• Rowing boats on the big lake, rented at the lake's own jetty; see our Barcas del Retiro page for prices and hours
• Puppet shows every weekend at the Teatro de Títeres, an open-air puppet theater inside the park
• Closed during weather alerts: the city shuts Retiro and other big parks in strong wind and reopens after checking the trees, so look at the news on madrid.es before a windy-day visit

El Retiro spreads 125 hectares of lawns, shady paths and formal gardens around a big rowing lake, watched over by the Alfonso XII monument. Kids hunt for the Fallen Angel statue, peer into the restored Monkey Pit from the old royal menagerie, and watch puppets at the Teatro de Títeres. Playgrounds of different sizes are spread through the park, and the wide paved paths suit scooters, skates and bikes.