The capital of Spain has a lot to offer. Positioned in the center of the country, Madrid is a beautiful city that's great for both tourists and locals. With great dining, parks, attractions, and more, it's easy to get in lost in time in Madrid. People also tend not to spend too much time in Madrid due to a handful number of other cities to visit in Spain. Because of both of these things, it's important to develop an itinerary or schedule on what to do. Below are some ideas on how to make the most out of a day in Madrid.
Rise and Shine!
As great as it is to sleep in, it's also important to wake up decently early to avoid wasting the day. You can stop at nearly any cafe and grab the usual pastry with a cafe con leche, but Madrid is also filled with cool breakfast/brunch places!
One of these cool places is called Ojala. Located about half a mile north of the center of the city, Ojala is a unique place that offers breakfast, brunch, and lunch!
Walking into Ojala, you are greeted by a normal beach-themed restaurant. Colored blue and green, it creates a pretty breakfast scene. However, the real magic is downstairs.
As you head downstairs, you are greeted with a dim, colorfully lit room covered in sand!
The room has many tables available; tables with pillows instead of chairs and also has a tiki bar.
The restaurant as a whole is a beautiful place with great food. You automatically feel teleported to a beach town as you dine, although the closest beach is over 200 miles away.
Another great feature of this restaurant is its unique bathroom. Head over to Ojala and check it out for yourself!
Mid-Day Adventure!
After breakfast is complete, you still have a lot of the day left. This is the perfect time to explore! While Madrid has a great metro system- and public transportation system in general- there is no harm done in walking!
Madrid has some of the most beautiful sights that Spain can offer. With beautiful architecture, interesting street displays, and impressive greenery, walking around Madrid can easily take up a whole day.
There are also so many small businesses that are great to check out! All around Madrid there are streets full of boutiques and vintage stores that have amazing things to look at. The first image shown in the gallery above showcases a cute, local bookstore called "Libros para un Mundo Mejor". It's a beautiful store to check out and the street around it has many intriguing small businesses to check out. It also is right down the street from the Ojala restaurant!
As you head south from this area, you can stumble upon the San Miguel Market. This market is the perfect place for a mid-day snack.
They have booths with tapas, sweets, seafood, and more! It's a cute place to hang out and just a great way to get a taste of Spanish treats.
Another great place to check out is El Retiro Park! This park is easily one of Madrid's most beautiful places and is located right in the heart of the city. It has a range of activities and is overall just a beautiful place to check out. El
El Retiro has a large number of things to do and see. Some things you can do range from renting canoes in the lake (only 6 euros a boat!), checking out the beautiful architectural structures (such as the Cristal palace shown in the first photo), or admiring the statues that can be found all around the park!
It is important to note that while this is a beautiful park, Madrid has many parks all around it! For example, Casa de Campo park is another great park to check out! It is Madrid's largest and even has its own amusement park in it! El Retiro is just an easy option when you have a lot going on in a day; it is located in the heart of Madrid and only ranges about three miles long.
Evening to Night!
While a large part of your day has already been contributed to walking, you may have a few more steps to take. Evening/ nighttime are the perfect times to check out museums! Many museums allow free entry after a certain point in the day (and on weekends), and trust me, Madrid has some great artworks.
The Prado museum has over 2000 paintings inside and includes works from Goya, Diego Velasquez, and many more. It has a large range of Spanish art and art from Europe as a whole. It does not allow photography inside.
The Reina Sofia is a more modern museum. It houses a large amount of artwork created by Picasso, Dali, and Miro. It also has a large exhibit on political and social issues impacting the world today.
You can visit the Prado Museum for free Monday through Saturday, 6 PM to 8 PM. The Sofia Reina Museum also has this free period along with a 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM free period on Sundays.
As you're finishing up the busy day, it is important to grab a great dinner. Madrid has a range of different foods to try! It is also home to almost 20 Michelin-starred restaurants!
A great restaurant to try out in Madrid is the oldest one in the world! Founded in 1725, Casa Botin is a restaurant that serves Spanish cuisine.
This restaurant is definitely a cool place to try but it is a bit pricey, so unless you are planning to splurge a little, it wouldn't hurt to check out some other authentic restaurants (that can be found nearly all over the city).
Before ending the night, you should check out any piece of Madrid's nightlife. Madrid is home to many unique bars and clubs. Whether you may find yourself in a themed bar indulging in tapas and fun drinks or on a rooftop bar and restaurant observing Madrid from above, checking out any of Madrid's places is a perfect way of ending your night.
Madrid is a beautiful city, filled with many things to do. People traveling to European countries tend to hop from one city to another so if that is you, make sure to stop in Madrid and explore it!
It can definitely be overwhelming but planning ahead of time and finding cool and convenient things to do can make the most out of your day here.
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