Madrid is full of rich history, vibrant culture, and most importantly – incredible food. The culture here is so rich and I found it to be much less touristy than other areas in Spain. My favorite thing to do in Madrid was eat, but there’s no shortage of things to see and do here! Here’s my guide to visiting Madrid!
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Know Before You Go
Best Time to Go: I recommend visiting in the fall or spring. Madrid gets quite hot in the summer. We visited in mid-May and temperatures were already up to 90°F! Winters in Madrid are fairly mild, but it is a bit drab.
Language: Spanish. English is not as widely spoken here as in other Spanish cities such as Barcelona, so definitely brush up on your Spanish before you visit!
Currency: Euro, but US debit cards are accepted at most places.
Power: C and F power outlets. I got my converter here.
Travel Tip: Many businesses close down for siesta from 2-4pm.
Getting There and Getting Around
Depending on where you’re coming from, you can get to Madrid by air or by train. Madrid has 3 airports, Madrid-Barajas (MAD) being the largest. If you’re coming from another city in Spain or Europe, you can take a train into Madrid. I recommend using Rail Europe to find and purchase train tickets!
Like most European cities, Madrid is very pedestrian friendly. We walked quite a bit so we could see as much of the city as possible! However, Madrid is a very large city so not everything will be walking distance from your accommodation. The metro here is one of the largest in the world and is a fantastic way to get around the city.
Madrid has a great taxi service. You can actually order taxis through the Uber app here! I recommend using the taxi service when traveling from the airport/train station to your accommodation so you’re not dragging your luggage on the metro.
Where to Stay
Centro: The geographical center of Madrid. Centro surrounds the iconic Plaza Mayor and is rich in history and architecture. Roam the cobblestone streets and get transported back in time. There are a ton of historical landmarks to see here, so if its your first time in Madrid I would recommend staying here!
La Latina: La Latina is famous for its incredible tapas bars, namely those lining Calle de Cava Baja. The La Latina neighborhood is just a short walk from Centro!
Retiro: Home to Retiro Park and many art museums, including Prado. There are many luxury hotels located here!
Salamanca: Madrids’ most stylish neighborhood, full of high-end restaurants and shops. Salamanca is a bit more spread out than some other neighborhoods in Madrid and is less central to many attractions in Madrid.
Westin Palace Madrid
Built back in 1912, the iconic Westin Palace has an unbeatable location right in the heart of Madrid. It’s just steps away from the Prado Museum and about a 15 minute walk to Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. This hotel is also known for its restaurant, La Rotonda, a stunning dining room situated under a massive stained glass ceiling.
Hotel Urban
Half hotel, half museum, Hotel Urban is one of the most unique stays in Madrid. It’s located in Centro, making it a convenient accommodation if you want to see all the history and main attractions in Madrid! The hotel offers a terrace, restaurant, and a bar (that just so happens to be named as one of the World’s Best 50 Bars).
H10 Puerta de Alcalá
H10 Puerta de Alcalá is located in the Salamanca district near Retiro Park. Its beautiful rooftop terrace and plunge pool boasts incredible views of the city. While it’s not walking distance from many of the tourist attractions in Madrid, it’s just steps away from the metro! This is great place to stay if you’re looking for a quieter accommodation away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Airbnb
Airbnbs are always a great affordable option, especially in big cities like Madrid! You can often get a bit more of a “local” experience since many of these Airbnbs are located inside apartment complexes. We stayed in this Airbnb located in Centro. It was so much more spacious than most of the hotels we’ve seen – we had a full kitchen and only paid about 140€ a night!
Here’s my list of Airbnbs in Madrid!
What To Do
Visit El Retiro Park
This impressive park in the center of Madrid is a wonderful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The park is full of beautiful lakes and monuments, and houses the famous Palacio de Cristal and an art gallery!
I definitely recommend renting a rowboat here and living out a “The Notebook” moment on the water. This ended up being one of our favorite memories of Madrid!
Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol is a famous square situated right at the center of the city. It’s a major transport hub so it gets quite busy, but it doesn’t feel crowded thanks to all the open space. There are plenty of statues, historic architecture, and artwork to look at here while you soak up the culture and energy of Madrid!
Plaza Mayor
Just a few blocks away from Puerta del Sol is Plaza Mayor, another famous open square. This is one of the oldest squares in Madrid, dating back to the 15th century. It was created to hold public events, such as bullfighting, fiestas, and theatrical productions. Now, Plaza Mayor still hosts public events from time to time (their most notable being the Christmas market).
Plaza Mayor is full of sunny terraces to enjoy a coffee or a drink and people watch. There are often street performers in the square, children playing, and of course – a lot of tourists. It’s a lively spot to spend a few hours!
Plaza de Cibelas
Cibelas Fountain, right in the center of the square, has been standing since the 1700s. It has become a symbol for Madrid. Sports fans – this fountain is where Real Madrid celebrates all of their wins! The buildings in the square are remarkable too – namely the Palacio de Cibelas, pictured in the background of this photo.
Catedral de la Almundena
This beautiful cathedral took a century to build! It was started in 1883, but not finished until 1993. It’s interior is quite ornate and beautiful.
The Royal Palace
This royal palace is the largest in Europe, boasting nearly 1.5 million square feet and over 3,000 rooms. It is so large that only a select route is available to visitors at a time, this route changing every once in a while. It’s right across from the Catedral de la Almudena, so you can easily see both in the same day!
The palace was unfortunately closed for a state function during our time in Madrid, so we could only see the palace’s exterior.
Go Shopping in Salamanca
Full of designer stores and trendy restaurants, Salamanca is the most glamorous district of Madrid. There’s excellent shopping here, ranging from affordable stores like Zara to luxury brands such as Chanel. If you’re into high-end designers head over to the Golden Mile, comprised of Calle de Serrano and Calle Ortega y Gaset. There, you will find luxury brands such as Hermés, Cartier, Gucci, and more.
Prado Museum
I’ve said it before, but I’m not much of a museum person. However, there is some really unique artwork housed at the Prado museum. It’s widely considered to house the finest collections of European art, so it’s worth the visit!
Eat and Drink
Lateral
Lateral is a group of restaurants with multiple different locations and styles. The menu starts with traditional Spanish cuisine, but is also includes foods inspired by other countries as well. There is a strong Japanese influence in many dishes here. Everything is served tapas style, and everything is DELICIOUS.
We visited the Fuencarral location, but there are nine other locations throughout Madrid!
Circulo Bellas Artes Rooftop
If there’s no rooftop included in the blog post, did I even really write it?
Perched on top of an art exhibition, Circlo de Bellas Artes offers one of the best views of Madrid, especially Plaza de Cibelas and Gran Via. We grabbed a couple drinks here and watched the sunset. It’s a 5€ charge to go up to the rooftop.
Note: The service here was the worst service I’ve ever gotten. I’m normally not one to complain about service, but the staff here were quite rude. I wouldn’t feel right recommending this place without mentioning this! However, I think the wonderful view is still worth it, especially for only a 5€ price tag.
Mercado de San Miguel
This traditional Spanish market was one of my favorite experiences during our time in Madrid! Once you walk inside, you’re immediately overwhelmed by the rows of fresh tapas, meats, fish, and Spanish delicacies. There are over 30 vendors here, so there’s plenty of foods to choose from! This was such a fun way to try new foods. There are also vendors selling beer, wine, and champagne to pair with your tapas!
Mercado de San Miguel is just a short walk from Plaza Mayor, making it a perfect spot to grab some food after a day of sightseeing!
Bel Mondo
This beautiful restaurant is located in the Salamanca district. When you’re looking for something different than tapas, head here for some pasta and pizza dishes! Bel Mondo has two different areas with a very unique design – pictured is the terrace! It was so girly and everything was presented so beautifully.
Tapas Crawl on Cava Baja
Another one of my favorite experiences in Madrid! This tapas crawl was so much fun. Located in the La Latina district, Calle Cava Baja is a street lined with tapas bars. Start on one end, and see how many you can get to before you’re too full to move! We made it to five, each one even better than the next!
Here’s the tapas bars we tried: Diaz y Larrouy, Taberna Tempranillo, Casa Lucio, Taberna la Concha, La Perejila, Casa Lucas (our favorite)
We also noticed all the servers we encountered were just so friendly and loved giving recommendations! A few of them even helped us some with our Spanish. This was all around a 10/10 experience!
Chocolatería San Ginés
This world-famous chocolate shop has been open since 1894 serving their chocolate and churros. It’s a favorite among visitors as well as locals, who flock there after a night of partying for a late-night snack. It gets busy and the lines get long, but you can pass the time by looking through all the photos of celebrities that have visited tacked up to the walls. This place felt so vintage and nostalgic!