The capital of Spain was the first stopping point on our fantastic 9-day European Tour back in March 2022. Our plane arrived at 12:30pm more or less and we had until 10am the following morning to enjoy this buzzing city.
21.5 hours. Not a lot of time but fear not, I had a plan in mind. Having seen a couple of sights on a previous trip in 2017, our idea for these 21.5 hours was to see as much as possible but also not rush. Easier said than done, I know. We also wanted to party just a bit. We were celebrating the start to our wonderful tour, and what a tour it was to become.
In this article you’ll find our full (and budget-friendly) itinerary, complete with our restaurant information for your own inspiration or pure nosiness. I must admit, I made only brief notes at the time as this was before the birth of Beers and Bon Voyage but any questions, feel free to ask away in the comments or get me on Insta or email.
Accommodation Evaluation
Getting a room in Madrid is no mean feat. It costs a small fortune. Thankfully, I managed to find a small room in a cheap hotel, just a stone’s throw from Puerta del Sol – map here.
INTER Puerta del Sol Pension – Double Room for one night – £52.57
Honestly, it was everything we needed for that night. We weren’t planning on being in the room much and it was a place to rest our heads. There was a 24-hour desk and a reception area, and long corridors, making the place feel quite large considering you enter it via a flat stairwell.
The mattress, I recall, was very thin, and the bed itself rather flimsy. However, despite this, it was enough for what we needed. The bathroom was clean and there were towels provided.
The receptionist was helpful and polite and even helped us print some travel documents out using their printer. There was free Wi-Fi in the hotel. A budget-friendly option to be sure.
Voyage and Discover
With the exception of the journey from the airport to the city centre, we did not use public transport. We got a lot of steps in that day but it was perfectly manageable. Taking the metro was fairly intuitive and it didn’t take too long to work out which line was for Sol from the airport. Unfortunately, I can’t remember any ticket or pricing information, sorry guys!
Sometimes, I use an ingenious website/app called Visit A City. Here you can find ready-made itineraries, build your own, or a mixture of both. I am in no way affiliated with this site; I just think it’s darned useful. It calculates the best route to see everything you put in there and I find it really helpful for planning city trips. Note: Not all cities are on it, but it’s worth checking out.
After dropping our bags off at the hotel, we were ready to get discovering.
Kilometre 0
First on the list was the Kilometre 0 which is located in the Puerta del Sol.
What is the Kilometre 0? It’s a stone slab on the floor that is the literal geographical centre of Spain. It also marks the point from which all of Spain’s roads are measured in terms of distance. You can find it on the ground in front of the Post Office building and clock tower. You should see the large crowd of people all trying to put their feet on the slab and take a photo. It’s not until you get closer that you’ll see the actual thing they’re stepping on. Kilometre 0: budget-friendly at 0 euros.
And who are we to break the mould? Of course, we did it too!
National Museum of Romanticism
Next, we headed to the museum dedicated to objects and décor from the romance period. This was a bit of a random choice. I’m reasonably into dining and kitchenalia and I enjoyed it a lot. The museum was full of ornate tableware and dinner services. The detail on some of the objects was astonishing though: immensely intricate and beautiful. There is an example of an old games table, I think like pool, surrounded by more painted royals.
The walls were adorned with paintings, and the rooms were laid out as if they were in use during the said period. Security was tight in this place, which was rather annoying because every step you took was scrutinised and watched by the security guard of the room. Each and every room had one. Bit of an overkill, to tell the truth.
Budget-friendly at only 3€ entrance, or 1,50€ for concessions, we spent approximately 40 minutes here. Click here for tourist info.
Palacio de Cibeles
One of the most visually impressive and architecturally interesting buildings in Madrid is the Palacio de Comunicaciones (Palacio de Cibeles). Currently home to the Madrid Town Hall, building commenced in 1907 to house the telephone and telecommunications exchanges.
If you’re interested in phones and telecommunications history, there are exhibits around the building, as well as some more artsy exhibitions. You can get quite lost there.
What interested us though was, in fact, the tower. Once you’ve finished taking all your photos and goggling at the fountain and the building from the outside, you want to go inside and pay the 3€ entrance fee to go to the panoramic Mirador Madrid observation deck. I’d say it’s quite an iconic view. There are information boards to tell you what you are looking at, if, like me, you hadn’t a clue.
Puerta de Alcalá Gate
You cannot walk right up to the arch as it’s in the middle of a very busy roundabout. We struggled to get a good photograph due to the onslaught of cars, vans and buses. My partner was not impressed with the arch, citing the ‘French one is bigger’. Whilst I do think the dimensions may be smaller than its neighbour’s arch, it is still pretty cool to see.
Post-trip research told me about this archway, as there is no information there. Finished in 1778, this gate was to serve as one of the five old royal gateways into the city of Madrid. It was commissioned by King Carlos III to replace an older gate structure from the 16th century.
Whilst similar, both sides of the gate are different. My photo captures the Madrid-facing side.
Parque de El Retiro
Literally just up the road from the Puerta de Alcalá is the Parque de El Retiro. Normally, I’m not one for gardens and parks. They simply don’t interest me all that much. We figured, however, that we might as well see it as we’re close and other attractions wouldn’t be open at that time anyway (it’s approximately 5pm).
The park was bustling with people soaking up some sun and enjoying the many sights within the park itself. It reminds me somewhat of Kensington Gardens, in London, with its buildings, statues and fountains. A large park, there is something for everyone. Boating on the lake, botanic gardens and monuments such as the Palacio de Cristal.
As we were strolling through, we bumped into some street performers dressed up as popular characters. The atmosphere was quite pleasant truth be told and perfect for those budget-friendly itineraries as it’s totally free! Note: Author is unsure if some buildings within the park carry entrance fees.
Royal Palace of Madrid
Due to time constraints, we had decided to not enter the Royal Palace but merely look from the outside. I saw it from the inside back in 2017 but this article is about March 2022. From the outside, I can’t help but agree that the palace did look rather anticlimactic and dull. Perhaps it was the clouds that had rolled in, or maybe it was a tad grubby, either way there wasn’t too much to see from the outside and so it was a short stop. Anyway, here’s the link for the tourist page. I recommend going inside!
On the way to the palace, however, I stopped to marvel at a street artist’s wonderful paintings. They were all of the same, or similar tree in various colours and seasons. All original oil on paper. I love seeing talented artists who make a wonderful drawing or painting just at their easel in the streets. Culture. The elderly man told me that his inspiration was a tree in the garden of his childhood home in the Canary Islands and through the seasons it went different colours.
As beautiful as his story was, I somehow doubt his childhood tree turned blue… but perhaps he imagined it as different colours too. Either way, I was in love with it. You’ll die when you hear the price. Just 5€ for the smaller size (7” x 10” including the frame – 17.5cm x 25cm). Larger ones were 20€ or so but they were fairly large and well worth it, I think. In the interests of packing light, and with 5 more countries to voyage around, I chose small. A budget-friendly souvenir.
Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena
Upon leaving the shut gates of the Palace behind us, we continued up the street and entered the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena. The inside was rather large and grand with an impressive golden shrine of sorts for worship dotted with many paintings and effergies.
If you like traditional, beautiful stained-glass windows, this is not the church for you. The windows of this cathedral were done in a modern style, likely been replaced over the years. They gave an almost modern-art vibe. Not our thing. Not impressed. The rest of the church was beautiful and very colourful. Authors hint: Always look up! The ceilings were ornate and decorated; as if straight out of a colouring book.
It wasn’t our favourite church, but definitely worth popping your head into.
Cathedral Church of the Armed Forces (Iglesia Catedral de las Fuerzas Armadas)
Another beautiful church we happened upon by pure chance. A short distance from the Almudena Cathedral, this church was smaller but had such a cosy and more welcoming vibe to it. It was truly beautiful inside. We could not go inside to look as there was a wedding being held there. If this was you getting married, you looked wonderful!
From starting at Kilometre 0 at approximately 14:30, we left the Armed Forces Cathedral and arrived back to the hotel to change at around 18:45 – so approximately 4 hours, give or take.
Plaza Mayor
A stunning enclosed square, there are cafés lining the walls, restaurants and jewellery shops. In the open square, you will see a large fountain and normally a couple of buskers/musicians playing to engaged onlookers.
It’s worth coming here to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a relaxed beer or your liquid of preference. Why not try some tapas? Of course, being a major tourist spot, the outdoor seating is quite busy and more than quite pricey. But looking around is budget-friendly, being a free, public space.
You may have heard of Madrid’s famous street signs, usually ceramic tiles. In this image you can see a more boring street sign, however the buildings making up the ‘walls’ of the square have painted facades that look into the bustling and cultural hotspot.
This is where our evening meal was found, after changing and freshening up in the hotel.
Bites and Beverages
One day does not leave ample time to enjoy all the Spanish delights of this city. However, I did sample some noteworthy edible goodness to share with you… and you may get a wee shock!
Dick Waffle
Yes, you read correctly. No, I did not stutter. This was a genuine ‘cake shop’ located on Calle de Arenal. Find the company here, for more proof. A unique kind of shop that would be feel more natural in Amsterdam, they sell edible, decorated male and female genitals. My partner has a sweet tooth and especially adores waffles. So, we could not resist this explicitely curious bakery.
There is a wide array of sweets to decorate your appendages and you can choose your preferred colour. This is a family friendly article, so I shall leave it at that.
We ordered a Kinder and White Chocolate Dick Waffle with Chocolate Sprinkles and Mini Smarties. It was very nice, and, honestly, very tasty. My partner’s white jumper also enjoyed sharing in some of it, much to his annoyance.
Restaurante DCorazon
I researched this place a little before we rocked up for grub and I was excited. I was right to be: the food was delicious.
We thought we’d have a tapas-style sharing dinner, when in Rome and all that. We ordered a cheese volcano (Volcán DCorazon), Calamari and a Quesadilla. Advertised as a ‘delicacy for cheese lovers’, I couldn’t help myself but to get the cheese volcano. It was a little pricier than the other dishes if I recall. It consisted of an assortment of melted cheese and white wine reduction inside a bread ‘volcano’. Very rich indeed.
I got a local Spanish beer, 1906. For one reason or another, I made no notes about this beer at the time, so you won’t find it with the rest of this trip’s beers in Volume Beer.
Not a great setting, we were in the cavernous underground basement room which had a cafeteria vibe as opposed to a restaurant. It was not aesthetically magnificent, but we had a pleasant time.
You can find the current menu highlights/specials and website here.
Commo – Espit Chupitos Sol
I knew I wanted to go here. I didn’t know its name; I came here back in 2017. How do you find something you want when you don’t know its name? The same way I found it the first time: let it find me.
Close to our accommodation, in Puerta del Sol, there are people on the street trying to get you to go to their place. They get commission for people they bring to the bar. Sounds obviously a bit dodgy when you follow them to an unknown place and just trust they aren’t going to kill you. But I’d done it before, and so allowed myself to be taken. Lo and behold the guy led us straight to the bar I was looking for!
On the ground level, it’s a normal bar but you want to go downstairs and you find yourself in a basement, popular bar with music, dancing and fire. Yes, fire. Specifically, the bar is on fire.
There is a wall with hundreds of names of shots. Very memorable black chalkboard list. Hundreds of names. When you order a shot, occasionally the barperson pours flammable liquid onto the bar and sets it ablaze. As you do.
It’s a pretty fun place, even just for the atmosphere. You pay entrance at the door; I think it was a bit pricey but you get some drinks included with that once you’re in. The details are a bit fuzzy for one reason or another… but FIRE! Click for a website link to the company/bar.
If you’ve gotten this far, awesome! If you’ve read Engrossing Europe: Volume One then you’ll know that from Madrid we took a 46-hour bus at 10am the next day. Destination: Sofia. Read all about our two days in Bulgaria’s capital city, coming soon!
In the meantime, I want to know any other Madrid sights, places, restaurants or bars that you’d recommend. I’ll definitely be going back, maybe soon, maybe not, so give me all your suggestions! And I hope my voyaging helps you with yours. Toodle pip!
