City Break in Madrid – What to do List

If you’re looking for a European weekend away look no further… Madrid was the perfect city break and even more perfect for a quick weekend visit.  Madrid is the type of city that’s got loads to see but also not too much that it’s overwhelming, 4 days was just enough to see it all without feeling like you’ve had to rush around!

To start off, the City Centre is absolutely overflowing with the best shops and restaurants which is perfect for my shopaholics out there.  Head for ‘Gran Via’ (the Metro is super easy!) to find the hustle and bustle of the city coupled with some good ol’ fashioned retail therapy.  Surrounding all of these shops are rows and rows of restaurants, all of different cultures and to suit everyones taste.  Make sure to look out for a tapas restaurant, has to be done in Madrid!  Our favourites were Café Y Tapas Madrid and Revoltosa (Slightly further out of the city but great vibes!)

Not far from Gran Via is a must see… The Royal Palace of Madrid.  And right opposite is the Cathedral de la Almudena!  Both are absolutely beautiful on the outside and full of history on the insides.  When we visited, the queue for an inside view of the palace was hours and hours long so we settled with admiring from the outside, but if you’re planning on taking a peak inside the Palace of Madrid definitely book in advance.  Tour prices range from €30 to €150 for a private tour.  On the complete opposite end of the scale, to see the inside of the Almudena Cathedral it is completely free.  They recommend a €1 donation but it is totally worth it, and a great way to see the history of Madrid on a budget.

Now for one of my favourite places we visited, the Parque de el Retiro, located just a 20 minute walk, or a short metro ride from the centre.  This is no ordinary park, it was not only hundreds of acres of beauty but full of so much to see and do.  Right in the centre of the park was the Monument to Alfonso XII looking over a lake that is open to the public to row boats on, a perfect date I must say, even for a girly date.  Again the queues for this were pretty long so definitely book in advance… only €8 per boat for 45 minutes, another bargain!  A shart walk from this Monument and passing several others on your way, is the Palacio de Cristal.  For something so simple, and FREE, this was possibly one of my favourite places to visit. 

The history of the Palacio Cristal is that is was simply built by the Philippines as a large greenhouse to showcase their tropical flowers.  It is built almost completely out of glass with an iron structure and is used nowadays for temporary exhibitions for art.  When I visited, there were large mirrored structures cleverly placed around the building which perfectly  reflected the sun and made for not only better pictures but the dreamiest experience.

Another free monument to visit in Madrid is the Temple of Debod.  This is an ancient Egyptian temple that was dismantled, preserved and re located in the centre of Madrid.  It was a gift from the Egyptians to Spain as an act of gratititude for their help in restoring the Abu Simbel temples.  It may seem super simple when you see it but the history behind it makes it much more interesting and to top it off it’s surrounded by a lovely park and a great opportunity to hire some electric scooters and enjoy the sunshine (unless your us who managed to get stuck in torrential rain).

This ones for my petrolheads… the first ever F1 exhibition has recently opened in Madrid!  Full of real artifacts including the drivers’ previous fireproof suits, the remains of Romain Grosjean’s fireball crash and interactive rooms with more to do and see.  Any F1 fans visiting Madrid, this is perfect for you.

Finally, for the foodies, Mercado de San Miguel is perfect!  A short walk from the Royal Palace of Madrid, it’s a great place to head after a long morning of exploring the palace.  There’s something for everyone here, dessert stalls for the sweet tooth, fresh fruit, some of the best meat available and of course tapas.  You could spend breakfast, lunch and dinner here if you wish – there’s that much to eat!  It can get busy so prepare yourself for a squeeze or get in early to see everything before the queues start.

I could go on about all the things I did, saw (and bought) in Madrid but you’d be here for days.  Instead use the Booking.com link to check availability and… go and book that city break!