WHAT TO DO 2 DAYS IN MADRID: OUR ITINERARY

Know the fundamentals of Madrid in just two days It is possible if you organize yourself well. We know that time flies when you travel to a city with so many interesting places so we have prepared this itinerary full of things to do 2 days in Madrid so you can make the most of your stay.

Madrid is the hustle and bustle of Gran Vía, sunsets from the temple of Debod, the reeds of La Latina, the barets of Malasaña, is the Guernica hanging on a white wall of Reina Sofía, is stepping on the zero kilometer (and expecting SpongeBob doesn't mess it up again). It's all that, yes, but it's much more.

Things as they are: Madrid has never been our favorite Spanish city. In front of it will always be Barcelona or Granada. However ... our last step through Madrid was a great however.

Barcelona is more beautiful, however Madrid is more daring. Granada is more magical, however Madrid does not need any magic. It is not our city, however we would not mind if it was for a season, like a summer love, however better in spring.

We do not know where to start, however we have already begun. And here goes the two-day itinerary in Madrid, two days that will fill you with embargoes. And however, they are very cool.

- DAY ONE -

MORNING

For breakfast we propose a good portion of Madrid castizo: we begin our visit in the Main Square (and if you have a squid sandwich for breakfast, we will not be the ones who judge you), one of the most beautiful squares in the city and that hides a few curiosities.

If you want to make yourself cool with your adventure companions you can tell them, for example, that it is the place that changed its name most times (it was Plaza de Arrabal, de la Constitución, Plaza Real, de la República, de la República Federal and finally , Higher). Although if you want to be really cool, have the calamari sandwich for breakfast. Unforgettable. Ok, one relaxing cup of coffee with milk in Plaza Mayor It is not a bad plan either.

Another thing you should do is look at the facade of the Casa de la Panadería, which breads do not have, but fresh good looking yes.

A little jump at San Miguel market It is something we recommend, it is not the most authentic or cheap market in Madrid, but walking around its aisles and taking a few colorful photos does not cost anything.

Next stop: Sun Gate, where we will find several symbols of the capital of Madrid, such as the bear and the arbutus, the kilometer zero, the balcony of the bells and SpongeBob with his friends, yes, it seems that he gets along well with everyone. And if you're lucky you can even run into Mr Bean himself.

If we continue along the Carrera de San Jerónimo we will reach the Congress of Deputies. Here a selfie is essential with the lions that preside over the building, sitting, doing nothing, a little like the rest of those who work there. Lions, however, are more majetes.

We go down to the neptune fountain and voilá: we are already in the Paseo del Prado, which gives us a great spoiler of what comes next. Yes gentlemen the Prado Museum It deserves a visit and not only for the temporary exhibitions, but also to house some of the masterpieces of Spanish and international painting under its roofs and its laaargos and endless halls. If you like Rober like Goya, you're going to freak out. And if you like Velazquez I won't even tell you.

These are some of the Prado's best works:

• The Garden of Earthly Delights (El Bosco, 1500 - 1505)
• Saturn devouring a son (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 1820 - 1823)
• May 3 in Madrid or The shooting of May 3 (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 1814)
• The naked pestle (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 1795-1800)
• Las Meninas or The Family of Felipe IV (Diego Velázquez, circa 1656)
• The triumph of Bacchus, or Los Borrachos (Diego Velázquez, 1628 - 1629)
• The adoration of the shepherds (El Greco, 1612-1613)
• The three graces (Pedro Pablo Rubens, 1630-1635)

After feeding your eyes, your soul, your artistic spirit and your foot pain, because walking you will walk for a while, it is time to feed the stomach. Cerquita del Prado you will find aGoiko Grill, a chain that prepares some of the best hamburgers in Madrid. No, from Spain. No, of the world.

The menu of the day, which includes hamburger, homemade potatoes with barbecue sauce, drink and dessert, costs € 11.50. We dream of re-inflating the tooth to your burgers, don't miss it!

LATE

You will realize that we have entered the Neighborhood of the letters, so we took the opportunity to get lost in its narrow streets full of words, poetry and memories of what were its most famous inhabitants (Miguel de Cervantes, Quevedo and Lope de Vega among others).

The neighborhood has a lot of charm, full of small bars, restaurants, vintage and modern shops, and walking through its streets we will arrive at another mythical neighborhood of Madrid: Lavapies.

Foot wash It was one of the big surprises of this trip. The most multicultural neighborhood of the capital, which in the past was an almost marginal area, today is more alive, colorful and cheerful than ever. In the same street you can find Indian, Mexican, croquettes and cane restaurants, Chinese bazaars, squares full of children, grandparents and graffiti.

They say that over 80 nationalities coexist here and that the slopes here are chungas. What they don't say enough is that Lavapies must go, yes or yes. And if you also have a beer in a bar in Argumosa Street, so much better.

You know, one cane leads to another, but we propose a challenge: resist the temptation to ask for the “one more”, lift the back of the chair, pay the bill and change the neighborhood. The time has come to meet la Latina. His fame precedes it. La Latina is synonymous with terrace, laughter, trail, authenticity and fun. So take another cane here. You deserve it, and Madrid deserves it. So everyone happy.

NIGHT

Of course, once and for all, that the route is not over and we are missing one of the highlights of the day: watch the sunset from the debod temple where one of the most magical sunsets of toooda Spain is contemplated.

This temple is dedicated to the gods Ammon and Isis and was built in the second century BC. And what does an Egyptian temple do in the center of Madrid? It was the government of Egypt that decided to donate it to Spain, to avoid being flooded after the construction of the Aswan Dam (don't be badly thought!).

By now you will have noticed that Madrid is rare: one of its star dishes is the squid sandwich being hundreds of kilometers from the sea, it has an Egyptian temple, it has the SpongeBob with the worst character in the world and maybe you you find Chinese tour guides with an almost perfect Castilian… As the weird oddities we will have dinner at the least glamorous place in the entire capital: Spanish from Plaza de España.

Legend has it that, under the foundations of Plaza de España, among rats, cobwebs, ninja turtles, Blade Runner and ghost platforms, there is a Chinese restaurant. This legend may be too much of a movie, but the Chinese exists ... and it does! The mythical "Chinese Plaza de España" is a good restaurant, nice (although better to say peculiar) and cheap.

Do not forget to try the dumplings (who knows us knows that we are dumplingomanos), made with homemade dough and stuffed with meat, they are delicious (€ 4.20)! By the way, the site is called Zhou Yulong (or also "clandestine Chinese" for friends).

Update: from Sept. 2019 this legendary garito closed its doors 🙁

All Madlid wants the clandestine Chinese!

To end the night we pass from the Chinese underworld, to the chupiguay world of the terrace of English Court of Callao. Here a drink costs like a few dumplings, but the views are infinitely better, of this there is no doubt (unless you love parking, of course).

Ala, to sleep that tomorrow we take you to travel another 18,204 kilometers!

- DAY 2 -

MORNING

Now I have to confess something: I was very lazy to visit the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral, but since Rober was quite excited, I decided for a few minutes to leave the role of a heavy girlfriend and pretend that I didn't care. I didn't care much at least. The truth is that I am a heavy girlfriend.

To what I was going: I didn't want to go to the Palace and we loved the Palace. I didn't want to go up to the Almudena dome and we loved the dome. I didn't want to go to the Almudena Museum and we didn't like the museum, I was right! Too many tabernacles together put me (* eye to the pun that only a handful of the elect are going to catch *) bad ostia. Juas, juas.

But come on, that the Plaza de Oriente, the Palace and the dome of the Almudena deserve a visit.

To eat we fell into the temptation of the devil: the offer of everything at € 1 100 Montaditos (next to the Opera). At the third chicken croquette, the one we ate after the camembert croquettes and the potatoes with bacon and “cheese” began to feel guilty (this should have been a pica pica!). But my conscience was clear after discovering that Rober had the courage to ask for a squid. He was carrying 2 cm of squid. Unforgivable in Madrid.

LATE

The time has come to atone for blame, digest the meal, relax and enjoy one of the green lungs of the city, for that there is no better plan than to go to the Retirement. And that we did. If you dare you can rent a boat to sail on the lake or just enjoy walking among the fountains, flowers and hidden pokemon.

Tip: Be careful when you sit on the benches around the crystal Palace since the birds that live just above your head have good aim (and would need some fortasec, that too).

The Queen Sofia, another of the museums that you should not miss in Madrid, is a short walk away, so if modern art is your thing, do not think twice, and the building is spectacular. In this case the works that you must absolutely see in the Reina Sofía Museum They are:

• The Guernica (Pablo Picasso. 1937)
• The ladies of Avignon street (Pablo Picasso, 1907)
• Face of the Great Masturbator (Salvador Dalí, 1929)
• The smile of flaming wings (Joan Miró, 1953)
• Figure in a window (Salvador Dalí, 1925)
• Escargot, Femme, Fleur, Étoile (Joan Miró, 1934)
• The Pombo Coffee gathering (José Solana, 1920)

NIGHT

Check the time well because we have another date with the sunset. They say that the sky of Madrid is one of the most beautiful in the world and the best terrace to contemplate it is the Roof of the Circle of Fine Arts. Try to climb half an hour before nightfall to avoid queues. Admission is € 4 (free with Madrid Card). It is not mandatory to consume and since the menu is quite carillo, it is appreciated.

What to say about the views? Delightful! In front you will come across the famous Metropolis building, the Gran Vía and thousands of rooftops bathed in the last rays of the sun. Honestly ... well worth it.

On the roof there is also a restaurant with a phenomenal look, but you will have understood that we prefer the bad places, those that when you support your elbow on the bar you have to fight the force of gravity to return it to you. Sites like El Tigre, go.

The Tiger It's not a bar, it's actually a cider house, but the shots didn't go there. The Tiger is a true legend. And as it is one step away from the Circle of Fine Arts, then we went there. The beer mug costs € 5 (€ 2.50 per cane). Expensive? Not when, along with the drink, they give you two dishes full of brimming with bacon, tortilla, cheese, hamburgers, potatoes and croquettes. The thing about this bar is not even normal and if you are not careful you will get out of there.

For dinner, El Tigre is perfect, but our trip to Madrid would not have been perfect without having stepped on two other emblematic neighborhoods: Chueca, the realm of gay-friendly and Malasaña, the realm of pasta glasses, beards and plaid-friendly shirts.

If you are a fan of the '80s move, you can do a little routine for some of the most emblematic bars of the time, starting with thePenta, yes, the very same of the song "The Girl of Yesterday" by Antonio Vega, following theMilky Way or the Tupperware.

If instead you want to breathe the most modern Malasaña, head towards the Dos de Mayo Square or get lost in the narrow streets and opportunities of this neighborhood that wakes up at dusk.

We have much, much to explore in Madrid, but withMadrid two-day itinerary We have taken advantage of the time, right?

Video: 10 Things to do in Madrid, Spain Travel Guide (May 2024).