Retiro metro station
Line 2 · Zone A · Retiro
Retiro station
This station takes its name from the neighbouring park and opened on 14 June 1924 with the first section of Line 2. It lies under Calle de Alcalá, between the Recoletos and Jerónimos neighbourhoods, right by the Retiro park.
Its layout is unusual: two platforms and three tracks. There was a plan to run a branch from here along Calle Velázquez, but in the end one of the tracks was given over to a temporary exhibition space. Since 1997 one platform has been decorated with murals by the cartoonist Mingote showing a “fantastic” Retiro park, and the exhibition space sits beside the other. On 1 April 2017 the special opening hours of the ticket halls that used to close at 21:40 were scrapped.
First and last train at Retiro
Departure times at this station from the timetables Metro de Madrid publishes for the current season. Public holidays follow the Sunday timetable.
How often the trains run
| Line | Monday to Thursday, rush hour | Sundays and public holidays |
|---|---|---|
| L2 | 3–4 min (07:30 - 08:00) | 4–5 min |
Interval between trains as published by Metro de Madrid for the whole line; on branches and at the outer ends it can be longer.
Stations next to Retiro
Travel time between Retiro and the stations on either side.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| L2 | Banco de España | 2 min |
| L2 | Príncipe de VergaraES | 1 min |
Interchanges and connections
Only Line 2 serves Retiro; there is no interchange here with other lines or with Cercanías commuter trains.
Station facilities
- Defibrillator
- Mobile phone coverage
As listed on Metro de Madrid’s page for the station.
Entrances to Retiro
The station’s street entrances and their addresses, as Metro de Madrid gives them (street names stay in Spanish, as on the signs).
| Ticket hall | Entrance | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Claudio Coello | Claudio Coello | Alcalá, 75 (esq. Claudio Coello) |
| Lagasca | Ramp | Lagasca, 4. |
| Lagasca | Lagasca | Lagasca, 4 |
| Lagasca | Retiro | Retiro park |
What is near Retiro
One of the exits is inside the Retiro park itself, and the Claudio Coello ticket hall, at Alcalá 75, is the one to use for the Puerta de Alcalá, about 210 m away, and the National Archaeological Museum. Around the park you will find the Retiro puppet theatre, about 180 m away, the Casa de Vacas cultural centre, about 210 m, and the statue of Espartero, about 240 m. Right by the station are the church of San Manuel y San Benito, about 70 m away, and the Villanueva university centre, about 160 m.
| Place | Straight-line distance |
|---|---|
| Parroquia de San Manuel y San Benito | 70 m |
| Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas | 210 m |
| Puerta de Alcalá | 210 m |
| Estatua de Espartero | 240 m |
| Monumento a los Hermanos Álvarez Quintero (statue) | 360 m |
| Plaza de Toros de la Puerta de Alcalá (memorial) | 80 m |
| Centro universitario Villanueva | 160 m |
| Teatro de Títeres de El Retiro | 180 m |
Places from OpenStreetMap within 400 m, under their local (Spanish) names.
Frequently asked questions
Since 1997 one of the platforms has displayed murals by the cartoonist Mingote, depicting a “fantastic” Retiro park. Beside the other platform there is a temporary exhibition space, set up where one of the station’s three tracks runs.
It has two platforms and three tracks. Originally a branch was to be extended along Calle Velázquez, but in the end it was decided to install a temporary exhibition space, which takes up one of those tracks beside one of the platforms.