A Day in Madrid, Spain
Great Pond of El Retiro
While planning a trip to Portugal, I realized it was possible to include a long layover in Madrid, Spain. That might sound crazy, and some people (including my husband and travel buddy) asked “Why?”
To that I replied, “Why not?”
Soooo… With 36 hours in Spain, we literally wandered and soaked up as many of the sights and sounds of this incredible city as we could.
Arriving in Madrid, we got settled into our super cute hotel - Atocha Hotel Madrid, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. Armed with a map of the city and helpful suggestions from the concierge, we headed out to find tapas and sangria (priorities!).
Our first stop was a rooftop bar overlooking Plaza Mayor where we had wine and a roasted pineapple with mint ice cream dessert (before dinner!), then we headed back down to find our way to La Latina - a neighborhood of authentic Spanish cuisine. We randomly picked a cafe and spent at least half an hour trying to translate the menu. Finally, we ordered potatoes with chicken and curry-mango aioli, toast with prawns and garlic gulas (aka squiggly stuff), and baby squid croquettes. I have to hand it to my husband, his culinary sense of adventure is something else! In case you’re wondering, I stuck with the potatoes.
The next day, our only full day in Madrid, we walked more than 13 miles, up and down and all around the city.
We walked through Plaza Mayor, up to Plaza de España, then the Temple of Debod
We kissed with the Madrid skyline as a backdrop (the romance of Madrid didn’t escape us!) and listened to a talented musician in the park
We dodged in and out of the million people also walking up the Gran Via and ducked into random alleys looking for the perfect tapas or cappuccino
We ate churros with chocolate, olives, croquettes, and prawn raviolis
We drank Spanish wine, sangria and double espressos
We bought an etching of the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela from the actual artist and walked through the Parque del Buen Retiro in a rain shower
We listened to a string trio in front of the Palacio de Cristal and experienced a live flamenco dance show at Tablao Flamenco 1911
We loved every minute of today!
While our day in Madrid was all about sightseeing and taking in all the flavor of Spain we could in a very short time, there is so much more to see and do. If you’re lucky enough to have time to spend in this beautiful city, you’ll find countless things to do… Wander through the many museums and art galleries. Immerse yourself in the artistry of flamenco dance. Rent a boat or a bike and enjoy the splendor of Retiro Park. Or just sit and sip on something flavorful while watching people bustling by on the busy city streets.
But from one wanderer to another, don’t be afraid to just take a taste when the opportunity presents itself like this one did for us. We were certainly inspired to make a return trip someday, but I will be forever grateful for having this chance to catch a glimpse of Spain on this whirlwind adventure.