In a perhaps hopeless effort to keep from exploding as I eat & drink my way through Madrid next week, I'm planning to go jogging (er...footing) in Retiro Park. I'm assuming this is safe for women alone in the evenings? Does anyone know if the park has opening/closing hours? Can anyone recommend their favorite trails? The park is huge, which side is best for entering for the jogging path? I don't want to end up lost overnight!

Lula....never assume that a walk or jog in the park at night, regardless where it may be is safe for a woman especially if she's by herself! If a man walking alone at night can get mugged, how much more so for a woman. If you have to jog at night, then do it with others...not alone!

Retiro park used to be safe no matter when, years ago.

Nowadays, it had been forbidden to enter (and door closed) after 10 or 11 p.m. for security reasons. Police patrols it anyway, and more intensely at that hours to make sure everybody leaves.

However, like a month ago, I happened to be around and it was still open at 10.30 or 11.30. Maybe they are allowing people to be there at evenings/nights or maybe they do it only in summer.

I say, go there if there is people no matter if it's night, and you can have fun with the bohemian people playing drums and maybe dancing close to the pond, but don't if it's deserted that hours.

So would you not recommend going alone to Retiro even during the day? I went there recently around noon on a weekday, so there were a decent number of people there, but I was a little wary anyway, not being sure of how safe it was. Am I just being paranoid, or do you think it´s relatively safe during the daytime?

I believe it's safe in the daylight except a minor danger of pickpocketing.

As for the night, I have walked recently almost alone with a friend only (it can get kind of romantic), and I became a little worried about the rumours, so we came back.

However, Madrid majors are conservative, and they have had a campaign of harassment towards prostitutes in other areas and parks of the city that could have had drown some to Retiro. They only mention that the park was not safe at night when they decided to close, but for me it's absoultely different if prostitutes go there (unpleasant as it can be) from drug sellers or assaultants.

That said, I never saw prostitutes nor violence, maybe because this mesures were early, but I don't go there very often. But I believe there is not much (or any) of this.

To summarize, besides of taking care of your wallet or purse, I would go there in the daylight and in the night in the areas with more people. Not that they would help, but the criminal is not sure and usually refrains himself.