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Autumn in Madrid is the perfect time to visit. The parks, the Christmas markets, and the indoor activities are just a few of the reasons why you should go during the fall.
Honestly, Madrid is one of those cities that had to grow on me. I usually love being near a river, an ocean, or a mountain. Therefore, I immediately fell in love with Barcelona. Madrid is land-locked, so I wasn’t sure about it at first, until I re-visited it this fall.
Where To Stay:
NH Collection There are plenty of NH hotels throughout the city, but we have personally only stayed at the Abascal location, which was really nice. If we were to go back, I would prefer to stay at the NH Collection location close to the Prado Museum.
Don’t forget your travel insurance! We recommend World Nomads. Make sure to have coverage that includes medical expenses, trip cancellations, and coverage for your belongings from theft or damage. If needed, you may also want to include car rental insurance as well.
Main Squares: Plaza Mayor and Puerta de Sol
Plaza Mayor is the main square where you will find the Christmas markets if you are visiting during November or December.
Plaza Mayor Markets
Puerta de Sol is another main square that everyone will tell you to see. It’s full of street performers, shops, and people. Lots and lots of people. Look for the Carlos III statue and the bear and strawberry tree statue while you are there. It’s also close to Plaza Mayor.
Parque del Retiro
The park is easily my favorite part of the city. It’s a large park, so it would be best to rent bikes to see all of it. There’s a bike rental shop called Rent and Roll right by the park.
There are art exhibits, cafes, a botanical garden, and a glass palace that you can visit all within the park.
Indoor Sites To See:
Autumn in Madrid can be a little chilly, so it’s nice to have some indoor activities to visit. Here are a few of the main sites, but there are many more!
Prado Museum I personally haven’t been to this museum, but my husband has, so it’s on my bucket list for the next trip. The Museum is located right beside of the Parque del Retiro. If you are planning a trip here, it would be best to schedule the museum and park together. P.S. It’s free on Saturday night.
The Royal Palace is a famous site to see that is close to the Temple De Debod. It would make sense to view these two historical locations within the same time frame. The Palace is free for EU and Latin American citizens during certain seasonal hours.
The Almudena Cathedral is another top site to visit that is located close to the Palace, which was completed in 1993. It’s best not to view it on a Sunday because there are four different services held throughout the day.
The History of Madrid Museum is another interesting site to see that is located close to the Malasana district. The facade of the building itself is worth going to see! This was one of the places I visited while solo touring the city on a previous trip.
Best Views:
Templo de Debod is one of the attractions that we weren’t able to see during our first visit to Madrid. We made sure to stop by it this time and it was neat to see, but the view from behind the temple was also worth a stop.
The Templo de Gebod was a gift to Spain from Egypt and its free to visit. Try to visit it at sunset if you can for the best photos. It’s open 10-7PM everyday except for Monday.
Circulo de Bellas Artes is a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the city. It comes with a small price of €4 euros to take the elevator up to the top.
The Teleferico de Madrid was closed for maintenance while we were visiting in November, but it’s a cable car that takes you over Madrid to see the city. It costs €5-10 euros depending on if you are riding it one way or round-trip. The ride is 11 minutes each way.
Cafes and Restaurants
I learned the hard way while I was solo touring around Madrid that most of the restaurants do not serve food until 7:00 or 8:00 PM. I will never forget what the bartender’s face looked like when I tried to order a meal at 6:00PM. It was pure humor for him.
Lunch in Spain is around 2:00 PM and dinner at the earliest is around 9:00 PM.
Coffee Shops
Cafe de la Luz was a quaint venue that we found that has couches and just an overall comfortable and cozy atmosphere. It’s perfect for visiting Madrid during the fall because it has an old school wood burning stove. Cafe de la Luz offers hummus and veggies, vegetarian sandwiches, and other goodies that will come in handy if you find yourself tired of eating potato bravas.
Feliz Coffee Shop is a great small craft coffee shop right by the Retiro Park.
Vegetarian and Vegan Eats:
La Carmela is a tapas restaurant located right by the main square, Plaza Mayor. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you can order a large plate of steamed veggies and a side of potato bravas. It’s a great option if you are with a group of people, so that everyone can order what they want.
B13 is 100 percent vegan and has vegan tapas.
Confiteria Marques for gf vegan desserts.
Madrid Vegan Travel offers a vegan walking tour!
Entertainment:
There are so many tours that you can do in Madrid from Segway, walking, biking, street art, to tapas and wine tours. We are always happy to tour with Viator.com. My husband and I have toured with them all of Europe and they are always organized, punctual, and most of all fun.
I would definitely go to a flamenco show if you have never been to one in Spain. We have been to two in Barcelona, even though the locals made fun of us because Catalonia is not the area where Flamenco dancing originated. If you find yourself in Madrid, try to see a flamenco show at Villa-Rosa.
If you have more time to explore Spain, you may want to check out my Barcelona blog.
I hope some of these tips will help you with your Madrid planning.
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