Madrid 2017: Itinerary & Tips

Overview

Who// me, my mom, & my grandparents

What// a 3-day stretch of our 12-day trip to spain & portugal 

Where// madrid, spain

When// december 13-15, 2017

Why// we originally scheduled the trip to see my brother, who was supposed to be studying abroad in barcelona. that ended up falling through, but we still took the trip (duh)!

How// we got to madrid by taking a one-hour flight from barcelona 

Beautiful tiled wall in a random alleyway. 

Our Madrileno Airbnb was perfect! Modern, filled with light, and very cozy. 

Day One: Jet Lag Sunday

• Arrived in Madrid
  • We came from Barcelona on Vueling Airlines (operated by Iberia), which was short & sweet. No complaints.

• Taxied to the Airbnb 

  • 30 minutes to city center for 30 euros (flat fee) 

  • Location: La Latina, very central and trendy part of town 

• Explored El Rastro, world famous flea market (Sunday only)

• Napped for two hours at the Airbnb. The jet lag is reeeal. 

• Dinner at Txaplea 

  • Since very few places are open on Sunday, we turned to Yelp to find somewhere to eat. This place I found was so very average. You can definitely skip.

  • I'm finding that TripAdvisor is a much more helpful tool than Yelp outside the US. 

• Dessert at Churreria-Chocolateria Las Farolas

  • Again, just ok. We didn't nail it with food today. 

  • A better option would have been Chocolateria San Gines or Chocolaterias Valor

The quirky and colorful market outside of our Airbnb. 

Iconic signage in the Plaza del Sol. As a hot sauce fan, I approve. 

Churros con Chocolate, the famous Spanish dessert! Chocolate not pictured. 

Day Two: Eat Your Way Through Spain

• 9 am Picked up groceries at local market & made breakfast
  • Fruit & fresh squeezed orange juice
  • Fresh baguette w/ butter
  • Eggs w/ mushrooms & jamon
• 12 pm Snacked & explored at San Miguel Market
• 1 pm Lunch at Calida De Madrid
  • Would recommend! Not much for ambiance, but cheap & delicious. 
  • We got the goat cheese salad, caesar salad, mellow rice (risotto), & Ribera wine. All fantastic. 
• Wandered, explored, & shopped 
• 5:30 - 9:30 pm Cooking Class @ “Cooking Point”
  • We loved this! Easily one of our favorite nights of the trip. 
  • We cooked various traditional tapas from scratch, made our own sangria, and learned a ton about the food traditions in Spain. 

San Miguel Market in Madrid, decorated for the holidays! 

Rosemary & Quince Ravioli from the San Miguel Market. How cute is this portion !

Incredible Goat Cheese Salad from Restaurante Calidade.

Snapped as we wandered the streets near Puerta del Sol.

Culmination of our Spanish cooking class! Patatas Bravas, Marinated Chorizos, Garlic Shrimp, Iberico Ham, Tomato Bread, Spanish Omlette. 

Day Three: Cultura

• 10 am Free Walking Tour: Sandemans New Europe

  • #1 Tip: Always start your trip with the free walking tour! There's no better way to orient yourself to the city and expected tip is only 10-30 euros. 

  • Included:

    • Teatro Real (Royal Opera House)
    • World’s oldest restaurant
    • The Spanish Empire history lesson
    • The origins of tapas
    • Catedral de Almudena
    • Plaza de Puerta Cerrada
    • Oriente Square
    • Royal Palace
• Sat down in La Latina for "real tapas"
  • Real tapas are the kind that come free with a drink
  • Our tour guide recommended Cafe San Millan
  • Not much for ambiance, but we got free potatoes & chicken wings with our beer :)

• Explored Museo de Porto or Retiro Park

• 7 pm Dinner at La Buha

  • Known for their huge, stuffed omlettes (a Spanish classic)

  • Try to find somewhere that serves cocido madrileno! It’s translates to “Madrid stew” and is a hearty soup of meat, beans, and veggies. I regret not having it. 

  • Typically, 8 pm is the earliest real Spanish people would consider eating dinner. 10 pm is the most normal time, according to our cooking class instructor. 

• 8:30 pm Flamenco Show at Las Carboneras

  • Amazing, simply must go

  • Only 29 euros with the free walking tour!

Madrid's Grand Cathedral, built over a 100 year period and using three distinct styles of architecture.

The central lake in Retiro Park. 

One of the ornate entrances to Retiro Park in Madrid. 

Central fountain at Retiro Park.

Random Kermmie in Retiro Park. He made us laugh and I love the contrast of this photo :) 

Amazing flamenco show at Las Carboneras! These people should be famous, they're so passionate and talented.

Next, it's off to Porto, Portugal!