7 Reasons To Visit Madrid, Spain

7 reasons to visit Madrid, the gorgeous capital city of Spain.

The first place I ever visited in Spain was Madrid, the country’s capital.

Madrid offers so much history and culture, as well as entertainment and fun.

Whether you are a budget traveler backpacking through Europe, or just visiting Spain for a quick vacation, Madrid is one of the best places to see in the country.

I visited Madrid for four days with my cousin.

We spent our days exploring the city streets, eating tapas and churros, drinking wine, socializing at our amazing hostel, admiring the art museums, watching a flamenco show, and absorbing the overall vibrant feel of the city.

So for anyone wondering where to go in Spain, I hope this article inspires you to visit Madrid.

(And for anyone looking to explore the beautiful Spanish towns around Madrid, check out The 6 Best Day Trips from Madrid for inspiration!)

To help you plan your trip to Spain, I recommend checking out the following resources:

Visit Bookaway to find affordable transport around Spain.
Consider getting travel insurance. I recommend Squaremouth Insurance for US residents!
Browse Hostelworld for the best hostels in Barcelona.
Get a cheap but reliable eSIM on Saily so you can have data while exploring Spain.
Consider a work exchange so you can save money and immerse yourself in the culture!

With that said, let’s dive into the top reasons to visit Madrid, Spain.

1. The amazing food

The food in Madrid is hearty and delicious.

Spicy seafood paella, cold gazpacho soup, Spanish omelette, and patatas bravas are just a handful of yummy dishes I tried.

There is also lots of amazing cheese, cured meats, fresh bread, flavorful fruit, and desserts to try in Madrid.

Two of the best places we ate in Madrid include:

Chocolatería San Ginés: Home of the best churros in Madrid. Crispy fried dough sticks dipped in thick melted chocolate. You can’t leave Madrid without trying them.

Location: Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5, 28013 Madrid, Spain
Hours: Open 12 pm to 12 am

Sidrería El Tigre: An amazing place to eat in Madrid for budget travelers. You get a massive plate of free tapas whenever you order a drink.

Location: Justicia, 28004 Madrid, Spain
Hours: 11:30 am to 1:30 am

churros con chocolate on a cafe table in spain — Churros con chocolate are a must-try in Madrid.

2. The drinks

You’re going to need some local beverages to accompany all that delicious Spanish food.

Luckily, drinks in Madrid are high quality and super cheap.

I’m a wine lover myself, so I was in heaven here. Local wines in a restaurant or bar only cost a couple Euros for a glass. A bottle of wine from the store also only costs a couple of Euros. Safe to say my cousin and I drank too many bottles of wine to count.

Beer is similarly priced to wine, maybe even a bit cheaper.

Spaniards also love to grab a 1-Euro cafe con leche in the morning, which is an espresso with hot milk. Order the same, sit at an outdoor cafe, and people-watch like the locals do.

Another local favorite in Madrid is sangria. Authentic Spanish sangria is refreshing and fruity, and a glass only costs around 1-2 Euros. A pitcher can be around 10-15 Euros.

el tigre reasons to visit madrid travel — Sangria at El Tigre

3. Flamenco performances

My cousin and I briefly took a break from our thrifty college habits and bought tickets to a Flamenco Show, which turned out to be absolutely worth it.

After being welcomed into a tiny, intimate showroom and given a glass of wine, we spent the next hour in awe as we watched the performers sing, dance, and play guitar flawlessly.

I had never seen real Flamenco before. So I was amazed at the precision and speed of the dancer’s feet and the intense passion in the singer’s voice.

The amount of talent displayed on the small stage was unbelievable, and the whole performance was incredibly moving.

Here is the link to the Flamenco Show we booked. I highly recommend it!

BOOK YOUR FLAMENCO SHOW HERE

4. The parks and gardens

One thing I’ve learned in my European travels: every big city needs a beautiful green space where you can escape the crowds.

The best green space in Madrid was Parque Retiro, a massive and peaceful getaway from the loudness of the packed streets.

It has plenty of monuments, trees, and a large pond where you can rent little paddle boats.

Be sure to visit the Palacio de Cristal, a huge, domed structure made out of glass.

Two other lovely parks in Madrid include Parque del Oeste and Parque de El Capricho.

Parque Retiro reasons to Visit Madrid — Parque Retiro

travel reasons to visit madrid — Parque Retiro was still beautiful, even in the winter.

5. Incredible art museums

Madrid is home to some of the world’s most famous art museums.

So for art and history lovers, this is one of the best reasons to visit Madrid.

Museo Nacional del Prado was my favorite museum in the city.

I’ve studied a lot of the paintings in that museum in some of my university history classes. I even wrote an entire essay on Francisco Goya, so to see his paintings in real life was quite surreal.

If you’re a student, many of Madrid’s art museums are completely free to enter. So make sure you have your ID card!

Here are some of Madrid’s top museums:

Museo Nacional del Prado

Location: Calle de Ruiz de Alarcón, 23, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Cost: 7-15 Euros (Free for students)

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Location: Calle de Santa Isabel, 52, 28012 Madrid, Spain
Cost: 8-10 Euros (Free for students)

Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum

Location: Paseo del Prado, 8, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Cost: 9-13 Euros (Free for students)

Lázaro Galdiano Museum

Location: Calle de Serrano, 122, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Cost: 6 Euros (3 Euros for students)

6. Celebrating New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is a massive holiday in Madrid. If you can visit the city during this time, do it!!

The Spaniards love to party.

Clubs, bars, and the streets of Madrid all become packed with people celebrating and drinking Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine.

A Spanish tradition on New Year’s Eve is to eat one grape at every chime of the clock at midnight.

This superstition is meant to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.

We were staying at Sungate One Hostel, which threw a super fun New Year’s Party and gave everyone free drinks and grapes to eat at midnight.

madrid city center at sunset — Ring in the new year in Madrid!

7. The architecture

Spanish architecture is regal and captivating. And it’s one of the best reasons to visit Madrid!!

The Palacio De Cibeles is one of the most majestic buildings in Madrid.

Though you can find just as much beauty in the quiet, deserted alleyways and residential buildings.

An architectural highlight of Madrid is the Royal Palace.

The outside is quite simple, and the inside is extremely elegant. Click here to book your skip-the-line tickets, which are worth it if you’re short on time and don’t want to wait in line for hours.