A trip to cultural Madrid

3rd November 2023 · 4 min. read

The capital of Spain, in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, is a city worth visiting because it is full of life. It is both a cosmopolitan and genuine place at the same time with countless cultural points of interest. It is notable for its rich national and international gastronomy and for its entertainment options for both adults and children. It is the center of Spanish politics, the trendiest fashion, the most important business centers, concerts with the biggest stars in music, the most exciting soccer matches… and of course, a lot of capital-H History..

To give an example using a city on the Costa del Sol, the distance between Marbella and Madrid is approximately 500 kilometers. If you choose to take the AVE high-speed train from Malaga, it would take only two and a half hours to reach the capital of Spain very comfortably. If you prefer to go even faster, you can buy a ticket for a flight from the Malaga Costa del Sol Airport to Barajas Airport in Madrid, which will take only an hour and a half.

Travelling by car will add up to more than five hours driving, provided you use highways and freeways most of the time. Of course, we recommend taking breaks during the trip. For example, you could use this drive as a good excuse to stop in beautiful cities such as Cordoba or Toledo.

Deciding on what cultural sights to see in Madrid is difficult. The choices are overwhelming, from classical to modern. Among all the fantastic must-see musuems, we think the must-see paintings are the famous works of Goya and Velázquez at the Prado Museum, as well as the huge “Guernica” canvas by Picasso at the Reina Sofia.  But in our ranking, we want to include our favorites, because we love them, the Sorolla Museum and the Thyssen as well.

At the architectural level, it is even more difficult to choose what to do. As in any big city with many worthwhile destinations, it will all depend on how long you are staying. Madrid is a city full of important buildings to see. Being very selective, you haven’t been to Madrid if you do’t cross off your list the Puerta del Sol, the “Osa y el Madroño“, Plaza Mayor, the Temple of Debod, the Royal Palace, the Crystal Palace, the Cibeles Fountain, the Almudena Cathedral and the Casa de Correos, to name just  few…

Madrid has countless restaurants. As a nation, Spain is passionate about food and Madrid hosts the best of the country’s gastronomic scene. But in our blog today, we want to encourage you to first try the most traditional dishes of the capital of the kingdom and not go on so much about the great restaurants in Madrid, which we will leave for another post.

To truly experience the “chulapa” gastronomy, one of the most delicious dishes, which even the children will love, are some “huevos rotos” at Casa Lucio. Basically, they are potatoes and eggs fried in olive oil, but the yolks must be very soft. They are served with Serrano ham, chorizo, or peppers… but you can also order them on their own. They are a simple delight and a deconstructed version of the famous Spanish “tortilla de patatas”.

If you are up for a higher level of authenticity, the best thing to do is to visit a century-old tavern in the city. You can’t leave without trying a “bocata de calamares”, “a la oreja de cerdo a la plancha” or “cocido madrileño”. And of course, you can’t miss some churros with hot chocolate at San Ginés. If you like the lively and bustling atmosphere of a Mediterranean market and love the varied tapas, be sure to visit the beautiful Mercado de San Miguel.

We hope you will be encouraged to take a trip to Madrid and try some of our recommendations.

For luxurious and beautiful properties on the Costa del Sol, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can see that the Malaga coast is, thanks to the AVE and the airport, really very close to Madrid and to any city in Spain or Europe.