Madrid

Spain

Cityscape: The heart of Spain
City life: Capital of cool cats

By day, Madrid is a city of extravagant palaces, majestic plazas and stately parks; by night, los gatos (the cats), as the city’s inhabitants are nicknamed, prowl the historic avenues until the early hours indulging their passion for decadent nightlife.

There is more than a grain of truth in tales of Madrileños heading straight from a late-night club to the office, so don’t be surprised if that guard watching over the treasures of Velázquez, Goya and El Greco in the Prado Museum looks a bit bleary-eyed. If you have the stamina to keep up, Madrid has enough excellent shopping, fabulous cuisine, glittering galleries and lively bars to keep you going well past any respectable bedtime.

Pictured: Casa de Madrid

Boutique hotels in Madrid

Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in Madrid

Getting there

Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.

Worth getting out of bed for

Highlights the best Madrid has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.

Eating, drinking & dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Madrid.

Smith Maps

Our interactive map of the Spanish capital is a handy way to find your hotel and explore the city of Madrid.

Taxis: Cabs are very reasonably priced and easy to flag down anywhere. There’s an extra charge when going to the airport or train station.
Tipping culture: Ten per cent in restaurants and a few coins when ordering a drink or tapas.
Siesta and Fiesta: Shops shut in daytime from 13h30—17h. Banks close at 14h. People eat lunch at around 14h and have dinner at about 22h. Nightlife starts very late by northern European standards, with Madrileños going out to bars from midnight onwards. Clubs get going from 03h.
Packing tips: Sunglasses, even in winter, as the light is often intense.
Recommended reads: Los Misterios de Madrid (The Mysteries of Madrid) by Antonio Muñoz Molina; El Capitán Alatriste by Arturo Pérez-Reverte; new Madrid-set spy tale, The Spanish Game by Charles Cumming.
Cuisine: Tapas is as popular in Madrid as elsewhere in Spain but the chilly winters also give the city some warming dishes such as cocido madrileño, a traditional meal of broth and vegetables, as well as chickpea stews and hearty cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig). Also typical to Madrid are sopa de ajo (garlic soup), and bacalao a la madrileña, a dish of salted cod in a tomato, parsley and garlic sauce.
Currency: Euro.
Dialing codes: Country code for Spain: 34. Madrid: 91.
Do go/don't go: Don’t go in August, when the city turns into a ghost town with most people closing up shop and heading for the beach. Winter may cold but the sun still shines brightly. Spring and autumn are ideal as the weather is mild and the city hosts several festivals during these seasons.