The 12 BEST THINGS to do in Madrid? Yea… not really…, but every time I casually search for information about things to do in the city, up pop links for the 10 Best things, 7 Best things, 20 Best things, etc. And those “Best Thing”s are frequently different, except for obvious tourist activities like a visit to the Royal Palace (El Palacio Real de Madrid).
So, what I think are my 12 “Best Things” in Madrid are simply 12 things that we ended up doing this week, not things that we identified that we wanted to do. As I went through the process of categorizing items to write about, it ended up being 12 general things that we did, most of which weren’t obviously outstanding. 🙂
That said, I will identify a couple of things that I think you should definitely have a go at. But all the rest are just left to personal choice really. They were good fun for us, but “Chacun a son gout”. Hmmmmm…. Should I be using a French expression in an article about Spain?
“Carrousel” Once again I am using a “Carrousel” format to present the photos in the best possible manner. If you click on the first photo (top-left), the whole thing pops up allowing you to click through the collection of images in a large format.
Here we go!
Get a Local SIM for Your Phone
If you have been reading me for a while, you know this is something I have been going on and on about prior to this. The reason I mention it again was because of the ease with which we got hooked up after our arrival in Madrid. There was an Orange store in the ground floor of our hotel, so we didn’t even have to go far to get it done.
When we walked in, a woman who spoke excellent English, took us over to an electronic kiosk/vending machine and walked us through the process. The process being – tap the sort of plan you wanted on the touchscreen… monthly, – insert a €20 bill into the money slot, – grab the little plastic card with your Sim when it popped out, and finally, – put the Sim in your phone and activate it. Bob’s your uncle! We walked in and walked out with two activated cell phones in approximately 10 minutes.
Having a local service provider means being able to use Google maps as you wander around town, search for information about sights you are visiting, and undertake all of the other general usages you use it for at home, without having to worry about the DREADED ROAMING FEES. Having a local phone number also makes it much easier to contact local businesses… e.g. making reservations at restaurants.
Eat a Calamari Sandwich
Apparently the making and eating of calamari sandwiches (bocadillo de calamares) is a long-standing culinary tradition in Madrid. Who knew? We have been to Madrid several times before, and never tweaked to this fact. This time, after buying and enjoying one, we observed that they were being sold everywhere. The takeout place we went to, Bar La Campana, is apparently “the place” to grab one. I know it is “the place” because I saw it in a YouTube video about the 10 BEST PLACES to eat in Madrid.
As you will see in the photos, the lineup was too long to wait to get inside to sit down and eat it in the little restaurant, so we got takeout. It was close to half an hour after picking it up before I tore into it in our hotel room, and it was still spectacularly good. And it only cost four euros.
It was totally amazing. I can hardly wait to get back to Madrid to have another. Put it on your list.
Visit an Art Gallery
I love art, and Madrid might be my favourite city in Europe in which to visit Art Galleries. There are three major ones, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Prado, and the Reina Sofía. The Reina Sofía is my favourite of the three because it specializes heavily in Spanish artists who fall into my absolute favourite periods of art… post-impressionism through modernism. Think Picasso and Salvador Dali. However, this time we returned to the Prado.
The Prado is home to an amazing number of art’s “greatest hits”; Velasquez’s “Las Meninas “, Goya’s “The Third of May 1808” and The Second of May 1808”, as well as “Charles IV of Spain and His Family”, El Greco’s “The Trinity”, Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights”, Caravaggio’s, “David With the Head of Goliath”. And on, and on, and on… Including works by greats like, Titian, Rubens, Dürer, Rembrandt, and Raphael.
Even if you are not a devoted art lover, you probably would enjoy a visit to any of these three great galleries. Not a must do, but you should consider it.
I was planning to share photos that I had taken myself of all this great art with you. I had taken photos in the gallery before, and it did not seem to be a problem. The first photo in this collection, a painting by Bruegel the Elder, “The Triumph of Death” was the only one I managed to take. The rest are from the web.
In the second room I went into, I was in the midst of setting up to take a photo of Bosch’s, “The Garden, of Earth and Delights” when I got yelled at for attempting to do so. This was not particularly disturbing because I have been yelled at in art galleries all over the world for trying to take pictures. The fact that I am not offering personalized photos should not detract you from enjoying the art. 🙂
Eat at Mercado de Saint Miguel
Dining at the Mercado de San Miguel might be another one of my “Best Things” suggestions. It is an open-air market where you can buy a wide range of food offerings from many different vendors. One of the great overall eating experiences in the city.
It is best to grab some seating before buying food because you typically have to wait a bit to get a spot to sit. You don’t want to be drifting around with food and drink with nowhere to go. This often involves wandering around through the seating area looking for a spot to sit or stand, and then pounce when you see an opportunity.
After we get settled at a table, I will go and get beverages, and then we take turns going to get food. This little bit of adventure always makes the experience just a little more enjoyable
And the food is amazing. Lots of great choices at reasonable prices.
The other great benefit of eating here is you often end up sharing a bar top table with other people. On this particular visit, we first shared our table with folks from Brazil, and then some girls from Italy.
Hang Out in the Plaza Mayor
I cannot believe I’m actually saying this. If you had asked me prior to this visit, I would have said, that the Plaza Mayor is a good place to walk through, pausing briefly to look around, and then moving on to someplace more interesting.
On this particular visit though, we decided that we would sit down and enjoy the sun at one of the patios of the many restaurants that line the square. Having a couple of refreshing adult beverages in the middle of the afternoon seemed like a good idea. Sitting there for over an hour, we realized there was lots going on. You just have to be there when it happens.
We watched a very entertaining group of buskers who drew a large crowd to their performance. And there are always all kinds of hawkers, dressed up in costumes, or providing costumes, for tourists to have their picture taken with. Occasionally, there are groups of individuals attempting to draw attention to a cause, and there are always tour groups wandering around the Square. Both are highly entertaining in their own right. 🙂
There are always people coming and going. So, there is great people watching on any given day.
Drink Chocolate
It was the Spanish who originally brought chocolate, or more accurately, the cocoa bean, to Europe from the Americas. It was historically served and consumed as a beverage, not in solid form as it is today.
Delightfully, chocolate is still available in liquid form in most regions of Spain. It is typically served warmed, accompanied with a pastry to dip in it. Most frequently it is served with churros, a stick like fried dough product.
Apparently, the best place… same YouTube video… to enjoy this liquid goodness in Madrid is Pastelería El Riojano. Having now been there, we will certainly plan on dropping in every time we’re in the city. And not just to sip and dip from their liquid gold. They have an amazing array of pastry choices available.
Unfortunately, our visit to the El Riojano did not go without incident. When I told the waiter that we would like to share an order of warm chocolate and churros, he looked down upon me with the greatest distain I have ever experienced from a waiter anywhere in the world… Except for in Paris, of course.
I’m not exactly certain what he said when explaining to me in Spanish that they… Did. Not. Serve. Churros… but it kind of felt like it was “this is one of the world’s great pastry shops, IT IS NOT THE BOLTON FALL FAIR, YOU MORON.” That notwithstanding, we enjoyed our hot liquid chocolate delight with a selection of “bizcochos de soletilla”… apparently what you dip into warm chocolate at El Riojano. Lesson learned.
Catch a Protest in the Puerta del Sol
OK, technically, you can’t really plan on watching a demonstration or march in the Puerta del Sol. But if you stay in a hotel facing the Puerta, there is a chance you’ll get to see and hear some serious chanting, whistle blowing, and fiery speeches. We were lucky enough to witness two such events.
The first I captured in the video below. It was interested individuals, many of them, dressed in medical whites, out informing whoever was around to listen, that they were fully in support of public healthcare for all. It went on for quite a while so when we when down to head out to do some errands the Love-goddess got to chat… or at very least, attempted to chat… with a couple of the protesters.
A couple of nights later yet another great brouhaha took place out in the Puerta after dark. This one turned out to be the Spanish Communist Party having their say. They even sang “Solidarity Forever”… In Spanish.
Retail Therapy
Neither the Love-goddess nor I are great shoppers. But “when in Rome”… Madrid in this case… it doesn’t hurt to go out and undertake a little retail therapy. Spain is home to one of the greatest department stores chains in the world, El Corte Inglés.
According to the font of all knowledge, Wikipedia, “El Corte Inglés S.A., headquartered in Madrid, is the biggest department store group in Europe and ranks third worldwide.” They are nicely laid out and well stocked with well-known International, and more importantly, great local brands.
We both sport some lovely fashion items that we have bought in Spain that are not available anywhere in North America. Check out a store the next time you are in Madrid or any other city or town where one is operating.
Eat Something New and Different
Yes, you are right; this is the fourth time I’ve mentioned eating or drinking in this little report. Hey, it’s Europe, and they have much higher standards for restaurant food than we have in North America, so it is a great pleasure to dine out here.
I will eat just about anything, so I am always willing to try out food offerings that are new to me. And in Spain, there are many. This little grouping of photos shows some of my favourites – many of which have already been consumed on this trip.
Stay at a Small Local Hotel
I use Rick Steves’ travel guides a lot when we are travelling in Europe. One of the things I really find useful is his hotel offerings. We have stayed in so many that he has mentioned that down the road I am going to do an article about them.
On this trip, we stayed in the hotel that he probably frequents the most when in Madrid, Hotel Europa Madrid. It is shown in an older video about a visit to the city. I mentioned it in my last post, but it is worth revisiting it here because I think it is one that you might want to try out.
You have probably noticed that I only very rarely make recommendations about specific businesses to frequent. That is because people’s interests and expectations are different, and what appeals to me won’t necessarily appeal to anyone else. But I think this little hotel would suit anybody who would like to be in the middle of it all while in Madrid.
Eat Outdoors
This will absolutely be the last time I will mention eating. I promise. We arrived on January 31 and have been eating and drinking outdoors whenever possible ever since. Just because it is a little bit cool does not mean that the Spanish abandon the patios. You will see them out there at virtually any time of day. And with good reason.
The weather is usually good enough to be outdoors, the service is at a delightfully unhurried pace, and there is great people watching to be had. When finished, you will have to ask for your bill, because it would be rude of the waitstaff to come over and drop it on the table to chase you away. The next time you are anywhere in Spain in the winter, get out there folks!
Go Walkabout
A very simple, and free thing to do, is just walk out the front door of your hotel and start wandering around without a specific destination in mind. You will need your phone with you of course so you can use Google or Apple Maps to find your way home, but there is nothing quite so delightful as stumbling across interesting places or events that weren’t on your agenda.
This small collection of images includes a video of a musical presentation by a group of street musicians.
Go on a Road Trip
We just did this, and it was wonderful. There are lots of interesting places to visit just outside of Madrid. Most are easily reachable by public transit and doable in a day. We went to the city of Toledo… which I will be reporting on next.
Things Not to Do
I suppose I should also be explaining here that there are some things you should not do while you were in Madrid… Or anywhere else in Europe for that matter. Here are a few that came to mind on this trip 🙂
