Madrid
The best city break in Spain?
Madrid
Madrid is the fairy-tale capital of Spain, well known for its vibrant and absorbing atmosphere that will leave you wanting to return time and time again. Madrid is a city that comes to life at night, but has enough attractions to entertain the whole family from dawn to dusk. Whether you want to stroll the streets and immerse yourself in the architecture of the old town, or you want to eat and shop until you drop, you will not be disappointed!
WALKING TOUR
One of my favourite ways to get to know a new city is through a walking tour. Like many big cities around the world Madrid offers a number of free tours throughout the year with something for everyone whether you want to find your feet, learn more about the history and jump on a food tour.(We booked ours last minute from the tourist office located in Plaza Major.) Be prepared there can be a lot of standing around depending on the size of the group and how much information your tour guide wants to share, but as a general introduction it is a great place to start, often with a local perspective and quirky details not found in the guide book. It is advised you tip the guide – and trust me they will remind you of this at the start 🙂
MADRID PALACE
The Royal Palace of Madrid is one the most popular tourist attractions in the City and is the largest Royal Palace in Europe. The palace is still the official residence of the royal family, but it is mostly used for state ceremonies, which means that it is open to the pubic throughout the year, and for €13 it is worth adding to your time in Madrid. The building itself is very impressive and the architecture is amazing and is a lovely part of the City to walk around and explore, especially as the sun is setting and the light changes. The palace is open to explore independently, as part of a tour or with an audio guide. On this trip we did purchase the audio guides for €5 and it was interesting to listen to and definitely slowed us down during the visit – however I did feel a need to skip ahead a couple of times!
Check out my Instagram post for my top tips on avoiding the crowds!
TAPAS STREET
Now tell me honestly, this is the real reason you are heading to Madrid isn’t it! You won’t have any arguments from me here, as a trip to Spain is never complete without enjoying (lots of) Tapas. For the best experience and atmosphere in town then you will want to head to Calle Cava Baja – Tapas street. Located right in the heart of the City you won’t miss it, but the price and quality can vary drastically from restaurant to restaurant and you really do get what you pay for. Being a budget traveller I avoided the most expensive places and opted for the cheaper restaurants, making sure to follow a crowd as this is usually the best indicator of good food. I can honestly say I was not disappointed.
CHURROS
You had me at chocolate! Chocolate is the greatest food on the planet, so when you team up a delicious, sugary hot churro and a cup of thick melted chocolate, then you really have a dessert that cannot be beaten. You will find churros all over the city, but the most famous, must try spot is Chocolateria San Gines. This is the oldest Churro café in Madrid and exceeds its reputation! (and at a far more reasonable price than you might expect) Make sure to go inside and place your order at the counter and then try to grab a table outside to enjoy the atmosphere.
SUNSET
Now just because you are enjoying a city break in this busy metropolitan city, it doesn’t mean that you can’t take a break from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a moment of calm and for us the best place to do this was at Temple of Debod. The Temple of Debod is an ancient Egyptian Temple that was denoted, dismantled and rebuilt in the La Montana Park in the heart of the city. It is easy to find and is a short walk from the Plaza de Espana or it is also conveniently located on the Hop on Hop off bus routes. The park itself is a great escape, but if you walk along the Temple away from the road you will find the perfect spot to watch the sunset over the Cityscape.
GRAN VIA SHOPPING
So for those short trips, holidays or times when you want to blow the budget a little or a lot, then head over to the Gran Via. This is an area of Madrid that never seems to sleep and has it all! Bars, restaurants, shopping, theatres and amazing people watching spots and for many this is ‘classic Madrid’. But be warned this can be quite a touristy area, and with that be mindful of pickpockets.
CRISTAL PALACE
Next up on our trip is a two in one. The Cristal Palace (Palacio de Cristal) is a beautiful glass building modelled on the Crystal Palace in London and is a great place to walk around and often with lots of other tourists. But the bonus of this stop is its location, right in the heart of Retiro Park. This huge park is a green oasis that in 2021 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You could easily spend a whole day here, relaxing and enjoying a break from the heat. But my favourite part was the boat lake where you could hire a rowboat for €8 for 45minutes – per boat and not per person! Bargain! Though looking back, I know that I probably had more fun than Mick did, it was still a highlight of our time in Madrid.
ZOO
Ok so this last one I know can divide people, but we LOVE going to the Zoo! Be warned you will do more walking than you expect (especially if you are walking from the metro) so take plenty of water. We found it to be a clean, well-cared for Zoo, with a great selection of animals and areas to explore and the Pandas were a winner for us – once you’ve jostled with the crowds a bit. The food here is reasonably priced considering the options, but it wasn’t my favourite food of the trip.
TRANSPORT
Madrid is a great city for a short break or a longer stay, especially if you strike lucky with a hotel with a pool like we did and want to explore other towns and cities from here. From Madrid, Seville and Toledo are both a direct train ride away and make great day trips if you have the time. But however you spend your time you will not be disappointed. Madrid is a laid back, accessible city with most attractions within walking distance of each other with amazing (and fairly priced) food options around every corner!
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