Yearly Archives: 2013

La Barceloneta: A beach in the touristic centre of Barcelona

November 29, 2013Barcelona, Beach, mountain and nature, Streets and monumentsJorge

La Barceloneta beach (Playa de la Barceloneta) is probably the most popular beach of Barcelona. It is placed in the city touristic centre, at 5 minutes on foot from La Rambla and Columbus Monument.

Also, La Barceloneta is the name of the marine neighborhood which occupies the area around the beach. This historic neighborhood was designed and built in the XVIII century, taking the ground from the sea.

To arrive at La Barceloneta, you can take the metro (Line 4) until Barceloneta Metro Station or Ciutadella – Vila Olímpica Metro Station.

What to visit in La Barceloneta

– The beach (Playa de la Barceloneta): As Barcelona has a warm climate; its beaches have many people during all the year (except maybe in winter).

Frequently, most of the people who go there to have a bath, swim and sunbathe are tourists. That is because the citizens of Barcelona prefer to go to other places where there are fewer people. However, we highly recommend to visit La Barceloneta beach and its surroundings, surely you will enjoy it.

– Ronda Litoral and the seafront: This avenue starts in Barceloneta Metro Station, near the old port and Marina, and goes along the beaches which are in this part of the city.

– Marina / Port Vell: A nice place to see the sea and the ships. Also in there you will find some restaurants and cafes.

– The olimpic port of Barcelona: The olimpic port is placed between La Barceloneta and “Nova Icaría” beach.

More popular places to see near La Barceloneta

– Columbus Monument (Monumento a Colón): One of the most famous statues of Barcelona city. It was built in 1888 for a Universal Exposition and it represents a statue of Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon) above a pillar, pointing with his right hand to the sea.

– Las Ramblas Avenue: Las Ramblas goes from Catalonia Square to the seaport, and it has a lot of cafes, terraces, pubs and discotheques. In the end of the street, there is the Cristobal Colon statue, one of the icons of Barcelona.

– Maremagnum: This commercial center is located between Colón Monument and La Barceloneta (Moll d’Espanya del Port Vell), just above the sea. In there, you will find shops, terraces, discotheques and a lot of hobby activities.

– The Aquarium of Barcelona (l’Aquarium): The aquarium is in the same location than Maremagnum Comercial Center. They have almost 4 millions tons of water in their pools, where you will be able to see the best of the Mediterranean Sea.

Other buildings and monuments in Barcelona

– The Güell Park: People who visit the beautiful Güell Park can enjoy strolling in its area, sitting down on its decorated benches or admiring its fantastic architecture and the perfection the artwork.

– Church of the Holy Family (La Sagrada Familia): It is a must for tourists that arrive in the Condal City see its outstanding architecture, design and sculptures.

More places nearby

– Sitges: Sitges is also known for its Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, the Barcelona-Sitges Vintage Car Rallys and its Carnival Celebration.

– Castelldefels: Castelldefels is located on the Mediterranean Sea coast of Catalonia, just to 18 km away from Barcelona city.

– La Pineda: With only 3,000 inhabitants, La Pineda (Vila-Seca) is a small town located in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula, at Tarragona Province.

– Salou: Salou is a reference for the holydays of Spring and Summer in Spain.

If you want to visit the whole county, read also our post about the best cities and monuments in Spain.

What to see in Santiago de Compostela / Ciudad Vieja de Santiago de Compostela

November 28, 2013Emblematic buildings, Santiago de Compostela, Tours and Guidesjulia

Santiago de Compostela is the Capital of Galicia region and is well known all over of the world as a lively city. Santiago it is not only popular with the tourist because its cafes and surroundings but also its architecture, museums, gastronomy, and of course El Camino de Santiago (The Way of S. James). Visitors interested in culture should not miss out the Ciudad de la Cultura de Galicia.

The Old City of Santiago de Compostela is a monumental and well preserved medieval city and its ancient buildings were constructed around the tomb of Apostle Santiago. In fact, in 818 Alfonso II king of Asturias, known as the Casto ( 760-842), ordered to build a church in the same site where the hermit Pelayo had found the tomb of the Apostle in 814. Although the city was destroyed by Almanzor in 997 it was rebuilt in the 11th and 12 th centuries. Moreover in the following centuries emblematic buildings were constructed in this city which was declared a World of Heritage site in 1985.

Santiago de Compostela is situated in the north-west of Spain and has about 96.000 inhabitants. It takes about two days to visit Santiago of Compostela city. You can arrive in Santiago by car, by bus, by train, by air, and of course, on foot because the most people make a pilgrimage to the Way of Saint James.

Route: The Old City of Santiago de Compostela

Actually there are so many interesting buildings in this baroque city that the best option is to stroll along its pedestrian streets and squares admiring its architecture, such as Obradoiro Square which is the most famous site of the city, here tourists can see: the Cathedral, the Hostal de los Reyes Católicos, Colegio de San Xerone and Palacio de Raxio all them worth a visit. Surrounding the Cathedral visitors will find other three squares and several streets all are must-see places.

Bordering the Cathedral visitors will find other three squares: The Inmaculada Square with the Monastery of San Martiño Pinario in baroque style. The north facade of the Cathedral features baroque and neoclassical elements, it is a perfect place to take a rest. The Quintana Square with the Monastery de San Paio of Antealtares, the Cathedral’s Clock Tower which has one of the most big bell in the world that can be heard from 20 kilometres around, and the baroque Holy Door facade in the east of the Cathedral. Finally, Platerias Square is bordering the Clock Tower. In the Romanesque south facade of the Cathedral, it’s located La Casa del Dean (the Pilgrims Office), and in the middle of the square is the Fountain of the Horses.

Following the walk through its medieval streets and squares visitors will enjoy baroque, romanesque, renaissance and neoclassical buildings in Rua do Vilar, Rua Nova, Rua Tras Salome and Rua Franco which is well known by its traditional restaurants, taverns and bars where people can have a drink or try their traditional tapas. Before going to Cathedral visitors should visit Colegio de Fonseca where they can stare a breathtaking cloister. By the way, most tourists will like to experience the pilgrim mass and watch the botafumerio in action, so they should know that it is at 12 midday in the Cathedral.

It takes 3 hours to visit the old city on foot, however, if people want to attend the pilgrim pass it will take about 5 hours.

Tourists will enjoy the city more if they have free time to take a rest or have a drink and eat some tapas in the taverns and bars before entering the Cathedral.

What to visit in Santiago de Compostela

– The Cathedral of Santiago of Compostela is the largest Romanesque church in Spain it was constructed between 11th and 18th centuries, (in Romanesque, Gothic, renaissance and baroque style) its great beauty, design, splendor let us imagine its history. Therefore, a must for people who arrive in Santiago is the Cathedral and its spectacular facades: the Obradorio in the west and Holy Door in the east are baroque style , the Platerias in the south is Romanesque style, and Inmaculada in the north is neoclassical style, to add the four squares around the cathedral which have interesting buildings.The inside of the Cathedral is spectacular and although you have heard a lot of tourists talk about the outstanding Cathedral until you see it yourself it is impossible to imagine.

Do not leave the Cathedral without seeing its museum, cripta (crypt) and claustro (cloister). If you have free time do not miss out going up the rooftops of Cathedral you will like the breathtaking view of the city and surroundings. By the way, if you want to attend the pilgrim mass it is at 12 midday. Do not forget it is the destination The Way of S. James’ pilgrims.

– Mercados de Abastos (Food Market): is the most visited market in Santiago by citizens and tourists who can buy the best fresh seafood and market’s bar will cook it while shoppers look around and wait for their lunch. In a friendly way tourist will enjoy the traditional market where people can taste the delicious fruit, fish, cheese, honey wine and so on. It is placed in the Old City.

– The Alameda Park, which is near the old city, has a lot of facilities for tourists, citizens and children, being an ideal place for all family with its drinking fountains, picnic area , benches for resting is the most visited park in Santiago for the walks and leisure, Moreover this park has the best points to taking beautiful photographs of the cathedral above all at sunset.

– Way of St James. Pilgrimage routes: Most visitors to Santiago are here to experience the Way of S. James. Because it is the final destination of the pilgrims. It was declared a World Heritage site in 1993 by UNESCO

Read also our post with the best cities and monuments to visit in Spain.

Estatua de Colón / Columbus Monument (Barcelona)

November 26, 2013Barcelona, Streets and monumentsJorge

Columbus Monument (Monumento a Colón) is one of the most famous statues of Barcelona city. It was built in 1888 for a Universal Exposition and it represents a statue of Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon) above a pillar, pointing with his right hand to the sea (metaphorically, pointing to America, although actually the statue is pointing to Italy).

Columbus statue is placed in the “Peace Square” (Plaza de la Paz in Spanish or Plaça de la Pau in Catalan), which is between La Rambla Street and the port, at the cross of Colon Avenue. The monument measures 60 metres in height, and it is made of iron and bronze.

This area of the city is one of the most popular among the citizens and tourists who visit Barcelona: That is because, staying at Colon, on one direction you will find the Port and the beach, and in other direction there is Las Ramblas Street, where you can visit some important museums, the Gothic neighborhood, La Boquería Market, Catalonia Square, Barcelona Cathedral and many more places. Also, it’s a good place to have a lunch and at night there are many bars and pubs for young people in the area.

To arrive at Columbus Monument, you can go by metro (Line 3, Drassanes Metro Station).

More important places near Columbus Monument in Barcelona

– Las Ramblas: “La Rambla” is a famous street in the centre of Barcelona where citizens and visitors can walk, visit monuments, eat and rest in the terraces, see the port of Barcelona, go shopping or go to pubs during the night. Generally, the whole area around this street is full of people, not only during the day, but also in the night.

– Maremagnum: This commercial center is located beyond Columbus Monument, just above the sea. In there, you will find shops, terraces, discotheques and a lot of hobby activities.

– La Barceloneta beach: In summer, you can sunbathe or swim in the beach of La Barceloneta, which is 5 minutes walking from Las Ramblas – Columbus Statue.

La Latina Neighborhood: Eating and drinking in the center of Madrid

November 24, 2013Gastronomy, MadridJorge

La Latina is a central neighborhood of Madrid whose bars and restaurants are highly popular among the citizens.

In Madrid, many people is used to going to La Latina at the weekends (especially on Sundays, at midday and afternoon), and visit its bars to eat “tapas” (small dishes of food) and “cañas” (glasses of beer) or wine.

To arrive at La Latina in Madrid, you can go by metro (La Latina Metro Station, using the Line 5) or walk from Puerta del Sol or Plaza Mayor (10mins approx.).

Bars, restaurants and terraces in La Latina

At the weekends, La Latina is always full of people, especially on Sunday at lunch and dinner time, but also in the afternoon and night.

Once you arrived at the metro station, you will see premises everywhere. If you want to eat, our recommendation is to go to “Cava alta” and “Cava baja” streets and check the offers of the different bars and restaurants of the area.

On Cava alta and Cava baja streets, there are a lot of premium places, and also much cheaper ones which offer original and good quality food (from my point of view they are the best places). Finally, some restaurants are cheap but the quality of the food is not the best, so we recommend to look for the best places which could offer a good price.

Other interesting places in the neighborhood: Cebada Market and La Latina theater

Apart from the restaurants, La Latina is also known for its Theater (Teatro de La Latina) and its Market, called Mercado de La Cebada. Both places are visible from the exits of the Metro Station. Read also our post about What to see in Madrid.

Lavapiés: Another zone to eat, near La Latina

If you have already been in La Latina and you want to try something new to eat, Lavapies Neighborhood is placed really close to La Latina and there you will find many more restaurants. When we talk about restaurants, Lavapiés is divided in two zones: On one hand, in Lavapiés Street there are plenty of places to eat ethnic food (Indian, Turkish, Libyan, African…). On the other hand, in the surroundings of Lavapiés Metro Station you will have the opportunity to eat tapas and Spanish food.

More places to visit in Madrid, near La Latina

– El Rastro: (Only on Sundays) In this street market you will find clothes, books, art, antiquities and any other kind of objects. The market is placed at Ribera de Curtidores Street and its surroundings all Sundays from 9:00 to 14:00 h. – Puerta del Sol: This emblematic place is one of the reference points more used in the city, and many citizens are used to dating with other people from this point. – Plaza Mayor: In this traditional square there is a Felipe II statue rounded of white ancient buildings. The young people in the city are used to going to this square to eat squid sandwiches. Moreover, some politicians told once about taking a coffee in there… but from our point of view, there are a lot of better -and cheaper- places in Madrid places to do it). – San Miguel Market: Inside of this famous market you will find an incredibly variety of food: juices, “tapas”, “croquetas”, hamburgers, fruit, fish… all of this of the highest quality. – San Anton Market: This market is placed in the center of Chueca Neighborhood, It is focused in “tapas” and premium food to eat in its stalls and restaurants.

Granja de San Ildefonso: A Royal Palace with gardens and fountains (Segovia)

November 22, 2013Emblematic buildings, SegoviaJorge

The Royal Palace of San Ildefonso (popularly known as La Granja de San Ildefonso) is a magnificent palace located in San Ildefonso, a small town of Segovia. This palace is famous for its wide gardens with fountains and statues, which are visited by many tourists both in summer and winter.

San Ildefonso is 90km away from Madrid. To arrive there you can go from Madrid by car (1 hour trip aprox.) or from Segovia, which is really close to the palace.

The Royal Palace of San Ildefonso

The Royal Palace of San Ildefonso is a group of buildings that includes the palace, a church, a square and some other buildings. It is surrounded by the town at the entrance of the palace and, behind it, it is placed the gardens with its fountains and statues.

Talking about its history, the palace was rebuilt in 1700 by Carlos II, after several fires. Some years later, in 1724, Felipe V lived there twenty years of his life and improved a lot the gardens and fountains, which currently are the most famous part of San Ildefonso.

Visiting the interior of the palace can cost between 4 and 9€. However, to visit the gardens and its fountains is free. (Many people go there only to see the gardens).

The gardens

The gardens of San Ildefonso have an XVIII style and were designed by René Carlier. They consist on a combination of forest areas with paths, statues and fountains inside them.

To visit the gardens is free, and it is a perfect place to stay one day resting, taking photons and enjoying the nature.

The fountains

Inside the gardens, the most popular elements are the fountains. They are placed all in the gardens and some of them have marble statues of gods as Apollo and Neptune. Also, you will find some waterfalls, bridges and many more.

In total, there are eleven fountains: Carrera de caballos (Horse race) , La cascada (The cascade), El canastillo (The basket), Las ocho calles (The eight streets), Las ranas (the frogs), Los baños de Diana (Diana baths), La Fama (The fame), La selva (The forest), Los dragones (The dragons) and Las Tazas (The cups).

San Ildefonso: The town

San Ildefonso Town is by the entrance of the palace. Although is a small town, is the perfect place to park your car, to rest, to take a coffee and eat the traditional food of Segovia in its restaurants.

Touristic map of El sitio de San Ildefonso: Royal Palace, gardens and fountains

Here you have a map of the palace and the gardens with its fountains and statues.

More cities to visit near San Ildefonso

– Segovia: With its impressive roman aqueduct and its Alcazar, Segovia is a must for tourists who are visiting the central region of Spain.

– Madrid: The capital of the country is always plenty of cultural and leisure activity.

– Salamanca: Salamanca has the most ancient university of Spain. Also, visiting its historic centre is like to stay in the medieval age, surrounded of elegant stone-made buildings, churches, squares and monuments. Salamanca is surely one of the best maintained traditional cities of the country.

– Toledo: Toledo is an historical city with a lot of ancient buildings and monuments which make a medieval atmosphere for everyone who want to visit it.

– The best cities to visit in Spain: Read here our list with the best destinations of Spain.

Plaza de toros de Las Ventas / Bullfighting Ring (Madrid)

November 14, 2013Emblematic buildings, MadridAnna

Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, simply known as Las Ventas is one of the most interesting thing to see in Spanish capital. It is a place where you can see the bull fights – an unique Spanish tradition. Its capacity – 23 798 spectators makes it the third arena in the world. It is also considered to be the most important place for bullfighters in Spain.

It is situated in the east part of Madrid, close to the metro station „Las Ventas” in the Salamanca district. The construction of the building started in march 1922 and was ended in 1929. it was build in the Neo-Mudejar style which consists of ceramic pieces. For the first time the place was opened in 1931, but with the beginning of the Civil War it was closed for three years. The building itself is very beautiful, with a lot of space inside.

The ring of the arena has 61,5 meters which makes it the biggest in Spain. The bullfightings start in the spring, normally in March and are celebrated until October. In May, there is a celebration of Saint Isidoro, the patron of the city. This is the reason why the bullfightings are celebrated every day, until the end of the month. In other times, you can participate in this tradition every Sunday. The arena is divided into two sections for viewers – one is in the sun and the other in the shadow. The ticket price depends on which place would you like to choose. The prices start from 2 euros for the place in sun and end at 250 euros for places in the shadow. If you are in Spain you should watch this event, so important for the Spanish people, at least once. If you are not supporter of corridas, you can just visit the building and admire its beauty from inside. The tours are organized every day

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More places to visit in Madrid (Spain)

– Plaza Mayor: In this traditional square there is a Felipe II statue rounded of white ancient biuldings. The young people in the city are used to going to this square to eat squid sandwiches. Moreover, some politicians told once about taking a coffee in there… but from our point of view, there are a lot of better -and cheaper- places in Madrid places to do it).

– Puerta del Sol: This emblematic place is one of the reference points more used in the city, and many citizens are used to dating with other people from this point.

– Gran Via Avenue: The most famous avenue of Madrid. It has a lot of theaters, coffee and ice cream shops. You can arrive there in 3 minutes from Puerta del Sol going on foot.

– Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park): The Retiro Park (Parque del Retiro) is a very popular park placed in the center of Madrid. It covers more than one square kilometer and it contains a lake with boats, many monuments, fountains, statues, gardens, restaurants and of course, a lot of trees and grass. If you want to visit Retiro Park, notice that you will need at least 3 hours to see it all.

– Plaza de Cibeles (Cibeles Square): Cibeles Square is placed in the center of Madrid, at the cross between Alcalá Avenue, Recoletos and Prado Avenue.

Read also our post about What to see in Madrid in one week.

Palacio Real / The Royal Palace (Madrid)

November 12, 2013Emblematic buildings, Madridjulia

Nowadays, the Royal Palace (Palacio Real de Madrid) is the official residence of the king of Spain Juan Carlos I, who uses it for important events because usually the King lives in a small palace called The Zarzuela.

History of The Royal Palace of Madrid

The palace was built between 1738 and 1755, and the king Felipe V (1683-1746) ordered its construction. Being one of the most emblematic buildings of Madrid, this large palace might remind some French tourist of the Luvre Palace.

To add, this outstanding palace was the home of the Kings of Spain from Charles III (1716-1788), son of Philip V, to Alfonso XIII (1886-1941) who abdicated in 1931 (grandfather of the currently King Juan Carlos).

Visiting The Palace

Visitors should stare its Royal Chapel, The Royal Armory which is one of the most important of Europe, The Throne Hall and Royal Chemist’s all of them are worth a visit. Moreover the palace has an luxury art gallery with stunning paintings.

It takes about one hour to visit this palace. However,it can take three hours if tourists go for a walk or have a drink while enjoying the visit and resting in its quiet gardens.

More places to visit near Palacio Real (Madrid)

– Catedral de La Almudena (Almudena’s Cathedral): This is the main cathedral of Madrid. It is placed in front of Palacio Real.

– Jardines de oriente (Oriente Gardens): A square with a beautiful gardens and two rows of statues on this sides. They are placed beside Palacio Real.

– Jardines de Sabatini (Sabatini Gardens): These gardens are placed by Real Palace, and also close to El Senado building.

– Plaza Mayor (Main Square): The Main Square was built around 400 years ago. It is surrounded by charming three-storey buildings, painted mostly in red, with beautiful windows.

– Puerta del Sol (Sun Square): Puerta del Sol (which means “Sun Gate”) is the name of the most famous square in Madrid.

– Gran via Avenue: Gran Via is one of the most famous streets of Spanish capital. It is situated in the center of Madrid and was built 100 years ago. The idea of the street was to join and improve the communication between the districts of the capital city.

– Plaza de España: There you can find the first skyscrapers built in Spain, and a beautiful fountain in the middle of the square with a statue of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza.

Read also our post about What to see in Madrid in one week.

One-week tour in Madrid: What to visit in seven days in Madrid city

November 10, 2013Madrid, Tours and GuidesJorge

This tour is for tourists who are visiting Madrid, people who are living in Madrid but they haven’t visited all of the city yet, travellers who like knowing new cities or erasmus students in Spain… In this article we are going to tell you what are the most relevant places in Madrid: From popular streets, parks and squares, to monuments, museums, football stadiums or restaurants and pubs areas.

Our trip are going to be organized in 8 days (one week and one extra day): In the first four days we will visit the most important sites of the city (monuments, important buildings, palaces…), in the next three days we will see some popular places in where the citizens are used to staying (amenities, places to rest or to have a lunch, night life…). The last day, the eighth day, is an extra day with some suggestions about other cities and towns near Madrid that, if you have enough time, you will enjoy visiting some of them.

Tip: Notice that the routes are thought to be done on foot, and the streets and buildings of each day are placed close to each other. Despite all, it’s highly recommendable to have a map in your hands before starting each route (you have a touristic map of Madrid on the end of this page).

Day 1: Plaza España, Templo de Debod, Palacio Real, Catedral de La Almudena, Mercado de San Miguel, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol.

The first day we are going to start visiting the most traditional sites of Madrid. Probably this is the route that most tourists visit because it’s a nice walk around the centre of the city. The start point is Plaza de España (metro lines 3 and 10).

– Plaza de España (Spain Square): Almost every city in Spain has its own “Plaza de España”. In this one, you can find the first skyscrapers built in Spain, and a beautiful fountain in the middle of the square with a statue of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza.

– Templo de Debod (Debod Temple): This magnificent Egyptian temple is located in Parque del Oreste, 5minutes on foot from Spain Square. Although the temple was once in Egypt, it was disassembled in 1960 and translated to Spain to avoid its inundation because of the construction of a dam in Egypt.

– Jardines de Sabatini (Sabatini Gardens): These gardens are placed by Royal Palace, and also close to El Senado building.

– (Optional: El Senado)

– Jardines de Oriente (Oriente Gardens): A traditional square with beautiful gardens and two rows of statues on this sides. In the center of the square there is a monument of Felipe IV. Also, in the background of the photo, behind the Felipe IV, you can see the Royal Palace.

– Palacio Real (The Royal Palace): The palace was built between 1738 and 1755, and the king Felipe V (1683-1746) ordered its construction. Being one of the most emblematic buildings of Madrid, this large palace might some French tourist remind of the Luvre Palace. Visitors should stare its Royal Chapel, The Royal Armoury which is one of the most important of Europe, The Throne Hall and Royal Chemist’s all of them are worth a visit. Moreover the palace has a art galery with stunning paintings.

– Catedral de La Almudena (Almudena Cathedral): This is the main cathedral of Madrid. It is placed in front of the Royal Palace.

– (Optional: Opera Square and Teatro Real)

– Mercado de San Miguel (San Miguel Market): Inside of this famous market you will find an incredibly variety of food: juices, “tapas”, “croquetas”, hamburgers, fruit, fish… all of this of the highest quality. The structure of the market was built in 1913 and consists in a beautiful combination of iron and glass. Before 1913, the market already existed, but these stalls was placed in the street.

– Plaza Mayor (Main Square): The Main Square was built around 400 years ago. It is surrounded by charming three-storey buildings, painted mostly in red, with beautiful windows. It was built when Madrid became a capital city of Spain. Before this, the Main Square was used as a market with vegetables and fruits. The construction started in 1617 and was finished 2 years later. It was the place of bull fightings, theatrical plays, knights’ tournaments or executions. Now it is a place full of restaurants and pubs.

– Puerta del Sol (Sun Square): Puerta del Sol (which means “Sun Gate”) is the name of the most famous square in Madrid. It is located in the city center, and it is connected with the rest of the city with the 1, 2 and 3 Subway Lines, and other trains lines which start there and finish in the suburbs and towns placed around Madrid. This emblematic place is one of the reference points more used in the city, and many citizens are used to dating with other people from this point.

Day 2: Museo Reina Sofia, Parque del Retiro, Puerta de Alcalá, Plaza de Cibeles, Gran Via.

Today we will visit more emblematic places in the center of the city. Take in account that Reina Sofia Art Center and Retiro Park are huge sites, so you will need at least 2 or 3 hours to see each of them. To start the route in Reina Sofia, go to Atocha Metro Station (Line 1).

– Museo Reina Sofia (Queen Sofia Art Center): This art gallery forms part of the “Madrid’s triangle”, next to Prado Museum and Museum of Thyseen-Bornemisza. These three art galleries are must-see places in Madrid. Each of them is full of masterpieces of art. This museum is dedicated to the modern art, mostly of the 20th century.

– (Optional: Estación de Atocha): Atocha train station. This station it is the most used train and metro stations of Madrid, so if you have to travel by train, probably you will have to go there. Inside it, there is a greenhouse with plants and a small “lake” with turtles.

– Puerta de Alcalá (Alcala Gate): The Alcalá Gate is placed in Alcalá Avenue, just between Cibeles Square and one of the entrances of Retiro Park. The monument was built in 1778 and it’s the most popular “gate” in Spain.

– Plaza de Cibeles (Cibeles Square): Cibeles Square is placed in the center of Madrid, at the cross between Alcalá Avenue, Recoletos and Prado Avenue. There are several reasons because this place is very popular. On one hand it’s in the middle of many remarkable monuments and buildings (in one direction you have Gran Via and Puerta del Sol; in other direction you can visit Retiro’s Park, the most famous park of Madrid, and in the other two directions you have the most important museums of the city: Prado, Reina Sofia, Tyssen and Caixaforum). On the other hand, some remarkable buildings are in Cibeles Square, as Palacio de Comunicaciones, Banco de España and Cibeles Fountain, which is in the center of the roundabout.

– Gran Via Avenue: Gran Via is one of the most famous streets of Spanish capital. It is situated in the center of Madrid and was built 100 years ago. The idea of the street was to join and improve the communication between the districts of the capital city.

Day 3: Museo del Prado, Caixaforum, Museo Tissen, Plaza de Neptuno, El Congreso.

Today we are going to visit more museums: El Prado, Thyssen and Caixa Forum. El Prado is the most important one, the rest of them can be interesting if you enjoy visiting museums, if not, you can skip them. To arrive at El Prado, you can go from Atocha Metro Station (Line 1), or from Cibeles (Line 2) walking 5 minutes.

– Museo del Prado (Prado Museum): El Prado, Reina Sofia, Tyssen, Caixaforum… All of these museums are in the city center. Although we know that it’s impossible to visit all of them on one day, we recommend you to visit El Prado and Reina Sofia, which are two of the best museums in the world (notice that you will need about 4hours to visit each one).

– Caixaforum (Museum)

– Museo Thyssen (Thyssen Museum)

– Fuente de Neptuno (Neptuno fountain): This fountain is placed in Cánovas del Castillo Square. Since Cibeles Fountain is used by the supporters or Real Madrid football team, this another fountain is used by the Altetico de Madrid football team’ supporters to celebrate its triumphs.

– Congreso de los diputados

– Puerta del Sol (Sun Square): Puerta del Sol (“Sun Gate”) is the name of the most famous square in Madrid.

– (Optional: Shopping at Calle Preciados, and eating at Calle Cadiz and surroundings): Preciados Street is between Puerta del Sol and Callao Square / Gran Via Avenue. This street is always full of people, and it’s a common place to go shopping.

On the other hand, Cadiz Street is behind Casa de Correos Building, in Puerta del Sol. This street and its surroundings is full of restaurants and bars, so it’s the perfect place to take a lunch and rest in any terrace.

Day 4: Las cuatro torres de Madrid, Puerta de Europa, Torres Kio, Paseo de la Castellana, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Nuevos Ministerios, Plaza de Colón, Plaza de Cibeles.

Today we are going to see the modern part of the city. We will start visiting The four Skyscrapers, in Begoña metro station, and then we will go trough Paseo de la Castellana until the city centre.

– Las 4 torres de Madrid (The four Skyscrapers): This four skyscrapers can be seen from many places of the city.

– Puerta de Europa and Torres Kio (Europa Gate and Kio Skycrapers): This skyscrapers are in the beginning of Castellana Avenue, one of the wider and longer avenues of Madrid, which begins here and ends in Colón Square, near to Cibeles.

– Paseo de la Castellana (Castellana Avenue): An emblematic avenue, full of shops, offices …and of course, vehicles 🙂

– Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (Santiago Bernabeu Football Stadium): The stadium of the Real Madrid Football Team.

– (Optional: Nuevos Ministerios): Nuevos Ministerios is a Metro Station located in Castellana Avenue. It’s very popular because its commercial centers.

– Museo nacional de ciencias naturales (Museum of Natural Sciences): If you are interested in the natural sciences, this museum is situated in the Palace of the Arts and the Industry, in José Gutiérrez Street, No 2 (the building can be seen from Castellana Avenue – Vitrubio).

– Plaza de Colón (Colon Square): This square is at the end of Castellana Avenue. Here you can see the Cristobal Colon Statue, the Colon Skyscraper and behind the square, the building of the National Library (Biblioteca Nacional).

– Monumento a Cristobal Colón (Colon monument) and Torres Colón (Colon Skycraper).

– Biblioteca nacional (National library)

Finally, from Colon Square, going through Paseo de Recoletos you will arrive at Cibeles.

– Plaza de Cibeles (Cibeles Square): Cibeles Square is placed in the center of Madrid, at the cross between Alcalá Avenue, Recoletos and Prado Avenue.

Day 5 (Friday): Plaza de Tribunal, Barrio de Malasaña, Calle de Fuencarral, Barrio de Chueca, Mercado de San Antón, Gran Via, Plaza de Callao.

At weekend you have to visit the popular neighborhoods of Malasaña and Chueca, in the city centre. They are separated from Fuencarral Street, which is full of shops and restaurants. The start-point of this route is in Tribunal metro station (Line 2).

– Plaza de Tribunal (Tribunal Square): Inside the old Tribunal Building, there is a museum with maps of Madrid between the 18th and 20th centuries and a big model of the city.

– Barrio de Malasaña (Malasaña Neighborhood): This traditional neighborhood is famous among the young population. You can discover a lot of alternative shops, restaurants and pubs in this neighborhood. (Photo: Plaza del 2 de mayo)

– Calle de Fuencarral (Fuencarral Street): One of the most famous streets to go shopping. It also separates Malasaña from Chueca neighborhood: On one side is Malasaña and on the another one Chueca.

– (Optional: Mercado de Fuencarral / Fuencarral Market): This Market is in Fuencarral Street, number 45. It is very popular between the young people. In there you will find a lot of fashionable and alternative clothes, complements and souvenirs.

– Barrio de Chueca (Chueca Neighborhood): Chueca is popular because its restaurants and its fashionable shops. It is also a reference in the gay culture.

– Mercado de San Antón (San Anton Market): This market is placed in the center of Chueca Neighborhood, It is focused in “tapas” and premium food to eat in its stalls and restaurants.

– (Optional: Espacio Telefonica): This is a art space that you can visit for free. It is placed in the cross between Fuencarral Street and Gran Via.

– Gran Via Avenue: Gran Via is one of the most famous streets of Spanish capital. It is situated in the center of Madrid and was built 100 years ago. The idea of the street was to join and improve the communication between the districts of the capital city.

– Callao Square: This square is in Gran via. Its surroundings are full of theaters, cinemas and restaurants. The perfect place for a weekend!

Finally… night life in Madrid. This Friday, we recommend you to visit during the afternoon and night Malasaña or Chueca. In there, there are always a good atmosphere and a lot of people having fun.

Day 6 (Saturday): Choose one option…

We haven’t visited yet many important sites of Madrid. As it’s impossible to visit all of them in one day, we propose you to choose some of them depending on yours preferences.

Option 1 -> El Escorial: The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial is an impressive building located in the surroundings of Madrid where the kings of Spain used to live. The palace was built in the 16th century, and currently it has a museum, a monastery, a crypt, a basilic, a library and gardens.

Option 2-> Route: Ciudad universitaria, Moncloa, Parque del Oeste, Teleferico de Rosales and Casa de campo.

Photos: Ciudad Universitaria (seen from Moncloa Metro Station), Teleférico de Rosales (placed in Parque del Oeste, near Templo de Debod) and Madrid’s Landscape, seen from Casa de Campo.

Option 3 -> Parque de atracciones or Parque Warner: The two most visited attraction parks of Madrid. In summer, it could be interesting to visit one of them to enjoy its roller coasters and its aquatic attractions.

Option 4 -> Route: El Matadero (art center), Madrid Rio (river and park) and Vicente Calderón (At. Madrid football stadium).

Photos: A bridge in Madrid Rio and Vicente Calderón Stadium (located just near the river).

Option 5 -> Plaza de toros “Las Ventas”: It is a place where you can see the bull fights – a unique Spanish tradition. Its capacity – 23798 spectators makes it the third arena in the world. It is also considered to be the most important place for bullfighters in Spain.

Option 6 -> Andén Cero: Once, this old metro station was part of the Line 1, but it was closed 70 years ago and currently is a museum where you can visit and imagine how were the first metro stations of Spain. It is placed in Chamberí.

Option 7 -> Museo de Sorolla. This museum is located in Paseo del General Martínez Campos 37.

Night life in Madrid: On Saturday, you can go to Puerta del Sol, Huertas Zone and Santo Domingo Square. This is the perfect place to eat, drink and meet people. It’s full of bars, restaurants, pubs and discotheques.

Day 7 (Sunday): El Rastro de Madrid and La Latina neighborhood.

On Sundays there are two places where the people use to go: El Rastro (a street market which covers several streets and where it is said that you can find near everything), and La Latina (a zone with a lot of bars and restaurants where the young people go to eat and chat).

– El Rastro de Madrid: In this street market you will find clothes, books, art, antiquities and any other kind of objects. The market is placed at Ribera de Curtidores Street and its surroundings all Sundays from 9:00 to 14:00 h. To arrive at the market, you can go to Tirso de Molina, Puerta de Toledo or La Latina Metro Stations.

– La Latina neighborhood: In La Latina, the young (and not so young 🙂 ) people are used to going at midday and afternoon every weekend (specially on Sundays) to eat tapas, sandwichs and drink beer and wine in the bars of its streets. The zone with more bars and restaurants is in The Cava Alta and Cava Baja streets, and the terraces that you can find in its surroundings. Metro station: La Latina (Line 5).

Day 8 (extra): Other interesting cities and towns to visit near Madrid.

There are many historical and touristic cities and towns near Madrid. Here we propose you some of them, where you can go by bus or by car in one or two hours approx.

You will need at least one day to visit each of these towns:

– Segovia: With its impressive roman aqueduct and its Alcazar, Segovia is a must for tourists who are visiting the central region of Spain.

– Toledo: Toledo is an historical city with a lot of ancient buildings and monuments which make a medieval atmosphere for everyone who want to visit it.

Touristic map of Madrid

Here you have a touristic map of Madrid with the relevant streets and monuments, and with the metro routes. You can click on it to see it bigger, or also you can ask for a map in any metro station of the city. (Notice that the map is a simplified version of the actual city. The location of the streets and buildings isn’t 100% accurate).

More cities to visit in Spain:

– Barcelona: This is the second bigger city of the country, and one of the most beautiful ones. Ideal for travel in summer, with a wide offer of cultural activities and a lot of party for young people.

– Seville city and Andalusía: This region is placed in the south of Spain. If you go there, you have to visit Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Cadiz and Malaga.

– Saragosse / Zaragoza: Saragosse is a city placed between Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. It’s a nice city to visit for one weekend. Also, it has The Pirinees in its north, the perfect place to organize excursions, do camping in the nature in summer and skiing in winter.

– Galicia and Asturias Regions: The north-west of Spain is the “greenest” region of the country. Ideal for excursions in the nature, resting in the beach in summer and taste its gastronomy.

– Top best cities and sites to visit in Spain: Read here our list with the best destinations of Spain.