48 Hours In: Madrid
The ultimate guide of EVERYTHING you need to do whilst in Madrid! - Words & Pictures by Hayley ...
So, last week was 'the week' where I flew to the wrong country. LOL. If you follow me on social media you'll know that I *thought I was travelling to Milan for a two day press trip but actually went to Madrid instead, and get this I didn't even REALISE until we'd landed. Yup, not sure how I managed that one either. Still makes me die of laughter every time I think about it, what an idiot. Oh well, that's one to tell the grandkids I guess *inserts eye roll emoji*. None the less, I had the most wonderful stay and absolutely fell head over heels for Madrid (I *think I might even love it more than I love Barcelona and trust me that's saying something!). We were super lucky as we had an incredible tour guide called Jo from Insiders Madrid and Julio who worked at the Only YOU Hotel Atocha to show us around all the sites, the local way! We discovered so many fab places to eat, drink, party, sleep and so much more - so here's my guide to Madrid!...
1.) WHERE TO STAY - ONLY YOU HOTEL ATOCHA
So, you're heading to Madrid - but where you gonna stay?! Well, look no further gal pals because Only YOU Hotel Atocha is THE place you need to book in Madrid (i'll be doing a separate post with ALL of the snaps and telling you exactly why), but in a nutshell it's bloody awesome and has a great central location too!
Where? Paseo Infanta Isabel, 13, Madrid
2.) TOUR MADRID IN A SEAT 600 - 600 TOUR MADRID
The lovely hotel and PR had organised for us to tour Madrid in a Seat 600, one car was 45 years old and the other 51, it was so much fun! The weather wasn't great during our tour but it was a great way to explore the city - and fab for anyone with an interest in cars! You can book the tours here!
3.) GET CULTURAL - DEL PRADO MUSEUM
I would highly, highly recommend a visit to the grand El Prado museum (if only to see the stunning building itself), if you're a museum lover then I'd recommend a half/full day to wander around and soak everything in, we did a whistle stop tour in an hour and a half but I'm so glad we got to visit - it was incredible! Expect to see artwork from; Rubens, Bosch and Rembrandt.
Where? Museo Nacional del Prado. Calle Ruiz de Alarcón 23
*Image via Pinterest
4.) A MUST - FLAMENCO AT CORRAL DE LA MORERIA
So girls I have to say that watching Flamenco dancing at Corral De la Moreria was the highlight of my trip, and I'd go as far as to say, you absolutely HAVE to do this whilst in Madrid! It was one of the best things I've ever witnesses, so passionate and breathtaking, you'll genuinely be mesmerised! We enjoyed a three course meal whilst there - they actually put our desert on the table and no-one ate it for a good 10 minutes as we were so captured by the dancers! There are lots of Flamenco bars in Madrid (which I'm sure are all just as fabulous) but speaking from experience, this one was bloody incredible!
Where? c/ Morería, 17 - 28005 Madrid
5.) DO A WALKING FOOD TOUR OF MADRID WITH INSIDERS MADRID
On the Saturday afternoon we did an amazing walking food tour of Madrid with the lovely Jo from Insiders Madrid, who showed us the coolest places to hang out, local food joints, as well as the oldest restaurant in the world, Botin - which is definitely worth a visit (it's the oldest restaurant in the world that hasn't closed it's doors to the public)! If you're only in Madrid for 2/3 days I'd definitely recommend doing a food tour as you'll discover the true gems of the city! Book here!
Head to Puerta Del Sol and look for this plaque on the floor... it's the very centre of Spain - how cool is that?!
TOP TIP: Head to the Mercado San Anton - a super cool, three floor food market packed full with reasonably priced world wide cuisine - great for lunch! Where? 28004, Calle de Augusto Figueroa, 24B, 28004
If you spot this plaque on the floor - it means the store has been there for over 100 years! Found commonly in the writers district which is where Hemingway both worked and lived - a great area to explore so do visit!
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Have you been to Madrid before? What did you think? Do you have any tips you'd love to share? I'm already planning a trip back!