Túnel de Bonaparte

Useful Information

Location:	1 P.º de la Virgen del Puerto, Madrid, 28013. (40.4188125, -3.7199367)
Open:	no restrictions. [2026]
Fee:	free. [2026]
Classification:	Tunnel
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:	L=50 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Túnel de Bonaparte, Tel: +34-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1810-1811	tunnel excavated.
2011	large metal plate with explanations added at the west entrance for the 200 years anniversary.
2026	tunnel reopened after restauration.

Description

The Túnel de Bonaparte (Tunnel of Bonaparte) was commissioned by ‘the Intruder King’ to escape from the palace if there were problems. King Joseph I was Napoleon Bonaparte’s older brother. The tunnel connects the gardens of the Royal Palace, today known as Campo del Moro Gardens, to the Casa de Vargas in the Parque de la Casa de Campo, the royal hunting grounds. It is also known as Villanueva Tunnel, after the architect.

Bonaparte was obsessed with security, because he was aware of the hostility the Spanish people. He was installed as King of Spain by his brother Napoleon on 25-JUL-1808 and ruled as a loyal brother on his behalf. The abuses committed during the French occupation lead to constant guerrilla warfare, and Madrid was a hostile environment for him. The architect Juan de Villanueva, the designer of the Prado Museum, was commissioned to create an escape route. The tunnel was excavated in 1810 and was one of his last designs, as he died one year later. The tunnel is 50 m long and wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage, obviously it was not acceptable for the king to walk. The end of the tunnel is on the other side of the Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto.

The whole structure is quite interesting, and a little weird too. First of all, it is just a connection across a road on a dam, today such underpasses are quite common, and they also were at that time. So its unclear why no underpass was added when the dam was constructed. On the other hand the dam is not very high and a tiny ramp would have been sufficient to cross it. And finally, the tunnel ends on the other side of the dam at the shore of the river. To connect the Royal Palace, his official residence, with the Casa de Vargas, where he actually resided for security reasons, a temporary wooden bridge was constructed. Today there is the stone bridge Puente del Rey, but this bridge was built in 1816, six years later, under the rule of King Fernando VII.

The tunnel was closed for a long time, until it was completely renovated and reopened in 2026. During the 19th century the tunnel was decorated as a grotto, with naturalistic features. In 1931 the Casa de Campo was transformed into an urban park and the tunnel was opened to the public as a passageway. But during the defense of Madrid, in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), it was used as a supply line for ammunition and personnel. Later the M-30 ring road was constructed along the river and blocked the tunnel exit, the tunnel was abandoned. But today the M30 is underground, a 43 km long system of four twin-tube road tunnels on the four sides of the city. It was constructed between 2004 and 2007, and is considered the largest system of urban road tunnels in Europe. Obviously another subterranea of Madrid worth a visit, which may be done by car or taxi. But the tunnel was not reopened afterwards, it was in a poor state and after years of renovation it was finally reopened in 2026.