Spain: Madrid: Overview

Why go?

Whether you fall in love with the fabulous art museums, eclectic shopping, delicious tapas or the party-all-night ethos, we guarantee a weekend in Spain's capital city will leave you smitten. Hectic yet relaxed, it's a friendly vibrant place with masses to see, and its downtown area can be easily explored on foot.

The simplest way to navigate Madrid's neighbourhoods (barrios) is to start at the centre and work your way outwards. Puerta del Sol (Gateway to the Sun) is Madrid's literal heart, at which all of the city's roads converge. It's a busting social hub, filled with European shops and fast-food restaurants.

Head south and you'll enter the labyrinthine streets of the old town, known as 'Los Austrias'. This is home to the elegant Plaza Mayor (the capital square of Renaissance Madrid), the magnificent San Francisco el Grande (with its vast dome and 19th century ceiling frescoes), and the quirky El Rastro flea market.

West is the beautiful Royal District, filled with legacies from the Habsburg era. The Palacio Real is mind-blowing, dripping with gold and filled with priceless objets d'art, while the Teatro Real opera house is world-famous for its acoustics.

Head north east and you'll visit the affluent Salamanca and Recoletos neighbourhoods, aka the designer shopping district. Calle de Serrano is brimming with expensive boutiques and it's a great place to linger over a (pricey) café con leche and people watch.

East is the tree-lined 'Paseo del Arte' (Golden Triangle of Art); the Paseo del Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. This area is also home to the Parque del Retiro, Madrid's Hyde Park, with lakes, ponds and statues, and a weekend carnival atmosphere.

Any downsides?

Madrid's congested streets and endless traffic jams are legendary, so you're best off taking the metro and exploring on foot. Pickpockets are also rife, especially at tourist attractions and in the el Rastro flea market, so don't carry things in your pocket and hold bags tightly. We have also had reports about con artists posing as policeman, so if you do get accosted unexpectedly, ask to see some ID.

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In Madrid:

Activities

Sightseeing…

Plaza Mayor: formerly the heart of 16th-century Madrid, this elegant square is now thronged with pavement cafes, buskers and tourist shops
Palacio Real: the sumptuous royal palace, overflowing with decadent decoration and objets d'art.

Shopping…

El Rastro: a bustling flea market, selling everything from antiques to electrical goods to vintage clothes
Salamanca and Recoletos: lined with designer boutiques and fashionista hangouts

Art…

Museo Reina Sofía: Spain's national gallery of modern art, exhibiting works by Dali, Picasso and other influential Spanish artists
Paseo del Prado: a vast, neo-classical museum, filled with religious paintings and regal portraits by Goya, El Greco and Velázquez
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: an eclectic collection of 13th-20th century paintings, including works by Monet and Renoir

Showtime…

Las Ventas: Spain's biggest bullring. A must for tourists, whether or not you can stomach an actual fight
Flamenco: Flamboyant, passionate and moving, discover Spain's national dance at the best venue in Madrid

Mountains…

Sierra de Guadarrama: A nearby mountain range reaching 2,300m at its peak, which offers fantastic walking, hiking and climbing

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