Madrid

Don’t miss

Madrid’s compact city centre is crammed with sights. West from Puerta del Sol is the beautifully arcaded Plaza Mayor, the lavish grand Royal Palace and Madrid’s opera house, Teatro Real. Eastwards is Madrid’s museum district, home to the legendary Prado art gallery and the peaceful gardens and Estanque Lake of Retiro Park.

Retail therapy

Madrileños love to shop. Calle Fuencarral, north of Gran Via, is lined with trendy fashion stores while Spanish high-street brands cluster around Puerto del Sol. For designer labels, visit Calle Serrano in the upscale Salamanca district or head to La Latina, south of Plaza Mayor, which transforms into a sea of stalls selling art to antiques at Sunday’s El Rastro market.

Eat & drink

Traditional tapas bars, marisquerias (seafood bars) and relaxing cafes pack Madrid’s centre. La Latina’s Cava Baja is lined with tapas bars serving up Madrid’s signature ‘creative cuisine’ or find new eateries in Chueca neighbourhood, north of bustling Gran Via. Enjoy beers and snacks in one of Plaza Santa Ana’s oak-panelled cervecerias or bar-hop in Madrid’s trendy Malasaña district.

Hidden gem

For spectacular views over Madrid, take the teleférico cable car over Casa del Campo’s 4000 acres of wild woodland. It leaves from Paseo del Pintor Rosales street, near Argüelles Metro station.