Things to do in Madrid

Madrid was the first major European city I ever saw during my travels, so I may be a little biased in my admiration towards it. It’s a beautiful city with tons of rich history and, in my opinion, prettier than Barcelona.

Also, if you stay at The Hat hostel in Madrid, they offer a free tour with your stay that I highly recommend. The tour guides are always great, and they teach you all you need to know about the rich history of Madrid.

Parque dEl Retiro

Parque del Retiro is a massive park in the middle of Madrid, populated by beautiful statues, art exhibitions, ponds, gardens, and plenty of space to hang out and chill for a while. It’s a great spot to wander for a few hours, people watch or just relax after exploring the city all day. Or, if you’re traveling with friends, grab a few beers from a nearby marketplace and spend a nice evening hanging out in the park.

*Lining the pond in the park are numerous statues and places to hang out.*

Plaza De España

Not far from the Palacio Royal de Madrid (royal palace) is the Plaza de España. It’s a large plaza surrounded by a few of Madrid’s tallest buildings, and in the center is a gigantic statue of Miguel de Cervantes. It’s a cool plaza to find yourself in, and it’s a good place to stop by if you’re at any of the other places on this list.

*The massive statue of Miguel de Cervantes.*

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor is the historic plaza not far from Puerta del Sol. It’s a wide open plaza lined with restaurants and, according to my tour guide, mostly Airbnbs nowadays. In the center of the square you’ll find a bronze statue of King Philip III atop a horse, paying homage to the plaza’s founder. I recommend grabbing a coffee at any of the patios in the square and taking in the beautiful architecture and deep history of the plaza.

Puerta del Sol

Madrid’s Puerta del Sol is kind of like a European Times Square, except not so overwhelming and much, much prettier than New York’s in my opinion. If you take the subway to the ‘Sol’ train stop, walking up the steps and finding yourself in the middle of the Puerta del Sol is a breathtaking experience that you will never forget. This experience was my first taste of Madrid, and therefore Europe in general, and it’s for that reason that the Puerta del Sol holds a special place in my heart.

*This picture* *doesn’t make it look anything like what I described, but trust me it’s great.*

Royal Palace of Madrid and Almudena Cathedral

The Royal Palace of Madrid is probably the coolest royal palace I’ve seen on my travels. It’s gigantic, with incredible baroque architecture, and it’s directly across from the Almudena Cathedral (which is also an insanely cool building). Standing in the open plaza between these two awe-inspiring buildings is a sight to behold, and looking out over the Spanish hills to the west is another amazing view.

Just watch out for the scammers that camp out in this plaza between the two buildings, they’ll try to get money out of you by any means necessary.

*The two buildings from afar. Definitely recommend seeing these at least once in your life.*

Temple of Debod

The Temple of Debod is an ancient Nubian temple that was donated to Spain by Egypt as a display of gratitude for Spain’s efforts to conserve Nubia’s ancient monuments. This is ironic because in order for it to be donated to Spain, it had to be disassembled, transported in pieces, then reassembled in Madrid.

Anyway, it’s right down the street from the royal palace, and it’s not everyday that you get to see an ancient Egyptian monument right in the middle of one of the biggest cities in Spain.

Thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments if I missed something, which is almost guaranteed since I was only in this amazing city for three days. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy Madrid as much as I did!