Mad about Madrid - 3 days in the Spanish Capital
- Anju Chandna
- Jun 24, 2022
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 26
The Spanish capital is an exciting city from the word go! We had all of 72 hours at our disposal in Madrid, and there was a lot of ground to cover. There were 10 attractions in all that we wanted to see. I've divided these attractions into a 3-day itinerary.
The Top 10 not-to-miss attractions are
4. Plaza Mayor
Day 1 in Madrid
Royal Palace of Madrid
We started with the Royal Palace of Madrid, or the 'Palacio Real' as it's called, the stunning white square building made in Baroque style architecture around a large courtyard. Baroque architecture is synonymous with opulent, theatrical-style buildings with intricate stonework.
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest in Europe based on its floor size, spread over an area of about 1450000 square feet.
The palace is open all days of the week; summer and winter timings are different.
Entry to the palace is not free; your ticket will depend on whether you do a self-guided tour or a conducted tour.
My Tip
This is one of the largest palaces in the world with over 3000 rooms! If you decide to explore the interior of the palace, then be prepared to walk a lot and designate at least 2 to 3 hours to see the palace. We did not have the time to explore it from the inside.
Photography is strictly prohibited inside the palace except in some designated areas.
My word of advice is that if you've seen other famous palaces around the world, like the Palace of Versailles or royal palaces in Copenhagen or Sweden, or if you're planning to see the Real Alcazar in Seville, then you can miss this one. The ornate exteriors of the palace are enough to make your jaw drop!
There is a Changing of the Guard daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays unless otherwise notified. The ceremony is always fun to watch as the crowds queue up well before time to grab a good viewing spot to watch the event.
El Retiro Park
It's a 30-minute walk from the Royal Palace to the park through the beautiful city of Madrid.
The landscaped park in the centre of the city is massive. Entry to the park is free.
It has around 15000 trees, statues of Spanish royalty, a lake, a glass building called the Crystal Palace and a Rose Garden.
One can easily spend 2 to 3 hours in the park, rowing on the lake and seeing the beautiful city go by from the quiet of the park.
My Tip
We spent the 2nd half of the day at El Retiro Park. It was very serene. Must-do!
Paseo del Prado
Very close to El Retiro Park, just about a 6 to 7-minute walk, is the famous historical boulevard Paseo del Prado.
The boulevard is considered to be an oasis in the midst of the city with very old trees.
The entire area from Paseo del Prado to El Retiro Park and some adjoining areas has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Landscape of Light.
This houses some of Spain's most prominent institutions, and walking along this green boulevard is a delightful experience.
The three famous museums of Madrid, Museo del Prado, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museo Nacional are also located here, and the area is called the Golden Triangle of Art in Madrid.
It's a good idea to take a conducted tour of the historical gardens, which will give you some very interesting insights into the history of these gardens and why they were developed.
Many tour options are available, including walking tours, tuk-tuk tours, and electric bike tours, among others. Please check their website for more details.
My Tip
If you wish to explore the museums, then the conducted tours take about 7 hours to cover all three museums. We were travelling with our 2 boys, visiting a museum was last on their wish list.
But this certainly is doable in a 3-day itinerary since you have the entire second half of the day available.
Day 2 in Madrid
Plaza Mayor
In the morning, we decided to spend some time at the Plaza Mayor. Our apartment building, aptly called 'Plaza Mayor Apartment', was situated right on the famous plaza.
The statue of Philip III at Plaza Mayor
My Tip
The plaza is always bustling with crowds, and this is the best place to begin your walk across the beautiful Central Square of Madrid. There are hordes of tourists everywhere and some curiously dressed human statues and street performers. There are small eateries or Tapas, as they're called, all around where you can grab a bite, all the while soaking in the magic of Madrid.
At the end of the square, there is a Plaza Mayor Tourist Information Center for your assistance. Just a 5-minute walk away is the Puerta del Sol.
Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol is a public square in Madrid that has the famous Kilometer Zero, a small stone slab that marks the geographical centre of Madrid and even Spain.
It also has the statue of the bear and the strawberry tree representing the Madrid coat of arms.
My Tip
It is the most famous point for photo ops. You will find crowds thronging in this area at any time of the day.
Plaza de Toros
The second half of the day was assigned to go to Plaza de Toros, the bullfight arena in Madrid.
The place was swarming with people, surprisingly most of them looked like locals, I barely saw any tourists there. One can always spot tourists by the look of inquisitiveness around them.
A lot can be said about this place and the event that takes place here, the bullfight.
I have written about this in a separate blog. Not everyone has the stomach to watch the Bullfight with all its blood and gore!
Read on for our bullfight experience in the link below
Day 3 in Madrid
This was our last day in Madrid, and we wanted to explore this beautiful city on foot.
Mercado San Miguel
We decided to start our day with a trip to the food market very close to Plaza Mayor.
We wanted to sample some delicacies at this world-renowned gourmet one-stop shop for Spanish cuisine. The impressive outer structure is a major tourist attraction, inside there are fruit and vegetable stands alongside the local Tapas.
We went early in the morning to beat the crowds, the market gets extremely crowded during the day and even more in the evening. Also, we wanted to first explore the stalls because we were not sure what to eat. After much deliberation, we tried seafood Paella, some exotic ham and cheese, fresh fruits, fried anchovies and the amazing red wine Sangria!
Puerta del Alcala
This beautiful monument is about a 30-minute walk from Mercado San Miguel.
The monument is beautiful with its intricate carvings and impressive archways. We spent about 30 minutes around the monument before heading to the next attraction.
Plaza de Cibeles
Photo courtesy - "Plaza de Cibeles y Oficina de Correos, Madrid" by MrT HK is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
From Puerta del Alcala, we walked another 4 minutes to Plaza de Cibeles, a plaza square with the absolutely riveting structure of Cybele Palace that now serves as the city hall.
The area around the plaza is very crowded at all times. The pictures I took did not do justice to the beauty of this structure. So, I took this photo from a photo gallery. Don't miss the statue of Goddess Cybele on a chariot in front of the plaza.
Monumento A Los Refugiados
Just 3 to 4 minutes away from Plaza de Cibeles, this monument is dedicated to refugees and attempts to depict their plight.
It's a strange-looking piece of art showing some men sitting on the top of a wall trying to run away or sneak in. Honestly, I couldn't make much of it, although it's made quite artistically.
Parterre del Retiro
This beautiful French-style garden lies within the Retiro Park on the west side.
Parterre del Retiro, with its ornamentally landscaped greens, is absolutely delightful, and the serenity of the park amid a bustling city is worth the effort of walking to it.
By the end of this walking tour, we had experienced Madrid and its people and seen its many stunning architectural marvels alongside vast verdant greens right in the heart of the city.
A lot of day trips can be taken from Madrid.
If you have an extra day, then the medieval city of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is just 30 minutes away.
It's famous for its monuments that display a deep influence of Jewish, Christian and Arab architecture.
El Escorial, the historic residence of the King of Spain, is located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 45 km away from Madrid. This is a famous landmark and attracts a lot of crowds.
Although I think fitting in these 2 places would be impossible in a 3-day trip.
It was the last evening of our trip to Madrid. We decided to spend the evening at Plaza Mayor. One can't have enough of the vibe of this charming Spanish District.
Early the next morning, we boarded the train to Barcelona for our next Spanish adventure!
There are many reasons to visit Spain. Click on the links below to find out more about Spain and things to do in Spain.
Interested in bullfighting?
Take a trip to Barcelona, Spain's most visited city. Read more about Barcelona
I have written about our experience at Port Aventura in the link below
The absolutely not-to-miss city of Seville, Spain
Watching a Flamenco show in Seville