Things To Do and See in Madrid

Three nights in Madrid, Spain’s central capital, is not enough time to pack in all the sights and excitement that this city has to offer.

It is one of those places where it’s easy to explore and feel part of. Madrid is very much a walkable city. You could literally spend days wandering the elegant boulevards, cultural sites and manicured parks such as the Buen Retiro. Make sure you find the large lake in Madrid’s largest park, where you can hire a row boat or just enjoy people watching from the picturesque lakeside cafes and surrounding monuments.

Park Amenties

Public toilets are few and far between however every cafe and restaurant has toilets. Over the years, I’ve learnt to be cheeky and use a cafe bathroom without purchasing something. I did spot underground public toilets in Buen Retiro park located on Paseo de Fernan Nunez.

Prado Museum

Madrid is very much a cultural destination renowned for its fabulous museums and galleries including the Museo Nacional del Prado (Prado Museum) with works by Caravaggio, Goya, Velázquez and other European masters.

The museum name was derived from the district where it is located, formerly an area of market gardens known as the “prado” or meadow.

Entry fee is 10€. Free admission – From Monday to Saturday 6pm – 8pm; Sundays and holidays 5pm – 7pm. For the latest information visit Prado Museum website.

Reine Sofia Museum

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the 18th century hospital was beautifully converted and remodelled into a museum in 1992. Two panoramic exterior glass lifts stand out from the facade. The second floor houses the masterpieces of Dali, Picasso, Miro and Man Ray.

This is home to Picasso’s large masterpiece “Guernica” depicting the ravages of war. It was commissioned by the Spanish government for a Paris exhibition as a Civil War protest and hung in a New York gallery until 1981, fulfilling Picasso’s wish that it should not be shown in Spain until democracy was established. It was then exhibited at the Prado, and moved to Reina Sofia as its permanent home in 1992.

General admission is 10€. Free admission – Sunday mornings (10am-2.30pm) and on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7 pm to 9 pm. For the latest information visit Reine Sofia website

Thyssen Bornemisza Museum

If you have time include Thyssen Bornemisza Museum which is famous for one of the most important private collections of painting of the 20th century. Many of the big names are shown here including Caravaggio, Rubens, Sargent, Monet, Van Gogh. Wander through the collection made up of almost 1000 paintings, spanning the history of art from the 13th until the 20th century. For the latest information visit Thyssen Bornemisza museum website

Sol District Madrid

We stayed 3 nights in an Airbnb apartment in the Sol District which is a vibrant area full of life with typical Spanish bars and situated in the heart of Madrid. You’ll find a Metro Station and the ‘Bear and Strawberry Tree’ monument (city’s coat of arms) in the central square, Puerta del Sol. Adjacent to Puerta del Sol is a marker in the pavement which indicates the centre of Spain, where all distances are measured from.

For the latest information visit Metro Madrid website.

Madrid: A Traveller’s Reader

Plaza Mayor Madrid

On the way to Mercado San Miguel, we walked through the marvellous enclosed Plaza Mayor Square with the centrepiece equestrian monument of King Felipe III. The Plaza has a long and interesting history which includes public executions, bullfights, royal ceremonies, festivals and inquisition trials. Today, this famous square is enclosed by beautiful spacious apartments with balconies that overlook the square and is the perfect place for a relaxing meal or take a seat and people watch.

Mercado de San Miguel

Located in the tourist centre of Madrid, San Miguel, a traditional market is the perfect place to browse and try an excellent selection of fresh produce and tapas with a cold beer or glass of good Spanish wine. The modern San Miguel Market building has been stylish decorated and is the only cast iron structured market surviving today in Madrid.

Food markets are hot in Madrid instead of a sit-down meal, you stand around in trendy food markets sipping wine and peruse the different tapas on offer. One of the places we tried in Madrid was Museo del Jamon located near Puerta del Sol. This Madrid based chain restaurant serves a vast array of ham dishes amongst the bustle of people and hams that hang from the ceiling. You can buy ham, bread, or pastries from the deli inside the restaurant which you can take with you.

Atocha Railway Station Madrid

Close to Reine Sofía Museum is the Atocha train station which is an architectural masterpiece. There are many excellent hotels near the station, since it is right alongside the top three museums. Close by are the major sights and attractions including the magnificent Real Jardin Botanico, and Parque del Retiro, that lie within easy walking distance of the station.

Atocha railway station became the first train station in Madrid on 9 February 1851 and is the largest and main train station in Madrid. The station is 4,000 m2 of building and houses a beautiful tropical garden. The station was destroyed by fire in the early 1890s and reopened in 1892. The AVE high speed trains arrive and depart from Atocha and are managed by the Spanish National Railway Company, Renfe. Two of the Madrid Metro stations, Atocha Renfe, which is actually part of the main railway station, and Atocha nearby, connect to Estación de Atocha.

In my experience, sometimes it is quicker, easier and more comfortable to take the train rather than fly to another major city. We took the high-speed train from Madrid to Seville which is over 400ks away and it took only 2.5 hours. The high-speed train reached up to 250k at times, have a number of cafeterias and toilets aboard these trains. It is a good idea to pre-purchase fast train tickets in Europe as they often sell out. The site Trainline is a great for booking tickets. You can book tickets in 24 European countries. It’s super easy, quick and simply awesome. Plus, it guarantees you the lowest prices.

Royal Palace Madrid

The Madrid 9th century Royal Palace with over 3,000 lavishly decorated rooms is one of the finest buildings in the city. The enormous palace is the official residence of the King of Spain, Felipe VI, however the royal family doesn’t live here – they moved to Zarzuela palace. The palace is generally used for state and official ceremonies as well as a museum. Other special events include the Changing of the Guard, held every Wednesday at 11am in Puerta del Príncipe (entry on Calle Bailén) except in July, August and September. Looking for a luxury stay in the centre of Madrid? Apartmento Palace is the place for you and that special someone. 

Tip: The Royal Palace has free entry on Wednesdays, so definitely take advantage of that offer (or if you want to avoid long lines avoid Wednesdays). You can also gain free entry to the Royal Palace by purchasing the Madrid Card. For the latest Royal Palace information visit

Tip: Madrid Card gets you free airport transfer and discounts into museums and sights – Adult 80E ($ @ 2017) – Child 53E (5-14yrs) ($ @ 2017)