Questioning what to do in Madrid with youngsters? Because the capital of Spain and its largest metropolis, there’s a lot to do in Madrid with youngsters that you just’ll have hassle squeezing all of it in.
Madrid was the final cease on our tour of Spain, after visiting Barcelona, Seville, Ronda, and Granada. We determined to spend 5 days in Madrid and use the town as a house base to additionally discover Segovia and Toledo by practice.
10 Issues to do in Madrid with Youngsters
Listed here are the highest issues we did in Spain with youngsters. Word that our daughter was eight years previous on the time.
1. Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is a big central sq. that jogs my memory numerous St. Mark’s Sq. in Venice, with surrounding cafes, avenue performers, and fewer pigeons. It was constructed in the course of the reign of Philip III and was as soon as the middle of Previous Madrid. The sq. was as soon as the scene of grisly occasions like executions and bullfights, however as we speak is house to the Christmas Market and has additionally hosted soccer video games.
On our first night in Madrid, we went to Plaza Mayor earlier than wandering over to Plaza de Oriente for our reservations at Cafe de Oriente. Plaza Mayor is a superb spot for folks watching, letting youngsters run round, and absorbing the tradition of Madrid.
From Plaza Mayor, we continued on, previous the Opera Home, after which spent a while wandering round Plaza de Oriente, close to the Palacio Actual, whereas ready for the solar to set in order that we may eat outdoors with out it being too vivid or too scorching. This complete space is a superb introduction to the town and a enjoyable stroll with fountains, statues, and public areas to get pleasure from.
2. Puerta del Sol
Throughout our time in Madrid, we stayed in an condominium rental close to Puerta del Sol (or The Solar Gate in English), in shut proximity to the metro and inside strolling distance to many points of interest. Throughout the fifteenth century, La Puerta del Sol was initially one of many gates of the town wall.
Puerta del Sol was a enjoyable place to hang around at night time. Crowds gathered for enjoyable, with mariachi bands and avenue performers galore (simply hold a good maintain of your purse/pockets).
Whereas in Puerta del Sol, search for the well-known clock whose bells mark the normal consuming of the Twelve Grapes and the start of a brand new 12 months. Additionally, you will discover Kilometer Zero on the pavement in entrance of the Actual Casa de Correos, which marks the purpose from which the distances in Madrid are measured.
3. Churros y Chocolate
One in all our favourite issues to do in Madrid with youngsters was to feast on churros and scorching chocolate — one thing we did a number of instances. The place to go is the a lot acclaimed Chocolateria San Gines. Observe your nostril up the Passage San Gines and search for the strains of individuals ready for his or her churro repair.
Chocolateria San Gines is like Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, a visit isn’t full with out at the very least one cease right here. It’s open 24 hours so when you go to Madrid, go to right here and go to typically.
The new chocolate is thick, like a cup of chocolate sauce. It doesn’t matter how scorching it’s, you’ll nonetheless need to do this scrumptious concoction. If to not drink, then simply to dip in your scrumptious churros.
Not like the churros you’ll have had in Mexican eating places, these crispy, heat strips of fried dough goodness are mushy and springy and totally scrumptious. We normally (observe I say normally as a result of we stopped right here at the very least 3 instances within the 5 days we have been in Madrid) obtained a batch of six with one cup of scorching chocolate for dipping and every wolfed up two (okay, I could have eaten extra.)
4. Palacio Actual
One other factor to do in Madrid with youngsters that all of us loved was a self-guided tour of the Palacio Actual. The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal household in Madrid, though now it’s only used for state ceremonies. The Palace is the biggest in Western Europe and one of many largest on the earth, with over 3,418 rooms!
After seeing the gothic cathedrals in Barcelona and Seville, and the Moorish influences in Seville and Granada on the Alcazar and the Alhambra, the Palacio Actual was a serious shift in structure and magnificence. Right here you see the French and Catholic influences within the extra elaborate decor. Sadly you’ll be able to’t take images inside so the remaining must stay in our recollections.
5. Plaza de Espana
Plaza de España is a big, pedestrianized sq. in Central Madrid on the finish of Gran By way of. This inexperienced house connects different landmarks together with Plaza de Oriente, the Sabatini Gardens, the Campo del Moro, and Madrid Río.
There are three fountains, together with the fountain with the favored Monument to Cervantes (which is the work of Rafael Martínez Zapatero and Lorenzo Cullaut Valera), in addition to the newly created Fuente del Cielo, made out of makauba marble and impressed by the Madrid sky, and the one often known as the Fuente de la Concha or the Start of Water.
That is one other enjoyable space to run round, particularly after visiting the Palace or Madrid Cathedral. Earlier than visiting Spain, my daughter and I learn Don Quixote, so we had enjoyable posing by the large statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Since we weren’t going to La Mancha this journey, this was a detailed as we may get to reliving the escapades of this unlikely pair.
6. Prado Museum
From Plaza de Espana, we took a welcome seat on the Metro over to Paseo de Prado. Clearly that is the “fancy” a part of city. Strolling down Paseo de Prado, admiring Cybele’s Fountain and the broad thoroughfare with museums on both aspect may very well be a day’s tour in itself. Since we solely had time for one, we spent the subsequent three hours exploring the Prado Museum.
In case your youngsters are new to artwork museums, it’s possible you’ll need to contemplate hiring a family-friendly information to see the highlights as a result of the Prado is large. Not as large because the Louvre in Paris, however fairly massive.
Within the museum, we rented audio guides, together with the kids’s audio information, which describes only a subset of work, that are highlighted all through the museum. It was a lot enjoyable to look at my daughter marvel over the truth that every part was an unique.
Whereas she has been to the Museum of Advantageous Artwork in Boston, and the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork in NYC, this was nonetheless an expertise onto its personal. She instructed us that she was so excited to see portray she acknowledged from her artwork books in actual life. Even after we have been reaching our limits, she instructed us she was “one million instances lower than bored.”
7. Mercado de San Miguel
One in all my favourite spots in Madrid was Mercado de San Miguel. The market has been round for over 100 years and is acknowledged as one of many world’s principal gastronomic markets. There are over 20 stands promoting every part from Iberian ham and fish and shellfish introduced in day by day from Galicia, to Mediterranean rice dishes and cheeses from Castile, Asturias, and the Basque Nation.
As a substitute of principally promoting produce and meats, like La Boqueria in Barcelona, Mercado de San Miguel has a lot of stalls providing ready meals and tapas. It’s a good spot to seize a meal in a meals corridor environment.
We chowed down on some croquettes, arancini, sausage sandwiches, and different tapas. We additionally found what was one of the best paella ever from the Paella.com stall. If you’re in search of a straightforward method to feed the youngsters, particularly since most eating places don’t open for dinner till 9pm, the Mercado is an effective way to go.
8. El Retiro Park
After visiting the Prado or different museums alongside the Paseo de Prado, youngsters could get pleasure from operating round and getting their wiggles out in El Retiro Park. As soon as the park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy, and it turned a public park within the late nineteenth century. In 2021, Buen Retiro Park turned a part of a mixed UNESCO World Heritage Web site with Paseo del Prado.
The park has all kinds of fascinating monuments, gardens, and fountains to discover together with the Rosaleda Rose Backyard and the Parterre Francés, which has a 400-year-old Mexican conifer tree (believed to be Madrid’s oldest tree.)
Retiro can also be a preferred spot for households for actions like puppet exhibits or row boat leases on the lake. The Velázquez Palace and Glass Palace make a stupendous backdrop to this inexperienced setting.
9. Day Journeys to Toledo or Segovia
When you’ve got 4 or extra days in Madrid, I’d extremely advocate taking a day journey to both Segovia and/or Toledo. Each are solely about half-hour by practice or bus and nicely value a go to.
Segovia is so quaint and charming, it really was my favourite city on our journey. There are two principal points of interest on this UNESCO World Heritage metropolis. The primary is a virtually 2,000-year-old aqueduct constructed by the Romans and the opposite is the Alcazar of Segovia.
Toledo is thought for sword-making and marzipan. This UNESCO World Heritage Web site is house to the second-largest cathedral in Spain, a fortress that’s now a military museum, the El Greco museum (extremely advocate!), and the Singoga del Transito and the Sephardic Museum within the Jewish Quarter.
10. Madrid Zoo
On our final day in Spain, we wished to make it possible for our daughter may select what she wished to do. We considered going to Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza to take a look at some extra artwork, however she picked the Madrid Zoo, which appeared like a wonderful selection.
The Zoo and Aquarium is likely one of the largest in Europe and is positioned in Casa de Campo, simply on the outskirts of Madrid. Whereas it was straightforward sufficient to succeed in by Metro, there was an extended stroll down a dusty path earlier than arriving on the zoo.
On the zoo, yow will discover 6,000 animals from 500 completely different species, together with koalas, anteaters, and pandas. Because it was so scorching on the afternoon we visited, we had the zoo just about to ourselves, aside from a brief line to see the pandas. I haven’t had an opportunity to see pandas earlier than, or koalas, in order that was fairly a thrill for all of us.
Madrid was our final cease in Spain, however in case you are in search of extra assist planning a visit to Spain, make sure you try the next articles:
