Madrid's Royal Botanical Gardens - a lovely place for an afternoon walk

Delicate details at the Madrid's Royal Botanical Gardens

This puerta serves as the public entrance to the botanical gardens

Wednesday, November 06, 2019         Madrid

After a great morning of art at the Prado, and a delicious lunch, we decided to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens – Real Jardin Botanico - located just to the south east of the Prado museum.  The gardens are 20 acres, divided into three subsections that are terraced, with two large greenhouses. The gardens were filled with lovely autumn colors, soft sunlight, huge trees, fall vegetables in a garden & scarecrow, and many seeds and berries on the plants.

These beautiful grasses are part of the 20 acres of exotic plants protected by the gardens

The garden's fountains are turned off in November, but Christmas decorations are appearing

King Carlos III watches the scarecrow  who watches  the vegetable garden

Decorative peppers, gourds and pumpkins still bearing fruit in the vegetable garden

The Real Jardin Botanico was founded in 1755 by King Ferdinand VI, but was moved to its present location and expanded in 1774 by King Charles III. The gardens were organized by the classification of plants by Linnaeus, the great biologist.  Its mission was not only to exhibit plants, but to teach botany and promote expeditions for the discovery of new plant species and classify them.  There was a particular interest in the botany of Spain's colonial possessions.

Myrtle foliage and berries

Bearing pink and delicate fruits, making the birds happy

Golden foliage in the afternoon sun

Large trees collected from Spain's colonies all over the world

Mike checks out the size of this Himalayan cypress, more than a century old

We walked back along Calle de Alfonso XII, which runs the western length of Retiro Park.  The Parque del Buen Retiro, the "Park of the Pleasant Retreat", is 350 acres.  It belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century, when it became a public park. It is filled with beautiful sculptures and monuments, galleries, a lake and the famous Crystal Palace.

As you leave the botanical gardens, you face the south wing of the Prado Museum

Wrought iron guarding the Retiro Park perimeter along Calle de Alfonso XII

Fountains line the street 

The park was originally associated with the San Jeronimo el Real Church, when Queen Isabella had a retreat built as part of the church in 1505. Subsequent rulers kept enlarging the park, and many of the structures within the park are related to the royal provenance.  For example, the Paseo de las Estatuas ("Statue Walk") is decorated with some of the statues from the Royal Palace, sculpted around 1750.

Every entrance to the Retiro Park is marked with beautiful, ornate gates

Main entrance to the Retiro Park opposite the Salamanca neighborhood

The Paseo de las Argentinas, also called Paseo de las Estatuas, in the late afternoon sun

After our visit to Retiro Park, we walked back to our hotel & window shopped along the way.  We made it home by 5:30 – my feet were sore as we had walked 18000 steps.

Eye catching colors in a pyramid of flowers outside the Retiroo Park main gate

Golden light in the Retiro Park