Madrid · Spain
Retiro Park and La Rosaleda
A practical guide to Retiro Park and its rose garden, La Rosaleda: when the roses bloom, which gate to use coming from the Prado, how much time to give it, and the photographer and vendor scams.
La Rosaleda is small and free, and in the second half of May it is the best twenty-minute break after the Prado.
The Retiro was the royal family’s private garden until 1868, when the revolution that dethroned Isabel II opened its gates to the public. Today it is the big park in central Madrid, three blocks from the Prado. In its southwest corner is La Rosaleda, a rose garden many people never find because it sits far from the lake and the main entrances.
Our experience
We arrived at 17:50 on a Saturday, walking from the Prado’s south exit and entering through the Fallen Angel Gate. We gave it twenty minutes: one loop of the paths and a break by the fountain. We put it there on purpose, between two and a half hours of museum and vermouth at La Dolores, because the detour adds only a few minutes of walking.
The date mattered too. May 23 falls right in the bloom, which is the only thing that makes the detour worth it. Any other time of year we would have gone straight to the tapas.
A bit of history
In 1630 the Count-Duke of Olivares pushed forward the Real Sitio del Buen Retiro for Philip IV, a palace with gardens designed by Cosimo Lotti, who had worked on the Boboli Gardens in Florence. During the war against Napoleon, French troops fortified the grounds and destroyed almost the entire palace. What survives of it is the Salón de Reinos, now part of the Prado.
Mayor Carlos Prats asked for La Rosaleda in 1914. The city’s head gardener, Cecilio Rodríguez, traveled to Paris to study the Bagatelle rose garden, got stuck there when World War I broke out, and came back in 1915 with the design. The Civil War wiped it out; it was replanted in 1941 and restored between 2001 and 2006. Since 2021 the Retiro and the Paseo del Prado have been a World Heritage Site.
How it fits into your day
La Rosaleda works best as a break after the Prado. See our day 14 in Madrid for the full order of the afternoon.
What to see, in order
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Fallen Angel Gate
The closest entrance to La Rosaleda coming from the Prado, on Calle Alfonso XII where it meets Calle Granada.
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The Fallen Angel
Ricardo Bellver's 1885 statue, about 50 meters from the gate. One of the few public sculptures of Lucifer.
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La Rosaleda
About 150 meters east along the Paseo del Duque de Fernán Núñez. A French-style parterre on an elliptical plan, with boxwood hedges and radiating paths.
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The Fountain of Fame
The round fountain in the center, inspired by the Bagatelle rose garden in Paris. The benches around it fill up fast on weekends.
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The dedicated rose beds
Some beds carry small bronze plaques dedicated to artists such as Camarón de la Isla or García Lorca.
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The Crystal Palace
The 1887 iron-and-glass pavilion on the east side of the park. Today it is an exhibition space for the Reina Sofía, with free entry.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- The "20,000 roses" figure you see around is for Madrid's other rose garden, in Parque del Oeste. The Retiro one has about 5,500 rose bushes of some 130 species.
- Bring water: there is no kiosk inside La Rosaleda and the paths have little shade.
- For photos, the best light in May is 8:30 to 10:00 or 18:00 to 20:00. No tripods: professional shoots need a permit from the city.
- If you have time to spare, the Crystal Palace is free. The rowboat lake is not necessary on a short visit.
Do
- Buy water or ice cream at the city kiosks, which have posted prices.
- From La Rosaleda, leave by the same gate and follow Calle Felipe IV to the Barrio de las Letras: about eight minutes.
- Keep your wallet in a front pocket if you pass the Puerta de Alcalá or the lake.
Don’t
- Do not cut roses or lie down on the gravel in the beds for a photo.
- Do not accept a "free" rose or let a stranger with a camera take your picture: they charge you afterward.
- Do not stop for the clipboard petitions at the Alcalá and Independencia gates.
- Do not pay for a "free guided tour" of the rose garden: there are no official guided visits.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Retiro roses bloom?
The peak is mid-May to early June. Outside that window the garden looks almost empty.
How much does La Rosaleda cost?
Nothing. Neither the park nor La Rosaleda charges admission.
Where is La Rosaleda inside the Retiro?
In the southwest quarter, east of the Fallen Angel statue. The closest gate is the Fallen Angel Gate.
Can you combine it with the Prado?
Yes. From the museum's south exit it is a 5 to 7 minute walk. That is exactly what we did.