Created in the 17th century for King Philip IV, this is the city's most important historic-artistic park and one of the most beautiful in the world. It was part of a complex comprising a grand palace and vast gardens with numerous buildings: hermitages, grottoes, covered walkways, ponds, ball courts, and so on. Of note are the Cecilio Rodríguez and Parterre Gardens, the pond and Monument to Alfonso XII, the ruins of the Hermitage of San Pelayo and San Isidoro, the Velázquez and Cristal Palaces, the Fallen Angel and Artichoke Fountains, and so on.
OPENING HOURS: WINTER (October to April): 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM (doors open at 6:00 AM, all doors open at 7:00 AM, closing at 9:30 PM, all doors closed at 10:00 PM). SUMMER (May to September): 6:00 AM to midnight (closing at 11:30 PM, all doors closed at midnight).