12 mad things to do in Madrid

Madrid is the capital of Spain and one of the craziest locations we ever visited in terms of partying. The title is apt because Madrid’s madness is beyond believable.

Every street was lively and filled with people enjoying their lives. This city never sleeps and the natives are party rockers. According to us, Madrid is the fashion capital because most of the young population were beautifully dressed. 

Football fever everywhere

The football fever was at its peak when we visited and all the main squares had set up temporary football stadiums and many other soccer activities were organized. It was full of life and vibe.

Things to do in Madrid

According to the plan, we were supposed to spend 2 and a half days touring Madrid. But due to flight overbooking issues with Iberia Express, we reached 24 hours late and lost an entire day. To know what happened, read our post on denied boarding with Iberia express

Day-1 Evening

1. Gran Via

We kick-started our evening by strolling the famous Gran Via area. This is the main walking street filled with lots of pubs, restaurants, hotels, and movie theatres. The city became more active and looked beautiful as the sun dawned. 

2. Madrid pub crawl

This is the best thing we enjoyed was the nightlife in Madrid. Read how we had one hell of a night at the nation’s capital.

Day-2

Puerta del Sol square

Puerta del Sol is a famous square in Spain. There are cafes and restaurants lined up across the square. It is also famous for ‘The Bear and the Strawberry Tree’ statue which is also the symbol of Madrid.

This famous statue is not always protected with barricades, there was an event going on in the square so they decided to put these red fences around totally bombing the pictures. 

3. Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Madrid. This Palace is the largest in Europe in terms of its floor area with 135,00 sq mts which includes 3418 rooms. It is almost double the size of Buckingham Palace. It takes 45 mins to tour the Palace.

The prices vary from 2€-15€. More information regarding prices and timings is at the Madrid Royal Palace official website.

4. Sabatini Gardens

This garden is a part of the Palace and sits right next to the Royal Palace. Entry is free and always open to the public. This is an ideal place to take a break and relax.

Street artists were performing and it’s very pleasant to see them as they bring out tunes of various Spanish songs. This garden also gives the best view of the Palace.

5. Almudena Cathedral

The Cathedral is located just opposite the Royal Palace. There is no entry fee, but it is closed for the tourists during religious prayers. We did not go inside the cathedral as we are not a big fan.

6. Plaza Mayor Square

This is another square with people buzzing with spirit. This place hosts events like soccer games and a bullfight. It is the main square for the food markets and also the annual Christmas market. It also has a bronze statue of King Philip II erected in the 1600s. 

7. San Miguel Market

It is an expensive indoor food market that offers a variety of bread, food, cheese, wine and beer. It is mainly known for its seafood choices. The prices were on the higher side so we did not buy anything here and just walked around to see the list of delicacies available.

8. Metropolis Building

The Metropolis building is an office that is the most photographed building in Madrid. It is located in the juncture of Calle de Alcala and Gran Via.

9. Puerta de Alcala

This huge structure stands tall in the centre of Madrid. It is immersed in Madrid’s traffic. Puerta de Alcala resembles Brandengurga Tor in Berlin.

10. Plaza de Cibeles

Plaza de Cibeles is a square located in the middle of a roundabout. It houses a huge marble structure which is an iconic sculpture in Madrid.

This place is also famous for its fountain. It is on the way to El Retiro Park. You can even get a panoramic view of the city from the top. It cost 2€ for adults and 0.50€ for children under 12 years. There is free entry on particular dates.

11. Plaza del Callao

Located near the Gran Via, like other squares, this location offers a variety of pubs, restaurants, and shops with high-end brands. Stroll through the streets and enjoy.

12. El Retiro Park

It is a humongous park with 15,000 trees located in the heart of Madrid. This is an ideal location to escape Madrid’s traffic, enjoy a chilled beer and beat the heat. We ended our day spending almost 2 hours in the park. Since we lost an entire day, we did not have time to visit the Crystal Palace, Templo de Debod, KIO towers and Cerro del tío pío park for sunset. Do consider visiting these places when in Madrid. Overall experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 Time of visit: May 2019

”I would rather have a passport full of stamps than a home full of things”– Anais Nin