Heidi Fuller-Love explores the Spanish capital on a three-day tour, including its lesser-visited neighbourhoods. Clear blue skies, charming cobbled streets, delicious tapas dishes and stunningly-ornate architecture make it an all the more inspirational trip.
Tour highlights:
On Sundays you can take the metro heading for Puerta de Toledo station. Ten minutes later, step out into Spain’s most popular open-air flea market, El Rastro.
Have a fine time rummaging through stands selling antiques and bric-a-brac, alongside old records and vintage clothing.
Madrid is nicknamed Los Madriles (‘many Madrids’) because it has so many different districts, so you could begin the day with an open-topped bus tour to see the different areas.
The ‘Historical Madrid’ tour thunders around to iconic sights, including the bustling Puerta del Sol square with its famous statue of a bear eating strawberries.
On the ‘Historical Madrid’ tour, hop off the bus near the literature-loving Barrio de las Letras, which was once home to Don Quixote author Miguel de Cervantes.
Stop off to admire the stunning vertical gardens at the Caixa Forum cultural centre, then wander the treelined Paseo del Prado.
Browse the fashionable stores in Chueca and Malasaña, where you’ll find local brands, as well as many picturesque buildings.
From here, head for the equally chic neighbouring district of Salamanca, where you will find the big department stores like El Corte Inglés.
The Arco Iris campsite is situated up in the hills, making it a cooler setting than the city centre. There is a large on-site pool and restaurant. Only one hour’s bus ride from the heart of Madrid, you can explore different areas of Spain’s capital.
Soak up sun in the south, eat Paella in the north and party in the Spanish cities
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