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El Retiro
El Retiro is the most important park in Madrid since its opening to the public in 1868. Its full name is Parque del Buen Retiro.
In the Retiro there are hundreds of places to visit and activities to enjoy: puppet shows, musicians, hand readers, fortune tellers and seers are some of the usual distractions.
Points of Interest in El Retiro
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Pond: The artificial pond is one of the first images that we will see if we enter through the Puerta de Alcalá. In the pond, you can rent rowboats or make a small group tour.
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Monument to Alfonso XII: Impressive monument located on one of the banks of the former pond, was inaugurated in 1922. On Sundays, you will find many people near the monument playing timbales and other instruments.
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Crystal Palace: Built in 1887 next to its artificial lake, the Crystal Palace is home to many temporary exhibitions. Initially it was used as greenhouse.
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Paseo de la Argentina: Usually called Paseo de las Estatuas, it is a walk in which we will find statues dedicated to all the monarchs of Spain. At first, they were commissioned by Fernando VI to decorate the Royal Palace.
Children's favorite place
If you visit Madrid with children, El Retiro will become your favorite place: The boat ride, a puppet show and actors disguised as children characters wandering around the park will make the little ones have fun. You will also find swings in different parts of the park.
