Asqueladd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
| # | Name | At a glance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Templo de Debod, at golden hour | An actual Egyptian temple relocated stone by stone to a Madrid… |
| 2 | Museo Cerralbo, not the Prado on a first pass | A nineteenth century aristocrat's mansion left almost untouched,… |
| 3 | Museo Sorolla | A painter's actual home and studio, with the garden he designed… |
| 4 | Galería de las Colecciones Reales, instead of the Palace queue | A newer museum built into the rock beside the Royal Palace, holding… |
| 5 | Real Fábrica de Tapices | A tapestry workshop running since 1721, with weavers still working… |
| 6 | Cerro del Tío Pío, at sunset | A hilltop park in Vallecas with a full skyline view and none of the… |
| 7 | Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop, not the famous ones | A cheaper rooftop with the same skyline. Tickets are sold at the… |
| 8 | Chocolatería San Ginés, before dawn, not mid morning | The twenty four hour churro counter is a different place at four in… |
| 9 | Mercado de San Fernando, in Lavapiés | The market format Madrileños actually shop at, same stalls and bars… |
| 10 | The Bernabéu tour, on a weekday morning | Book the opening slot on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The trophy room and… |
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01
Templo de Debod, at golden hour #
An actual Egyptian temple relocated stone by stone to a Madrid hilltop. Arrive thirty minutes before sunset for the reflection in the pools, weekday evenings are quietest.
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02
Museo Cerralbo, not the Prado on a first pass #
A nineteenth century aristocrat's mansion left almost untouched, ornate rooms with a fraction of the crowd. Check for a free evening slot before going.
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03
Museo Sorolla #
A painter's actual home and studio, with the garden he designed himself. Small enough to see properly in an hour, and rarely crowded even on a weekday morning.
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04
Galería de las Colecciones Reales, instead of the Palace queue #
A newer museum built into the rock beside the Royal Palace, holding royal carriages and armor plus a stretch of the city's old Islamic wall, with none of the Palace's line.
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05
Real Fábrica de Tapices #
A tapestry workshop running since 1721, with weavers still working the looms in front of visitors. Small guided groups on weekdays, check for the English language slot.
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06
Cerro del Tío Pío, at sunset #
A hilltop park in Vallecas with a full skyline view and none of the tourist traffic, since it is a genuinely local spot. Arrive half an hour before sunset.
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07
Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop, not the famous ones #
A cheaper rooftop with the same skyline. Tickets are sold at the desk only, not online, so check the current purchase window in advance.
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08
Chocolatería San Ginés, before dawn, not mid morning #
The twenty four hour churro counter is a different place at four in the morning, full of locals leaving a club, than at ten, full of tour groups.
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09
Mercado de San Fernando, in Lavapiés #
The market format Madrileños actually shop at, same stalls and bars as the famous one, without the markup or the crowd.
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10
The Bernabéu tour, on a weekday morning #
Book the opening slot on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The trophy room and museum fill by mid morning even outside match season.
Eight people to follow before you go to Madrid
- 1Juan José Mateo. Covers Madrid politics and city administration for El País, useful for knowing what is actually happening in the city during a visit.
- 2Mikel López Iturriaga (El Comidista). El País's food section, run and hosted by Iturriaga since 2010, the most followed food voice in the city.
- 3@madriddiferente. A long running account of Madrid restaurants, bars, and plans, closely watched locally for weekend ideas.
- 4@nievesfelipo. A Madrid based food creator whose restaurant coverage regularly ranks among the most followed in the city.
- 5@metro_madrid. The Metro's own account for real time line incidents, checked before a delay ruins a plan.
- 6Tamara Quiroga (@madridmadridmadrid_). Posts archival black and white Madrid photography, sourced from old collections and books.
- 7Atlético de Madrid. Chosen over the city's other major club for a more local feed, useful if a match lands during the trip.
- 8Sala El Sol. A venue running for over four decades near Puerta del Sol, booking a genuine mix of touring and local acts.