts, the park may stay open, with advice to leave and avoid standing under trees.
- Getting to stop 1 from Retiro: From Metro Retiro, walk about 160 m along Calle de Alcalá on the park side without crossing the road.
- Getting to stop 1 from Banco de España: From Metro Banco de España and Cibeles, walk about 600 m up Calle de Alcalá and cross only at the traffic lights.
- Safety at Puerta de Alcalá: Never cross to the arch itself, as it stands on a traffic island with no pedestrian crossing.
- Park hours: The park is free daily, open 6am to 10pm from October to March and 6am to midnight from April to September.
- Palacio de Velázquez: This free Museo Reina Sofía hall has seasonal hours and closes on 1 and 6 January, 1 May, and 25 December.
- Palacio de Cristal: The Palacio de Cristal is closed for restoration until 2027.
- Alfonso XII monument: The viewing room inside the Alfonso XII monument opens only on booked visits and has 97 steps with no lift.
- Rowing boats: Rowing boats are hired on the lake's west bank, so check opening times and conditions at the landing.
- Shared paths: Bicycles share the wide paseos, so keep to one side as you walk.
- Bag security: Keep bags closed and in front of you by the lake and boat landing on busy weekends.
- Wildlife care: Please never release pets into the ponds, as many turtles are invasive American species in Spain.
- Please check your final voucher for the redemption details and specific instructions.
- Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.
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