10 Touristy Things to See and Do in Madrid

While I lived in Madrid, I opted for the same municipality as my university, a discussion I will explain in a later post. It took around 20-25 minutes to get into central Madrid by public transit, making the city very accessible while not living in the busyness of Spain’s captial. So from my exploration, I present to you, in no particular order, 10 areas or destinations I think you should see on a trip to Madrid.

1. Puerta del Sol
Central Madrid is sometimes synonymously referred to as ‘Sol’, in reference to the neighbourhood around Puerta del Sol. This plaza sits over a station for two Cercanias lines (the train that connects further distances in the autonomous province of Madrid) and 3 metro lines. Puerta del Sol is a semicircle plaza with two fountains. Across the street named Puerta del Sol, sits a plaque for kilometre zero. This is known as the origin point of all the roads in Spain, so this is the point that the distance between other Spanish cities and Madrid is measured from.

Following Calle Mayor out of Puerta del Sol, you will come to the tunnels that lead you into the plaza. The plaza hosts a statue of King Philip the Third on horseback and a Christmas market during the winter. There are cervecerias and restaurants around the enclosed plaza, but despite its toursity feel today, the plaza has a dark history. It became the main location for executions and torture in Madrid during the 1700s in relation to the Spanish Inquisition.

2. El Buen Retiro
Retiro park is one of the most famous locations in Madrid, and should definitely be on the list if you are visiting the city. It is a lovely park, with a number of attractions. The Great Pond (Estanque Grande de El Retiro), is near the north end of the park and is frequently photographed by tourists. You can rent a boat and go out on the pond if you’d like, but you can also just appreciate the view and walk along the pond itself.

If you continue south of the pond, you will come across the Palacio de Cristal, a glass house built in 1887 that houses contemporary art. The art installations change from time to time so you can come back to see new things.

3. The Royal Palace
I visited the Royal Palace with my family before they returned to Canada. Functioning more or less as a museum of history about the royal Spanish lineage, the Palace is staged with various important items and decor from different rulers. While we were there, there was also a section dedicated to the Spanish involvement in the world wars, with an emphasis on aid sent to civilians. As the Spanish were not officially in either war, it was interesting to learn a little about their history (something I came to learn a great deal more about during my sudies).
Just east of the palace sits the royal opera house (Teatro Real), so you might want to take the short stroll over to check it out while you’re in the neighbourhood.

4. Gran Vía
Gran Vía was constructed during the 20th century, in response to Madrid’s growing tourist industry. Today it functions as a shopping street and hosts many theatres producing a variety of live shows (similar to Broadway). Most of the shops and restaurants on Gran Vía are chains, so it isn’t the most authentic Spanish destination, but it certainly is a busy central hub. You can get a nice view of the city from the top floor of the El Corte Inglés.
One of the streets perpendicular to Gran Vía is Calle de Fuencarral which is a pedestrian-only shopping street. This streets has more small businesses than Gran Vía, without being too remote for someone with only a few days to see the city.

5. Takos al Pastor
Takos al Pastor was introduced to me by a friend on my first week in the city. The restaurant always has a line out the door, but if you ask me the tacos are worth it. There are a number of vegetarian options, and usually I would get a couple tacos and one to two quesadillas depending on how hungry I was. While I was there, tacos were 1 euro each, and quesadillas were 2,5. The food is delicious and I wish I had gone more often. There are two locations, one just outside Plaza Mayor and just south of Gran Vía.

6. Chocolate con churros

Chocolate con churros is a must while visiting Spain. The most famous place to get chocolate con churros is San Gines, which was opened in 1894 and serves churros 24 hours a day. It was a great place to go after a night out.
Another delicious option is Chocolat Madrid, a chocolatería only a hop and a skip from the museum district. The chocolate served here is much more extravagant, as seen in the picture below.

7. Casa de Campo
A great place to spend an afternoon if you are craving some time in nature, casa de campo is Madrid’s largest natural park. The area is said to have been reserved because the king wanted natural hunting grounds for the palace, and now is a great place for Madrileños to spend a summer weekend. There is a lake, public pool, zoo and amusement park among other attractions held within Casa de Campo, and the park is accessible by transit.

8. Madrid’s Museums
Being a European captial, Madrid of course has many, many museums. I am just going to mention three here, as I had the opportunity to see all of these twice. If you are a student, make sure to bring student ID, as you can get a discount at all these loactions.
Museo Nacional del Prado is probably the most famous museum in Madrid and hols an enormous collection of fine art. It has some of Spain’s most famous artists’ work such as Velaquez and Goya. The collections range from the 12th to the 19th century and are mostly what could be defined as classic fine art.
The nearby Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, on the other hand boast a larger range of art, with more genres. These collections are from the 13th to 20th centuries and include fine art along with pop art and modernist pieces. I enjoyed the Thyssem because of the diversity of its collections.
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is also near the other two museums (although I suggest against trying to see all of them in one day. See as many as you can based on your time in Madrid). The Reina Sofía includes works from Dali and Picasso, and is much more contemporary overall, focusing on 20th century art.

9. Templo de Debod
Gifted to Spain by Egypt, the templo de Debod was disassembled brick-by-brick, transported from Egypt and reassembled here in Madrid in 1968. It now sits in Parque del Oeste and has become a major tourist attraction. It is especially beautiful at sunset, and is illuminated at night.

10. Plaza de Cibeles
The Plaza de Cibeles sits in the centre of a roundabout in front of Madrid’s Palacio de Comunicaciones. The Fuente de Cibeles is the fountain that decorates this roundabout. Behind the fountain, the palacio stands. It is free to enter the building and there are some exhibits on the second floor, but you must pass through a metal detector. It is an interesting building, with very intricate architecture, and has been used by the city council since 2011.