Madrid Day One

Plaza Mayor, walking tour, Puerta del Sol

Your first day in Madrid is a good time to explore the two major plazas and walk along on the surrounding charming historic streets to soak in the atmosphere of this wonderful city. This assumes you have at least three days to cover the sights, so we are saving the intensive museum visits and other neighborhoods for the next two days. This is just a suggested routine based on research and experience, but you are obviously welcome to cut and paste, rearranging anything you wish based on your priorities.

Begin and end the first day at Madrid's most magical place: the Plaza Mayor in the heart of town. This splendid square was built by Philip II in 1561 when he declared Madrid his new capital and finished in 1620 by his successor, Philip III, who is celebrated at the center with a bronze equestrian statue by Giambologna.

Ever since, the Plaza Mayor has been one of the great gathering places of the world and remains the center of Old Madrid. The plaza is just west of Puerta del Sol and a half-block south of the main street, Calle Mayor, but from the outside there are few obvious signs it exists. It could easily be missed by the passing pedestrian, so look for a short alley leading to a tall arch and walk through to this inner world.

The square is surrounded by a harmonious five-story facade of balconied windows and dark-pink stucco walls, topped by a slate roof punctuated with dormer windows and square towers. It looks like a large palace, but is a mix of private apartments, offices, restaurants, shops and government agencies. An elegant arcade and covered walkway run all the way round the perimeter, which makes an excellent circuit for strolling. You will pass the centrally located Plaza Mayor several times in your pedestrian journeys through the center of Madrid.

This outdoor living room is busy day and night with a varying personality that makes it worthwhile to come back again and again. Start with morning coffee at an outdoor table on the terrace, then return towards sunset for an aperitif — perhaps a fino sherry.

The plaza is a peaceful experience around 9:00am, graced by majestic architecture uniquely Spanish in style. Although you probably have a buffet breakfast included at your hotel, it is still worth coming to Plaza Mayor for another coffee and a leisurely start to the day. Not much else is happening during the early morning in Madrid anyway.

Many of the city's most interesting streets and attractions are within six blocks of the Plaza Mayor, offering a pleasant range of shops, restaurants, theaters, pedestrian zones, busy boulevards and smaller plazas.With a map in hand you can navigate through this wonderful neighborhood and enjoy the many fine old sights. Here, street names reflect the original trades that occupied each block: Latoneros (brass-casters), Tinteros (dyers) and Cuchilleros, which had been for knife sellers but is now a prime lane for bars and old-fashioned tavernas.

Narrow Streets

One of the best areas for strolling is just below the Plaza Mayor in a network of narrow streets that extend south for about half a mile. With a map in hand you can navigate through this wonderful neighborhood and enjoy the many fine old sights. Here, street names reflect the original trades that occupied each block: Latoneros (brass-casters), Tinteros (dyers) and Cuchilleros, which had been for knife sellers but is now a prime lane for bars and old-fashioned tavernas.

Exit the southwest corner of the plaza through the Arco de Cuchilleros and descend a staircase into this ancient world. While it may be a little early for the city to be fully awake, you can find some interesting activity one block west at the classic indoor food market of San Miguel, which is actually much more fun at night, like a big indoor party. Then explore the streets nearby as the city comes to life.

Old traditions survive today in small, unique shops that specialize in particular items. Several historic restaurants have been in business for centuries along these streets, including Sobrino de Botín — cited by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest restaurant, in continuous operation since 1725 — along with Posada de la Villa and Mesón del Segoviano, all excellent choices for lunch or dinner.

Do not worry about getting lost, for all the streets are interesting in this compact zone with noted landmarks to help guide you.

Look for the charming Plaza de la Villa, that was the center of municipal power in Madrid for centuries. It is one of Madrid's oldest squares, a compact and harmonious ensemble of 15th and 16th century civic architecture grouped around a central statue of Don Álvaro de Bazán. The Casa de la Villa, Torre de los Lujanes, and Casa de Cisneros define three sides of this intimate, largely pedestrian space.

Walk along tiny Calle del Codo to Plaza del Cordón, then continue to Plaza de la Paja, where you will find the Bishop's Chapel, Capilla del Obispo, the only significant Gothic church in the neighborhood. If you would like to rest in a peaceful garden, walk through the door of Anglona Palace at 13 Calle de Segovia. Continue towards Puerta de Moros, site of a former gate through the wall that once enclosed the old town.

This tangle of streets is a wonderful place to wander up one lane and down the next, turning wherever it looks interesting. Picturesque streets here include San Justo, Segovia, Nuncio and Príncipe Anglona.

One of Madrid's most impressive churches, the Basílica de San Francisco el Grande, is a few blocks west and worth a visit for its large dome and impressive artworks, including marble statues of the apostles and a chapel painted by Goya.

On Sundays you are in prime position for the enormous Rastro flea market held a few blocks east along Ribera de Curtidores and connecting side streets of the Latina district.

Many antique shops here are open throughout the week. Continue back towards Plaza Mayor along Calle Cava Baja, one of the most picturesque streets of Old Madrid.

Plaza de Santa Ana

By now you have probably worked up quite an appetite, so pick one of the many fine restaurants in this neighborhood for a traditional lunch, perhaps in Plaza Santa Ana. This lively square in the literary quarter just south of Puerta del Sol, is surrounded by some of Madrid's finest traditional tapas bars and tavernas. The neighborhood around it, including Calle de las Huertas, is one of the best areas for an evening of drinks and food in a genuinely local atmosphere.

Puerta del Sol

After enjoying the quiet ambience of the streets behind Plaza Mayor, head over to Puerta del Sol, the city's busiest intersection where ten streets and three metro lines converge. Kilometre zero inscribed in the pavement is the marker from which all distances from Madrid are measured.

Very wide sidewalks make this traffic hub a comfortable experience for the thousands of people who walk through every hour, and for visitors curious to see local faces and fashions, this is the place supreme. The oval plaza is surrounded by elegant buildings in a mix of elaborate French and Spanish styles, with several large statues accenting the importance of this square.

On the north side of the plaza, the 18th-century Real Casa de Correos, originally the city's main post office, now houses the regional government of the Community of Madrid. Its clock tower is where the entire country directs its attention on New Year's Eve, as the tradition of eating twelve grapes in time with its twelve chimes is observed in homes and public squares across Spain.

Street performers, vendors, and protesters share the space with commuters and sightseers throughout the day and well into the night, since Madrid operates on a schedule several hours later than most European cities. Shops and cafés line the surrounding streets in every direction, with the pedestrian commercial artery of Calle Preciados extending north toward Gran Vía. At Christmas the plaza fills with a large market and elaborate light installations, but in any season Puerta del Sol functions as the reliable pulse of the city, the one place where Madrid's energy is consistently on display.

Two blocks west along Calle Arenal brings you to the Church of San Ginés on a quaint little plaza, and just north you can find the Convento de Las Descalzas Reales, a former royal convent transformed into a small museum of Spanish art with a remarkable collection of tapestries and paintings. Another excellent museum, one block east of Sol along Calle de Alcalá, is the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, in a splendid 18th century palace with 1,500 paintings and 800 sculptures.

Evening Paseo

Early evening is prime time for strolling the streets of Madrid, so join the locals outdoors for a while rather than rushing into a restaurant. Madrileños come out in large numbers for tapas — those delectable small bites — along with a glass of sherry or wine, chatting with friends in the hundreds of bars and cafes. Their cherished ritual involves moving from bar to bar, having a bite here and another there. Many shops are open until 8:00pm or later, and the temperature is usually quite mild, especially in the warmer months.

The pedestrian Calle de las Huertas runs from near the Prado straight towards Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol, less than half a mile away. This elegant route passes through the Habsburg section of town, with the grand palaces and government offices created during the 16th and 17th centuries. Take a detour midway into Plaza de Santa Ana to sample some of Madrid's best tapas bars, then continue north a few blocks through Calle Victoria and the surrounding streets for more lively action.

Once back at Plaza Mayor you are in familiar territory and can enjoy this popular square with a traditional fino aperitif, or another drink of choice at a busy terrace café. For dinner, avoid the expensive restaurants inside the plaza itself and try one of the cellar tavernas just outside the southwest corner. Most visitors are ready for bed after dinner, but for locals things are just getting started around 10:00pm. If you care for a glimpse of this nightlife, the areas around Puerta del Sol and Plaza del Dos de Mayo are action central. But get some rest — another full day of touring awaits tomorrow.

Next: Madrid Day Two →