I loved Madrid! A city full of life, busy from morning until night, at least in the summer, with beautiful places, high spirits, wonderful parks for people of all ages, and divine food. I hope to come back more often!
We went from Cascais to Madrid by car in 6 hours. As we were 4 adults and 2 children, we chose to stay in an apartment on Calle Espejo, just a few steps from Mercado San Miguel (3 minutes), the Royal Palace (5 minutes), Plaza Mayor (5 minutes) and Puerta del Sol ( 7 minutes).
Mercado San Miguel
Mercado San Miguel is a great option for those who want to snack on typical delicacies (squid rings, various tapas and hams are very common), and drink different beers, wines and sparkling wines. It has everything. There’s even a fruit stand and natural juice kiosk! It’s crowded, getting in there with a baby stroller is possible, but it’s a bit of a problem.
Royal Palace
The Royal Palace was the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, and nowadays it is only used for special events. Very beautiful, it is close to the charming Sabatini Gardens. It is possible to schedule a visit to the palace, with guides, and see the rich art galleries, the weapons of the royal members, and the kitchen (from past centuries), one of the best equipped and preserved in Europe. If you prefer to just watch the changing of the guard, it takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 11am to 2pm (from June to September the time changes to 10am to 12pm), but you need to pay attention to the weather conditions. See what their website says at this link.
Oh, and if you go in October, they celebrate on the 12th the “Día de la Fiesta Nacional de España”, which is a historic party of the discovery of America.
Plaza Mayor is surrounded by restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. There is the statue of King Felipe III, the Casa da Padaria, which dates back to 1520, becoming the most important bakery in Madrid, and the Arco de Cuteleiros, one of the 9 entrances to the square. If you visit the city at Christmas, you will also find an open-air market full of themed products.
Oso y el Madroño
The famous Oso y el Madroño (Bear and the Tree) statue is located at Puerta del Sol. The monument is from 1967, in bronze, is 4 meters high, and is the work of sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé. Scholars say that in the Middle Ages this animal existed in abundance in the surrounding areas, which is why it became the symbol of the city. But Puerta del Sol holds also another famous monument, the oldest clock in Madrid. Located at the top of the Post Office tower for over 150 years, it hosts New Year’s Eve celebrations, to the sound of chimes, with the square full of people eating the 12 grapes and placing orders.
Me and my family have visited these places on foot. But to get to know the other corners of Madrid, we have chosen to use the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus. It was the second time me and my husband used this type of tourist transport (the first time was in Rome) and it was worth it, as we only had a few days to get to know the city and we were also with my mother, my sister and two children.
Gran Vía
We got off at Gran Vía, the most famous street in Madrid. Huge and very busy, it reminded me of Oxford Street, in London. Full of shops, restaurants, and people walking from one side to another. After having lunch there, we headed to Puerta del Alcalá and El Retiro Park, both in Plaza de la Independencia.
Puerta del Alcalá y Parque el Retiro
The Puerta del Alcalá is historic, one of the entrances to Madrid. A very beautiful monument. And just across the street is the beautiful Parque el Retiro! What an atmosphere! Full of visitors, children playing, people having picnics, sitting on the grass sunbathing (very well-kept gardens), children’s characters walking around the park… There is also an artificial lake full of ducks, swans and fish, and it is possible to rent a little kayak for a few minutes. In the park are the Crystal Palace and the Passeio da Argentina (or the Statues), where you can see the statues of the kings of Spain.
Jardines de Sabatini
The next stop was the Sabatini Gardens. We saw the sunset there. Breathtaking! We continued walking to Parque de la Montaña, where from a viewpoint you can see the Royal Palace. It is very pleasant to walk around it, it is a park where many people run and exercise. Walking further, we arrived at the Temple of Debod and the Rosaleda de Madrid.
Temple of Debod, a monument from the 2nd century BC, is a gift from Egypt to Spain, a “thank you”. Responding to a call from UNESCO, Spain helped to save the temples of Nubia from submersion, due to the construction of Lake Nasser and its dam. The Temple of Debod was one of those saved Egyptian monuments. In the 1960s, it was dismantled and given to Spain, where it was reassembled.
Parque del Oeste
Lastly, we visited Casa de Campo. We took the Madrid Cable Car at Parque del Oeste (very close to Rosaleda) and went to see the largest public park in the city. It was the royal family’s country home, but it suffered with the civil war and had its buildings destroyed. Nowadays, it looks like a forest with a simple children’s playground. However, the view from the cable car is beautiful.
We were unable to visit the Prado Museum. There was a huge queue to buy tickets, so we decided to visit other places. But it is one of the most important in the world, and it is where one of the arts I like most is located, Las Meninas, by Velázquez. At the Prado Museum, you can also see the temporary exhibitions, or book time slots. If you don’t have the whole morning to look at the arts, you can follow one of the routes that the Museum offers (1h, 2h, 3h at the museum, etc.). There are different packages and prices, but I would like to say that people over 65 have a 50% discount, and people under 18 and people with some type of disability do not pay. Check more information on Prado Museum website.