Hiring a rowing boat on the Retiro Park lake is priced by the boat, not the person: €6 from Monday to Friday and €8 at weekends and on holidays, for 45 minutes and up to four people. A family of four on a weekday pays €1.50 each, less than a single €4 ticket to the Royal Botanical Garden next door. The booth on the Estanque Grande sells from 10am to 2pm and again from 3.15pm, and until 9 October it stops selling at 7.15pm. The nearest way in is Retiro Metro, about 300 metres from the boats.
The Retiro boats are Madrid City Council’s rowing-boat hire on the Estanque Grande, the large lake in the middle of Retiro Park, with around 100 boats.
How much is Retiro Park boat rental in Madrid? Retiro Park boat rental costs €6 per boat on weekdays and €8 at weekends and on holidays, for 45 minutes and up to 4 people. Walk-ups buy at the booth by the lake; Madrid Móvil online bookings need 12 hours notice. Over-65s pay €1.80 on weekdays before 2pm, and the booth shuts from 2pm to 3.15pm.
Is a Retiro Park boat ride worth it?
For two to four people, yes: it is one of the cheapest hours in central Madrid and the lake runs right past the Alfonso XII monument. It suits couples, families with kids and friends killing time between the Prado Museum and lunch. It works less well on your own, because a solo rower still pays for a four-seat boat, and less well if nobody in the group wants to row, because there is no boatman.
When is the cheapest time to go?
Weekdays save €2 a boat, and the over-65 rate of €1.80 is a 70% discount that the Council charges only on non-holiday weekday mornings. Weekends cost more and bring longer waits: according to Madrid City Council, online booking was brought in precisely to cut the queues at the booth.
What time do the boats close this autumn?
The booth closing time follows sunset and changes every one or two weeks. Plan an afternoon row around these times.
| Booth closes at | Dates in 2026 |
|---|---|
| 7.15pm | 26 September to 9 October |
| 7pm | 10 to 16 October |
| 6.45pm | 17 to 24 October |
| 5.45pm | 25 October to 6 November, after the clocks go back |
| 5.30pm | 7 to 20 November |
| 5.15pm | 21 November to 30 December |
Madrid City Council publishes 21 closing-time bands for the year, from 5.15pm in midwinter to 8.30pm between 9 May and 21 August.
The boats do not run on 24, 25 and 31 December or on 1 January, and in strong wind the whole park can close, as explained in why Retiro Park closes in high wind.
Should you book online or just turn up?
Turn up if you are deciding on the day, if the weather looks uncertain or if it is a weekday: the booth serves everyone without a booking. Book ahead only for a weekend you have already fixed, through the Madrid Móvil app or the Council’s sports website, paying online at least 12 hours before your slot.
Over-65s who want to book online first have to prove their age at the booth or hold a Madrid Mayor card. Wheelchair users have 2 adapted rowing boats and an accessible solar boat; call the landing on +34 915 744 024 before you go.
What is different from hiring a boat back home?
- The price is per boat. Squeeze in four and the hour costs €1.50 to €2 a head.
- The midday break is real. From 2pm to 3.15pm there are no boats, which lines up with Spanish lunchtime; eat then and row after.
- You row yourself. There is no attendant on board and 45 minutes starts when you push off.
- Children need a grown-up. Under-14s go only with someone aged 18 or over.
- No tipping. It is a municipal fee paid at the booth or online.
How do you get to the boats from the Prado or the airport?
The landing is at Paseo de Colombia 2. From Retiro Metro station on Line 2, take the Calle de Alcalá exit and walk about 300 metres, four minutes. Ibiza on Line 9 is about 700 metres away across the park. From the Prado Museum or the Royal Botanical Garden, enter by the Puerta de España on Calle de Alfonso XII, about 530 metres from the boats, and Atocha station is about 1.7 km away.
From Barajas, the Metro works but charges a separate fee, covered in the airport Metro supplement; ordinary fares are in Madrid Metro ticket prices. To pair the boats with a museum, see what to see in the Prado in two hours or Royal Botanical Garden tickets. For the rest of the area, the Retiro district, and for family days, Madrid with kids and eating out with kids.
Retiro boat rental questions from visitors
How much does it cost to rent a boat in Retiro Park?
€6 a boat from Monday to Friday and €8 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, for 45 minutes and up to four people. Over-65s pay €1.80 on non-holiday weekdays before 2pm.
Can you just turn up for the Retiro boats?
Yes. The booth on the lake sells boats to anyone without a booking. Online bookings through the Madrid Móvil app must be made at least 12 hours ahead, so they only help if you plan the day before.
Are the Retiro boats open on Mondays?
Yes, the boats run every day of the week, from 10am to 2pm and from 3.15pm until the booth closes. They only shut on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January, or when the park closes for high wind.
Can children go on the Retiro boats?
Yes, but under-14s must be with an adult aged 18 or over. Two adults and two children fit in one boat and pay a single price, €6 on a weekday or €8 at the weekend, which makes it one of the cheapest family activities in the park.
Four people, a weekday and an afternoon before the booth closes make the Retiro lake a €1.50 hour.