Source: Andrea
Madrid is Spain’s capital city. It is the third-largest city in the European Union. The total land area of Madrid is 604.3 kilometers-squared. The total population of the city is 3,141,991, 6,183,000 in the urban areas and 6,489,162 in the metro areas as of 2014. Madrid is popular for its historical neighbors and streets.
1. Visit Museums
The first thing you need to do once you arrive in Madrid is to visit museums to learn more about the city’s history, how the people from the past lived their life and the stories about the popular landmarks in Madrid. The bet museums for you to visit are Prado National Museum, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza) , Royal Palace of Madrid, Sorolla Museum, Museo Arqueologico Nacional, Queen Sofia Arts Center, Museo Cerralbo, Museo Lazaro Galdiano, Naval Museum, and CaixaForum.
2. Have a swim at the beaches
Madrid is popular for its beaches with fine white sand and the facilities surrounding it making it much more comfortable to unwind and relax away from the busy city. The best beaches in Madrid are Costa del Sol, Alberche Beach, Valencia, Madrid Rio, and Malaga. There are shops, cafes and restaurants just along the coastline which makes it easier for you to enjoy your vacation without traveling far from the beach just to grab a quick bite.
3. Visit churches
Churches in Madrid are quite magnificent. They are very ancient, they are not just a mere architecture but also a great story that is being well-preserved. Seeing the designs from the Romans and other ancient people will just give you goosebumps. The best churches in Madrid for you to visit are St. Michael’s Basilica, Church of San Nicolás, Parroquia de Santa Bárbara, Iglesia de San José, San Jerónimo el Real, San Cayetano Church, Iglesia de San Antonio de Los Alemanes, Iglesia de San Isidro and so much more.
4. Visit the Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the place where most tourists would absolutely go. Make sure you never miss going into this place. It is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, although they are not currently residing in the palace as of now. The palace is open for the public to see.
Information
- Name: Royal Palace of Madrid
- Address:Calle Bailen, 28071 Madrid, Spain
- Acess: 5 minutes away from Plaza de Oriente
- Price: $10-$30
- Phone: 34-914-548-800
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10:00AM-6:00PM
- Website: www.patrimonionacional.es
5. Taste local food
Of course, you wouldn’t forget to taste the local food. Madrid is famous for paella and brown rice. There are 7,989 restaurants and cafes around the streets, just choose one and you’re all good but for a better guide, here are some of the best restaurants that we suggest for you; STAGE, Alright, La Candela Resto, Moratin Vinoteca Bistrot, Eiffel, Restaurante Gastrovia 61, Everest Tandoori Nepali-Indian Restaurant, Maitia, Bahia Taberna, El Club Allard, Vinos de Bellota, Casa 9 Restaurante, Restaurante La Tragantua, and Taberna Origen.
6. Book some sightseeing tours
You might want to book some sightseeing tours to avoid all the hassle of organizing everything and trying to find the right place or destination. AN expert tourist guide will arrange everything for you and will even tell you additional facts and information about the landmarks and the places that you are going to visit.
7. Play room escape games
Room Escape games are quite popular in Madrid and it is a great way of building relationships and communication skills. It is basically just a room full of mysteries and problems to solve for a team to be able to exit. You will also get the opportunity to meet other people. The escape rooms in Madrid are Fox In A Box, EXIT Madrid, BrainBreak, Enigma Expres, The Rombo Code, El Gran Escape, Parapark and so much more.
8. Visit Palacio de Cibeles
Palacio de Cibeles is formerly known as Palace of Communications until 2011. It is an ancient architecture that you will surely leave you mesmerized. It will enable you to get a birds-eye view of Madrid. The palace just dominates the skyline with its impressive architecture.
Information
- Name: Palacio de Cibeles
- Address:Plazade la Cibeles, 1, 28014 Madrid, Spain
- Acess: 10 minutes away from Naval Museum
- Price: $5-$10
- Phone: +34 91 480 00 08
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00AM-5:00PM
- Website: www.centrocentro.org
9. Visit Templo de Debod
Templo de Debod is a park with ancient architecture and a great view during the sunset. You can spend around 30 minutes taking pictures and enjoying the view. You can also have a little picnics at the corners. These are Egyptian architecture, there are placards around to give more information about the place.
Information
- Name: Templo de Debod
- Address:Paseo de Rosales, Madrid, Spain
- Acess: Walking distance from Plaza de Espana
- Price: Free
- Phone: +34 91 480 00 08
- Opening hours: Open 24 hours
- Website: www.madrid.es/portales/munimadrid/es/Inicio/templodebod
10. Have a view of Gran Via
Gran Via is an area in Madrid that is very busy and is much more like New York’s time square. It is like the Central Business District of Madrid. This place is also great for shopping since local and international stores are just spread around the streets. You can either walk around the area or ride a hop-on-hop-off bus to have some sightseeing of the busy street.
11. Have a picnic at Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is one of the famous parks in Madrid. It is located near Puerta del Sol and it is the central plaza in Madrid that is built during King Phillip III’s reign. The plaza is surrounded by ancient buildings and architecture which makes it much more amazing as you stroll around the area.
12. Visit Fundacion Mapfre Recoletos
This is a place where exhibitions of futurism are displayed and it is free of entrance for the public. It is an unusual subject but very well presented. There are excellent and complete stories of each work of art that you would absolutely love to read. Knowing just a bit of it would make you interested in the work of art.
Information
- Name: Fundacion Mapfre Recoletos
- Address:Paseo de Recoletos 25, Madrid, Spain
- Acess: Walking distance from National Library of Spain
- Price: Free
- Holiday: 915-816-100
- Opening hours: 8:00AM -5:00PM
- Website: www.fundacionmapfre.org
13. Have a walk or run at Madrid Rio
Madrid Rio is a park with walking and bike trails. There sports areas, bridges, fountains, and ponds. It is great for a picnic and also for walking and running. You will surely not notice the amount of time you spend running or walking because of the magnificent views. This is a great place to unwind and get away with the busy city.
14. Book some walking tours
Bus tours and such might make you miss the wonders of Madrid. Try booking some of the walking tours offered by various travel agency so that you would be able to stroll around Madrid, explore every corner and fall in love with the city without any worries. There will be an expert tourist guide to guide you throughout the entire time of walking so no need to worry that you might get lost.
15. Experience delightful music at Auditorio Nacional de Musica
Why not try something new in Madrid and listen to the local talents around the area at Auditorio Nacional de Musica? You will surely be blown away by the performances. The place is just so classy and spacious and when the performer starts to perform it will just feel like magic. It is an amazing concert hall with superb acoustics.
Information
- Name: Auditorio Nacional de Musica
- Address: Principe de Vergara 146, 28002 Madrid, Spain
- Acess: 15 minutes away from Parque de Berlin
- Price: Varies
- Phone: 91 337 01 00
- Opening hours: Varies
16. Experience nightlife
Enjoy every moment of your stay in Madrid by experiencing the nightlife of the city. You might think that it is very boring because of the ancient stuff but it’s not, it is just like any other city. Spend the night meeting new people and having fun at Sala El Sol, Teatro Kapital, Templo del Gato, Kapital, El Fabuloso, BarCo, Taboo, and Charada.
17. Pamper yourself
After a long busy day of strolling around the city and exploring the landmarks of Madrid, take your time and pamper yourself at one of the best spas in the city. It is a great way to put your mind at ease and just relax, especially that traveling sometimes is very tiring. The spa’s around the city are Los Nogales, Spas Madrid, Chi Spa, Essential, Auditorium Spa and The Organic Spa.
18. Visit a gay bar
Enjoy Madrid in a unique and exciting way by visiting Gay nightclubs. If you are curious about what it looks like and how it feels like then visit one of the gay bars and enjoy the nightlife in one of the famous gay bars in Madrid at Sauna Puerta de Toledo, Coto Cruising Bar, Principe Sauna, Sauna Octopus, and Sauna Llavapies.
19. Visit Puente de Toledo
Puente de Toledo is an ancient bridge in a Baroque style by architect Pedro de Ribera. This place is great during sunset and at night. It is very romantic, solemn and mesmerizing. You will also see lots of sunflowers and beautiful sceneries along the way as you walk around the area.
20. Visit the Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Zoo Aquarium de Madrid is 20-hectare zoo and aquarium. The zoo is owned by the city itself. There are 2,000 animals in the zoo and it is one of the largest zoos in the world. This place is great for families with little kids as well. Don’t forget to wear a comfortable pair of shoes as you maybe walking around for long distances.
Information
- Name: Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
- Address: Casa de Campo, s/n, 28011 Madrid, Spain
- Acess: 15 minutes away from Parque de Berlin
- Price: $10-$30
- Phone: 34 91 512 3770
- Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 11:30AM-7:00PM
- Website: www.zoomadrid.com
21. Do some shopping
Shopping has never been hard in Madrid. You will get almost everything you need in the city center or in the streets. There are a wide variety of products and stuff that you need along the streets including stalls with local products, stuff that is great for gifts and souvenirs are easy to find as well.
22. Visit and relax in the park
There are a lot of parks in Madrid. Just choose one and enjoy your day. It is a great way of killing the time, if you are waiting for someone or something at least you are still enjoying the views while waiting or if you just want to sit and have a good time then the parks are always a better place to chill.
23. Visit some monuments
If you really want to enjoy every moment in Madrid, you should really go and visit if not all but one of the monuments. The monuments that are great to visit and take pictures are Plaza Monumental de Toros de las Ventas, Monumento Cervantes, Monumento a Filippo IV, Monumento de Cristobal Colon and so much more.
24. Experience sunset at Cerro del Tio Pio
This park has a great view of Madrid especially during sunset that it will feel so magical. There are cafe’s around the area so you should be able to sit in a cafe and enjoy the sunset. This is a lovely thing to do especially on your last day of the trip. You just sit there with no worries, enjoying the moment.
25. Watch bullfighting
Bullfighting is one of the traditions in Spain. It is not illegal and it is sacred to them if you want to experience Madrid like one of the locals then watching one of the bullfights is a great idea. Just expect a bloody fight and a very crowded arena. You should be able to enjoy it anyway.
Have a good trip and travel!
