At the end of my Spain trip, I stayed in Madrid for one day to see the city before I had to fly home. Thinking back, I should’ve scheduled more days in the capital but when I was preparing this trip, I didn’t know better. That being said, I also had no image of Spain to begin with and it was honestly a spontaneous trip. But that’s the charm of traveling, isn’t it?
The train brought me from Malaga to Madrid’s Atocha Station in the morning and I stayed in Centro for most of the day. I picked a place that was close to Atocha because I also had an early morning flight the following day, so my itinerary was limited to nearby neighborhoods. I wanted to go to the palace, hit up the markets, maybe go to a museum, and obviously the royal palace. Sadly, that’s not what happened.
Museums take a while to walk through and admire, and I didn’t want to use up my precious hours in a museum (though I wouldn’t have regretted going to Thyssen Bornemisza). I tried going to some markets, though they turned out to be morning markets only and closed at noon. With this many unfortunate events, where did you even go, you might ask.
After leaving my stuff at the apartment, I walked to Hola Coffee. They’re known for their aromatic coffee, minimalist interior, and satisfying brunch items. I opted for an avocado toast and latte (because how basic can you get, but also can’t mess it up). The place looks small from the outside, but is a lot larger when you walk through. The front is the cashier and ordering station, then you wind through benches and seating which leads you to the bathrooms in the back. The shop is perfect for a quick munch or a secret hide out corner to read.
I passed by Mercado de San Fernando, but most of the shops were closed and only a few customers were lingering around. It’s a neighborhood market that locals frequent, so it’s a good spot to see what local fruits and vegetables are offered. There’s a second hand bookstore in there as well with cheap novels and magazines. I also recommend Mercado De San Miguel as it was on my itinerary, but I couldn’t go. After that pit stop, I had to go to a bakery, because if I didn’t, who would I be?
La Mallorquina is a well known bakery in the middle of the city that offers cakes, pastries, cookies, everything and anything that you could think of! There are many Spanish delicacies as well. I was there early afternoon and it was pretty crowded; I couldn’t see what was in the display cases unless I poked my head around like a suspicious meekrat. There are cakes on one side of the shop and pastries and sweets on the other. I got two ensaïmadas because I couldn’t resist. They were the size of my face! There are no words to describe how wonderful it was to be in there and be surrounded by so many desserts and sweets!
When I saw that Primark was a few blocks away, I had to go. Next to Grand Via Station, this is one of the biggest stores I have ever been to or seen. It has five floors spread out to look down on a wide atrium. Primark is a cheap place for clothing and accessories, as well as home and kitchenware. Their blankets are the softest and silkiest clouds you’ll ever feel!
After being inside for so long, I decided to take the last hours of my afternoon at El Retiro Park. This park has a lake, botanical garden, rose garden, library, and a glass palace. Sounds pretty perfect for a stroll through, right? I walked by the Estanque Grande del Retiro down to the Palacio de Cristal. There was an exhibition held inside with free admission. The palace is beautiful inside and out, and many people take pictures for formal occasions there; a girl was taking her Quinceañera pictures on the front steps. Nearby, the Cecilio Rodriguez Garden has peacocks roaming around, so definitely check that out!
The rose garden was my next stop, La Roseleda. This fenced in garden has roses from all over the world, categorized by country, region, color, and more! It’s a great date place because it’s quiet and has a great atmosphere. The garden is spaced out so you can do a full circle and see most of the flowers. You can’t help but take a few pictures in such a beautiful place!
The botanical gardens, Real Jardin Botanico, would have been my last stop in the area, but one of the entrances was under construction and I couldn’t find any other entrances. From the pictures online, it’s a stunning place so I also recommend it if you want a break from the city or need a breather. Next to this place is a small street of book shops, Cuesta de Moyano. It’s a great place to browse and look for souvenirs!
After a day of walking, dinner must be waiting! Portomarin is a tapas bar that has a great selection of food, diverse alcohol, and easy on the wallet! This bar is generous on the plates and has a beautiful interior to admire. There’s an area for seating, but when I got there, it was crowded that even the standing benches were all taken up! I would definitely recommend it for both bar hopping and sit-down and eating.
If tapas doesn’t really float your boat, then this vegan diner might! Distrito Vegano is a Spanish version of the American diner, down to the bar stools and gingham tablecloths. They offer burgers, hot dogs, platters, but all vegan. This was one of the things I found out while moving around Spain, the Spanish do vegan/vegetarian food really well! Lots of college students occupied the shop, probably because they offer an inexpensive meal for those in school.
Have you noticed that I’ve taken you in a complete circle by now? The tapas bar and vegan restaurant are just down the street from the cafe in the morning! Many of my itineraries are set up this way, so I don’t get tired of moving around, yet still get to wind my way back to my apartment. It’s a good tip for people who want to keep momentum going throughout the day, as well as being able to see a large section of the city/area in a day.
Hopefully that has been helpful to you and entertaining as well! If you’ve made it this far, thanks for going on memory lane with me. The links of the shops and parks are embedded into the names; they will lead you to Google Maps. If you have any questions, comments, random thoughts, please let me know down below!
Hugs~
Baking Traveller 