Top 8 Reasons to Visit Madrid

Madrid is smack dab in the middle of Spain and surrounded by desert. I remember being on the plane when the pilot announced our initial descent. I looked out the window, and all I saw was sand as far as the eye could see. Then suddenly, buildings and roads appeared. Seconds later, we touched down in the capital of Spain!

Madrid was the first stop of my Eurotrip. I was very jetlagged, and I suffered a horrid bout of food poisoning for part of my time here. Nevertheless, I managed to see the sights, go on a day trip, and make long-lasting travel friends. One of which I would later meet up with in Berlin and then Australia!

Forget rainy London and Berlin! Madrid is the fourth sunniest city in Europe, making it the perfect year-round vacation getaway for Europeans.

Madrid boasts one of the best public transportation systems in the world, and I can personally attest to this. One time I was entering a subway station with people from my hostel, and I saw our train. I started moving at a clipped pace to catch it. My Madrid guides stared at me, bewildered. “Why are you running?” they asked. I explained that our train was RIGHT THERE, and we could catch it if we just picked up the pace a little. They chuckled and told me to slow down because there would be another train in mere seconds. Lo and behold, they were right. I never ran for a train in Madrid after that!

Park Retiro features manicured gardens and beautiful Spanish architecture. I enjoyed watching people row boats in the miniature lake.

Charming street lamp and manicured gardens in Park Retiro

Rowboats in Park Retiro

The Museo Nacional del Prado, or the Prado, is an art museum filled with stunning oil paintings. Admission is free if you go in the late afternoon.

Parque del Oeste is outside the city center, and I had to take a train to get there. I was a little nervous venturing out by myself at dusk, but all my Madrid friends were too hungover to go, and I really wanted to, so I went. And I’m so glad I did! This was a fantastic experience and one of the highlights of my time in Madrid. On the way back to my hostel I felt completely safe since I knew where I was going.

The park was filled with many local families and students. Most of them brought picnics or bottles of wine to enjoy while watching the sunset. The view of the sunset over downtown Madrid was beautiful. I stayed for the afterglow and enjoyed watching the city lights start to slowly come on as the sunlight faded away.

Keep your head up and look around. Spanish architecture is so elegant!

Plaza Puerta del Sol

Palacio Real de Madrid

Cerveza con limon (beer with lemon) is refreshing and delicious. I recommend sampling as many as you can!

Prosciutto and arugula wraps with cerveza con limon

Churros in Madrid are very different than churros in the States. American churros are very sweet (covered in sugar) and served without dipping sauce whereas the churros in Madrid are savory – not sweet – and served with a dark chocolate dipping sauce. I prefer Madrid’s churros. Who can resist that rich, chocolatey sauce?

Savory churros with sweet chocolate sauce and cappuccinos

If you have an extra day in Madrid, visit the famous aqueduct in nearby Segovia. It’s almost 2,000 years old and was built without any modern-day technology. That’s amazing!

Segovia’s aqueduct

While in Segovia, visit the Alcazar (castle) of Segovia and the Catedral de Segovia. After sightseeing, enjoy lunch in one of the city’s plazas (squares) and relax in the sun. I liked Plaza Mayor because it had a great view of the cathedral.

Side view of the aqueduct in Segovia

Have you been to Madrid? What were your favorite experiences there? Let me know in the comments!

– Travel Alli