WHAT TO SEE IN MADRID IN 3 DAYS

That Spain is vital, extremely cheerful and chaotic is nothing new, but when I arrived in Madrid I’ve been enchanted by the imperial charm of this city. It took about 2 hours and a half to land in a city that immediately felt familiar to me even though it was my first time there. A people as always warm and welcoming with foreigners, an atmosphere of great joy and an air of home that you will love: these are the things that i will always remember about Madrid.

-Today I'm here to tell you about my long weekend in Madrid which has been enough to discover all the corners of this city that during the day offers many emotions and that at night never sleeps! - 

This mini-guide for a weekend in Madrid will follow exactly the steps I have followed during my days in the Spanish capital and it will allow you to visit the city up and down in just 3 days!

WHERE TO STAY IN MADRID: HOTEL REGINA MADRID

If you are not sure about the choice of the hotel where you can stay in Madrid, you must choose the central area located between the Gran Vía and the Puerta del Sol: these two are strategic places of the city really comfortable to walk and well connected by public transport at day and night.
My friends and I stayed at the amazing Hotel Regina Madrid on Calle de Alcalá, right next to the “Sevilla” metro station. A trendy hotel with attention to the details with one of the most stylish halls I’ve ever seen: from the black and white floor, to the bar with a ’20s allure, to the relaxation area that seems came out from a glamorous jungle.

-Professional and helpful staff, clean and comfortable bedrooms and a continental breakfast that really satisfies all tastes, are just some of the many reasons to choose the Hotel Regina Madrid as your own home-away-from-home in the Spanish capital. -

WHAT TO SEE IN MADRID – 1st DAY: IMPERIAL MADRID 

The first approach with the most majestic city of Spain must coincide with a visit to the historical imperial Madrid: a maze of streets with impressive palaces led by the Royal Palace.

-But let's take a step back...-

To explore this district you can start from the Plaza de España, a square with a markedly fascist architecture and modern respect to the monuments that you are going to visit during the first day but still absolutely unmissable for its grandeur. From there you can head to the iconic Palacio Real, that with its beauty labyrinth gardens and immense facades will catapult you into a dreamy world. Walking along the Royal Palace you will find the Teatro Real overlooking the monumental Plaza de Oriente  and then the historic Almudena Cathedral characterized by two bell towers that stand out in the view of the city.

After a little break to take some pictures and to explore the rooms of the Palacio Real or the wide nave of the Cathedral, you can walk through Calle Mayor, the street that will allow you to access to the grandiose Plaza Mayor that will strike you by its warm and lively colors and by the paints that cover Casa de la Panaderia.

-For lunch time, you absolutely have to stop at the Mercado de San Miguel where you will find more than 70 appealing exhibitors of typical Spanish food such as tapas of all kinds, jamon serrano and fish fry that you can enjoy with a cold beer or a glass of good local wine.-

After spending the whole morning discovering the imperial Madrid, you can have some shopping at the Gran Via and the streets that connect it with the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol.

WHAT TO SEE IN MADRID – 2nd DAY: LAVAPIÉS, EL RASTRO, LA LATINA

Dedicate the second day of your trip in Madrid to discover the most authentic and multi-ethnic neighborhoods of the city: Lavapiés, El Rastro and La Latina.
If you are in the Spanish capital on Sunday, do not miss the El Rastro market that stretches along a very busy street where you can shop among the countless stalls of vintage clothing, accessories and all kind of items. Afterwards, you can get lost in the streets that surround the market to discover the two neighborhoods Lavapiés and La Latina that perfectly intersect to each other.

- At lunch/aperitif stop in one of the countless tapas bars that populate these streets: you will immediately notice them thanks to the numerous tables arranged on sidewalks and squares.-

In short, my advice to discover these three neighborhoods in the best way is to disperse yourself among their little streets and discover them in their essence by living them like a spanish!

WHAT TO SEE IN MADRID – 3rd DAY °: MUSEUMS AND EL RETIRO

On your third day in the Spanish capital you will need to take a break from the hectic life of the city and you can visit one of the museums in Madrid: El Prado or Reina Sofia. I chose to visit the second one and, thanks to my passion for  the contemporary art, I was ecstatic by the works of artists such as Picasso (of which you can admire the Guernica), Dali and Mirò.

- After spending about a couple of hours at the museum, take a break at the iconic El Retiro park (which is just a short walk from both museums) to breathe pure air in the heart of Madrid and be fascinated by the wonders that are hidden in the lungs of the city: have fun renting a boat to cross the lake, lay down on the grass to read a book and visit the iconic Palacio de Cristal entirely made of steel and glass.- 

At the time of the afternoon break have a snack at the historic San Ginés pastry famous for its tasty churros with chocolate: typical Spanish fried desserts to dip in a cup of hot chocolate. Hypercaloric but absolutely unmissable!

WHAT TO DO DURING EVENING IN MADRID: RESTAURANTS AND LOCALS

Madrid is famous for its nightlife so you do not have to miss the night chaos that invades the Chueca and Malasaña districts populated by restaurants, bars and clubs with a truly stylish design. For the dinner i suggest you to book a table in one of these three restaurants that really satisfied me:

• Lamucca: pub, pizzeria and bar where you can listen to live music with industrial and really glamour design. Its sroquetas, burgers and desserts are really stunning;
• La Pescaderia: a restaurant with a fish cuisine where you can taste refined dishes such as the amazing shrimp with mango and avocado;
• Amargo Place To Be: another place where you can listen to live music and with a fusion and innovative cuisine. I loved its pan bao, ravioli and kushikatsu.

WHAT TO SEE IN MADRID IN 3 DAYS: INFO AND TIPS

As I told you at the beginning, you can explore Madrid in only 3 days because, despite its size, its points of interest are located in a few neighborhoods really close to each other, which will give you a clear idea of the city in a very short time!

- I hope this article has will help you and remember that for further information and tips you can leave a comment below this post or contact me by email at info@lapetiterobinoire.com. -
 

Have a good trip and … enjoy Madrid 🙂

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xoxo,

Roberta

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