Pick up your rental car at Madrid airport and drive towards Spain´s capital. Madrid is one of Europe’s liveliest and most elegant cities, boasting beautiful boulevards, vast parks, bustling plazas and numerous historic churches and palaces. It is also home to the legendary ‘golden triangle’ of art galleries, which house some of the world’s most treasured masterpieces.

In Madrid all the historical sights and attractions are not to far apart, by foot you can cover the most of it. This makes the decision easier when choosing which part of Madrid to stay in. Below you will find more information on the most popular neighborhoods of Madrid.

Centro here you find the historical and medieval heart of Madrid. Narrow streets, beautiful architecture of the bygone era. Plaza Mayor is the main square and this area boosts lots of tiny tapas bars, food markets and also upmarket restaurants. Great to stroll around, but due to the narrow streets, not easy to drive with your car.

La Latina lies south of Centro and is home to some attractive architecture. You can relax in the shade on Plaza de la Paja and find that perfect souvenir on Sunday at the El Rastro Flea Market. La Musa Latina is your perfect place to start the night with drinks and tapas. Centro and Retiro are only 10 min. walk.

Lavapiés if you come to Madrid for the art museums, this is the perfect spot for you. You will notice that the eateries here are not so much Spanish, but a lovely mix of food of the world. The many immigrants that reside in this upcoming neighbourhood brought along their traditional food.

Huertas/Barrio de las Letras is home to art galleries and creative shops. Famous Spanish writers use to live here and the atmosphere is bohemian. Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quijotee, died in 1616 on Calle Cervantes 2. You can see the memorial plaque above the door of this house. Plaza Santa Ana is the place to be for drinks and great food. If you want to experience some good old and authentic Flamenco Dancing, then Cardamomo is the place to visit. Viva Madrid is the oldest bar of the city (1856) and Magister a bar with a microbrewery. Both perfect starting points for a night out in Madrid.

Retiro This district spins around the Retiro Park which is the largest urban park in Madrid. The lakes, botanical gardens, and numerous walking trails attract a lot of people, especially during the weekend. As this area hosts a lot of offices, it is quiet at night.

Salamanca End 1800’s Madrid needed to expand. Big avenues, like Gran Via, and mansions were built for the aristocrats of Madrid. Still today this posh area exhales grandeur, designer shops on the Golden Mile and many galleries with contemporary art. From here rather take the metro to the above areas as they are further away.

Chueca, this hip and happening neighbourhood in Madrid is the heart of Madrid’s LGBTQ community and home to the annual Madrid Pride. This festival used to take place each year end of June.  Chueca is a magnet for Madrileños of all ages, gay and straight, and is known for its fun atmosphere and range of great restaurants, cocktail bars and clubs. Relive Hollywood glamour in the legendary cocktail bar Museo Chicote or enjoy a drink on the rooftop terrace of the popular San Antón Market.

Malasaña, one of the most beautiful, colourful and trendiest neighbourhoods in Madrid with lots of graffiti. Here you will enjoy a wonderful mixture of the young hip crowd living side by side with older residents of this neighbourhood. During the day, there are small boutiques to explore and a wide variety of restaurants to choose from. Most of them are located around the main Plaza de Dos de Mayo and Calle Fuencarral. At night you can choose from a wide variety of cocktail bars and nightclubs, some have live music. Malasaña is within easy walking distance of Centro.

Discover Madrids main sights and attractions driving through famous locations:  Paseo de la Castellana, Plaza de Los Cibeles and Gran Via.
Visit the Royal Palace – Europe’s largest – and the Reina Sofia Museum of modern and contemporary art, as well as Prada Museum. The Royal Palace has more than 3,000 rooms and the appearance of those seen during the guided tour is an eclectic mix, ranging from cluttered Victorian to exotic oriental décors. Works of art by great masters such as Caravaggio, Velazquez and Goya adorn the walls while period furniture graces every room.
The lavishness and opulence of the interiors stand in contrast to the sober baroque and neo-classical exterior, which faces the Almudena Cathedral and overlooks the Campo del Moro gardens.
The Reina Sofia Museum boasts one of the greatest collections of modern art in the world. Admire works by Spanish masters such as Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Juan Gris, and Pablo Picasso, whose vast and haunting Guernica is complemented by an exhibition of other works and resources, which help put the iconic painting in context.

Drive to Toledo and discover the historic core of this town, called Casco Histórico de Toledo, with its a fascinating warren of winding pedestrian streets, peaceful courtyards, and artisan shops tucked away in little alleys. The whole city is a living museum, which evokes the mix of Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultures of medieval Castile.
Wander through ancient streets dominated by the stunning cathedral and the legendary Alcazar overlooking the River Tagus.
This  old town boasts buildings from almost all eras of the Spanish architecture. Visit Santo Tome Church – where El Greco’s epic canvas ‘The Burial of the Count of Orgaz’ is displayed – and the former synagogue, whose interior is one of the best-preserved examples of Mudejar architecture in Castile.

Bid farewell to Toledo and head for Trujillo, in the region of Extremadura. Trujillo was the hometown of Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of the Inca Empire, and many of the town’s attractions owe their existence to the wealth plundered by him and his fellow conquistadors. Enjoy a walk through the old town with its narrow cobbled alleys within the walls, see the Moorish castle as well as a number of historic palaces.
Outside the walls, explore the vast open space of the elegant Plaza Mayor, which is dominated by the church of St Martin of Tours and where three of the town’s most important Renaissance ducal palaces can be found, including the Palace of the Conquest, which was built by the Pizarro family. Continue to Caceres for check-in at the hotel.

Explore the historic core of Caceres. Not to be outdone by its provincial neighbour, the medieval walled old town of Caceres is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, packed with fortified homes, Renaissance palaces and historic churches. The walled area is compact and there are two main clusters of monuments. In the Santa Maria-Golfines area can be found the Renaissance Toledo-Moctezuma Palace as well as the Co-cathedral of St Mary while the area around the Plaza de las Veletas-Plaza San Mateo is dominated by the 15th century Cigüeñas Palace.
Take to the road along the southern stretch of the ancient Silver Way to Merida, which, as Emerita Augusta, was one of the Roman capitals of Spain. The classical heritage of Merida is breathtaking with a Roman bridge and a theatre that are both still in use.
See the ruins of the adjacent amphitheatre and the columns of the Temple of Diana in the former Forum.
Return to Caceres for a relaxing evening at the hotel.

Depart Caceres and drive north along the Silver Way to Plasencia on the north bank of the River Jerte. Enjoy a walk of the magnificent Medieval old town, which was founded as a fortified Castilian city following its conquest from the Moors in the late 12th century – the walls built back then still surround virtually all of the old town.
Explore the area to the west of the bustling Plaza Mayor, admiring historic structures such as the Mirabel Palace and the medieval  Aqueduct (Avda  Salamanca, 4) with 55 arches in the Northern part of the city . See also the New Cathedral, with its plateresque façade, and the Romanesque Old Cathedral. Continue to the rebuilt Yuste Monastery, which is where Emperor Charles V spent his final years and died.
Head to beautiful Salamanca, checking in on arrival and enjoy the lively Salamanca Plaza Mayor.

Discover Spain’s most venerable seat of learning, after indulging in a tasty breakfast. Salamanca University is the third-oldest university in the world and the college gives the city a lively buzz. At the time of the university’s founding in 1134, Salamanca was in the Kingdom of Leon. Head to the heart of the action at the magnificent Plaza Mayor and savour the atmosphere. Every corner of Salamanca exudes history such as the Irish College, the Casa de las Conchas palace, the Monterrey Palace, the Art Noveau and Art Deco Museum at the Casa Lis, the Clavero Tower, the convents of Las Dueñas and St Stephen and the Clergy Church.

Depart after breakfast at your hotel, heading for Avila, whose old town is still surrounded by uninterrupted medieval walls. The perimeter of more than 2.5 kilometres is dotted with 88 towers and nine gates. Behind the ramparts is a city of immense beauty and heritage.

Stroll through its ancient streets, with Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and baroque styles evident, and take in the splendour of the Plaza de Santa Teresa. Continue to sensational Segovia with its Gothic cathedral and the Alcazar, which was one of the inspirations for Disney’s Cinderella castle. See also the awe-inspiring Roman Aqueduct, which dates from the reign of Emperor Domitian in the first century and cuts through the city centre.  “Foodies” and wine lovers has to check out the Museo Gastronómico, you can learn more and tast the local wines and tapas.  The Segovia Mint Museum displays coins as old as the Roman times, like bronze coin that was struck between 30 and 20 B.C. which bears the name Segovia.

Head to San Lorenzo de El Escorial,  In 1563 – two years after the capital of Spain was moved from Toledo  to Madrid – King Felipe II began to build the impressive Monasterio de El  Escorial, a monastery in San Lorenzo de El  Escorial, 48 km North East of Madrid that you can visit on your way to Toledo.  this pretty and prosperous town is the location of one of Spain’s most important Renaissance monuments, the magnificent monastery of El Escorial, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex also served as the royal palace of Philip II. After exploring San Lorenzo de El Escorial, continue to bustling Madrid for check-in at the hotel.

Depending on the hour of departure of your flight, you can spend some time in Madrid. Drop off your rental car before check in of your flight.

Hasta Luego!

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Don Quixote