Madrid: a first-timer's guide to Spain's capital

Why go

Madrid is the place to understand Spain's art and its love of life outdoors. The Paseo del Arte holds the **Prado**, with Velázquez's Las Meninas and Goya's black paintings, the **Reina Sofía**, home of Picasso's Guernica, and the **Thyssen Bornemisza**, which fills the gaps from early Italian painting to pop art. Between visits you can row a boat in **Retiro Park**, a UNESCO listed landscape together with the Paseo del Prado, and finish the day with tapas and vermouth in a crowded bar.

Neighbourhoods to know

**Sol and the Austrias** form the historic core around Puerta del Sol and the arcaded **Plaza Mayor**, with the **Royal Palace** and **Almudena Cathedral** a short walk west. **La Latina** is the tapas heart, especially Calle Cava Baja, and hosts the **Rastro** flea market on Sunday mornings. **Barrio de las Letras** was home to Cervantes and Lope de Vega and sits right by the museums. **Malasaña** and **Chueca** are young, creative and lively at night, while **Lavapiés** is the city's most multicultural quarter. **Salamanca** is upmarket shopping, and **Chamberí** shows everyday local life.

What to see and do

Tour the Royal Palace, one of the largest in Europe, and watch the changing of the guard on the first Wednesday of most months. Walk Gran Vía for its early twentieth century skyline and catch sunset at the **Templo de Debod**, a real Egyptian temple gifted to Spain. Football fans tour the **Santiago Bernabéu**, Real Madrid's home. Quieter gems include the painter's house at **Museo Sorolla**, the **Cerralbo Museum** and the arts centre at **Matadero**. In May, the **San Isidro** festival brings traditional dress and free concerts; in summer, the neighbourhood fiestas of **San Cayetano, San Lorenzo and La Paloma** take over La Latina and Lavapiés.

Eating and drinking

Madrid eats late. Lunch runs from about two, dinner from nine, and many people graze on tapas instead. Try **cocido madrileño**, a chickpea and meat stew served in courses, the **bocadillo de calamares**, a squid sandwich near Plaza Mayor, **huevos rotos**, **callos** and **churros with chocolate**. The **menú del día** at lunchtime is the best value meal in the city. Markets such as **San Miguel** are pretty but touristy; **San Fernando** in Lavapiés and **Antón Martín** feel more local.

Day trips

Fast trains make Madrid a superb base. **Toledo**, a walled city of churches, synagogues and mosques, is about half an hour away. **Segovia** has a Roman aqueduct and a fairytale Alcázar. **El Escorial**, the vast monastery palace of Philip II, and the university city of **Alcalá de Henares**, birthplace of Cervantes, are reached by local train. **Ávila** has complete medieval walls.

Where to stay

For a first visit, stay around **Sol, Ópera or Barrio de las Letras** to walk everywhere. **Malasaña** and **Chueca** suit night owls, **Salamanca** and **Retiro** are calmer and more polished, and **Chamberí** feels residential. Rooms facing the street can be noisy late, so ask for an interior room if you sleep lightly.

Getting around

The metro is clean, safe and covers the whole city, including the airport. Buy a rechargeable public transport card at any station. Cercanías trains link the airport, Atocha and Chamartín stations and the suburbs. The centre is flat enough to walk, and taxis and ride hailing apps are easy. Pickpockets work the metro, Sol and the Rastro, so keep phones out of back pockets.

See all our Spain destinations, or use the free trip planner to fit Madrid into a wider route.