Hotels in Madrid

They say that Paseo del Prado has more works of art per square metre than anywhere else and, considering that three of Spain’s leading museums are located here, we suspect they may be right. This corner of the city is home to the Prado Museum, where works such as ‘Las Meninas’, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ and ‘The Third of May 1808’ hang on its walls. It is also home to the Reina Sofía, with its ever-powerful ‘Guernica’, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, where you can see works such as ‘Hotel Room’ and ‘Woman in Bath’.

Madrid’s nightlife needs little introduction. In fact, you could cross the city going from bar to bar and club to club. Malasaña, Chueca, the Salamanca district or Lavapiés. Think of it as a kind of nightlife treasure hunt, with plenty of more laid-back options added to the mix over the years, from afternoon drinks and concerts — whether in intimate venues or huge arenas — to the musicals of Gran Vía, where there’s always a good excuse to start the evening singing at the top of your lungs. 

Whether you love international designer brands or one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, shopping in Madrid caters for every taste. You can go from the well-known chains and brands concentrated around the Salamanca district, Gran Vía or Fuencarral to the second-hand shops on Calle Velarde, not forgetting the treasures you can uncover on Sunday mornings among the more than 1,000 stalls at El Rastro, the city’s most famous flea market. 

In Madrid, the day starts with chocolate and churros at San Ginés, before continuing at one of the bars around Plaza Mayor, where you can lean on the counter and order a crispy calamari sandwich. Then it’s time to take a seat in one of the city’s centuries-old taverns, where cocido is still prepared much as it was hundreds of years ago. And when a leisurely meal turns into an evening out, you’ll want to keep going from one plate to the next around La Latina and Lavapiés. Make sure there are plenty of patatas bravas, entresijos and gallinejas. Oh, and take home some violet sweets from La Pajarita. They are the taste of Madrid. 

Madrid enjoys excellent transport links with the rest of Spain and the world. Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport is less than half an hour from the city centre, while Madrid has two high-speed AVE railway stations: Atocha and Chamartín. By road, the city is easily accessible via the main motorways. Once you arrive, you can get around using the Metro, Cercanías commuter trains and buses, as well as taxis and private-hire vehicles. Although, if your plans allow, our recommendation is to head out and discover Madrid on foot.