Madrid: What to Do Beyond the Obvious

Madrid rewards people who stay for a week rather than a weekend. The Prado alone deserves two full visits, the neighbourhoods are all different, and the city runs on a schedule that will fight your body clock for the first three days. Dinner before 9pm marks you as a tourist. Embrace it or resist it; either way, you’ll eventually adapt.

The Art Triangle

The Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen-Bornemisza sit within ten minutes’ walk of each other in the area around Paseo del Prado. The Prado (€15, free 18:00-20:00 Monday-Saturday and 17:00-19:00 Sunday) holds Velazquez, Goya, El Bosco, and Rubens at levels that genuinely justify the hype. Don’t try to see all of it in one go. The Reina Sofia (€12, closed Tuesdays) has Guernica, but also a serious collection of Miro and Dali beyond that one painting most people rush straight to.

The Thyssen is often overlooked but has the best collection of Dutch Golden Age work in Spain. All three offer a combined ticket for around €32 that’s valid for several days.

Neighbourhoods Worth Knowing

Malasana is the one young Madridelenos actually go to. Calle del Pez and the streets around it have good cocktail bars and no pretension. Prices are lower here than in Chueca one neighbourhood over.

La Latina on Sunday morning means the Rastro flea market (every Sunday, 09:00-15:00) followed by vermut at a bar on Calle Cava Baja. This is a legitimate local ritual, not a tourist activity.

Lavapies is the most ethnically mixed neighbourhood in the city, with excellent cheap Ethiopian and South Asian food and the Centro Dramatico Nacional for theatre if your Spanish is up to it.

Eating

Botin on Calle Cuchilleros claims to be the world’s oldest restaurant (Guinness certified, operating since 1725). The roast suckling pig is the reason to go; the cocido madrileño is good but you can get it cheaper elsewhere. Budget around €50 per person with wine.

For tapas at genuine local prices, avoid anywhere near Plaza Mayor. Head to Calle Ponzano in the Almagro neighbourhood, where bars are doing the old-fashioned thing of putting a free pincho on top of your drink order. A glass of house wine in these places costs €2-3.

Mercado de San Miguel, despite being aimed squarely at visitors, has excellent jamón and anchovies if you can tolerate the crowd.

Getting Around

The metro is clean and cheap, with a 10-trip card covering zones A and B1 for around €12.20. The city is also very walkable between the centre and Salamanca. Taxis are reasonable; the base rate starts at €2.50.

Practical Notes

Book the Prado in advance in summer, or go first thing on a weekday. Most museums are free on certain days and those slots fill up. The city is busy from June through August; April-May and September-October have better weather and smaller queues. The tap water in Madrid is fine to drink, which matters in the heat.

A day trip to Toledo (30 minutes by high-speed train, €12 each way from Atocha) is worth doing, particularly for the cathedral and El Greco’s house museum.