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Fewer closures at El Retiro: you will be able to enter even with stronger winds than before
Madrid is adjusting a rule that directly affects thousands of daily plans. El Retiro will open more days of the year thanks to a change in wind protocols that raises the thresholds for closing the park. The measure aims to avoid prolonged closures that disrupted routines, especially in spring and summer.
The new criterion raises the thresholds: the orange alert will be activated from 45 km/h and the red alert from 60 km/h. With this adjustment, the Madrid City Council estimates that it will reduce closure days by around 20%.
The decision comes after years of complaints from local residents. Many users found the park closed for several days in a row, affecting both leisure and sport. The change seeks to balance access and safety without blocking use of the space.
The City Council maintains that the measure is based on real data. After analysing more than a decade of incidents, it considers that it can make the system more flexible without increasing risks. Even so, falling branches and trees remain a key factor that requires precautions to be maintained.
For now, the adjustment will apply only in El Retiro, although the idea is to extend specific models to other historic parks in the city. In future, each space could have its own system according to its characteristics.
El Retiro is not just another park. It is one of Madrid’s main urban breathing spaces. Reducing closures means more access to shade, sport and rest, something that directly affects how the city is lived day to day.