Have you visited Madrid’s main sights, or do you just fancy some alternative experiences in Madrid? The Spanish capital is packed with different experiences and interesting stories. Visit the new Banksy Museum, the surprising Central Station, beautiful gardens and eat tapas with the locals.
1 Dive into Banksy’s universe
Are you, like me, a fan of the British – and mysteriously unidentified – street and urban artist, Banksy? Then a visit to Madrid’s brand new Banksy Museum should be at the top of your to-do list of things to do in Madrid.
Located in Madrid’s Aeganzuela neighborhood, the 2000 m² museum features 170 of Banksy’s most iconic works. Many of them are life-size reproductions, as the originals have either been destroyed or removed from cities like New York and London. The works include prints, oil paintings and – of course – the street art for which he is best known.
As the global, engaged citizen that Banksy is, the exhibition takes you on a journey around the world with him, delivering his provocative, thoughtful and humorous messages through themes of inequality, social satire, environment and social satire, among others.
The exhibition explores Banky’s work, vision and influence on urban art in both depth and breadth.
Tickets are in high demand, so I recommend that you buy them in advance. They can be purchased here. (advertising link)
Museo Banksy Madrid, P.º de la Esperanza, 1
2 Central Station with surprises
Madrid’s main train station Atocha is busy and hectic throughout the day, with thousands of people taking the metro, local trains and high-speed trains to and from the city.
Atocha Station consists of both an old and a new extension. In the old building from 1851, you’ll find a lovely oasis of a tropical garden under the building’s beautiful iron structure in the large station hall with cafés and shops.
The 4000 square metre tropical garden contains over 7000 plants from 260 different species including. Asia, Australia and America, as well as a turtle and goldfish pond.
In the entrance hall between the train and metro stations, you’ll find a space that invites you to a different experience in Madrid, which stands in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the train station and reminds us of the vulnerability of life.
The cobalt blue room – the 11M Monument – is dedicated to commemorate the victims of the Al-Qaeda terrorist attack on March 20, 2004, when 193 people lost their lives on four trains at Atocha station.
The cobalt blue walls are engraved with the names of the victims and you can read some of the memories of the bereaved in several languages. On the ceiling are 193 spotlights – one for each victim.
The new 11-M monument opened in March 2024 and replaces the previous monument, which consisted of a large glass cylinder protruding from the station.
Estación de Atocha, Glorieta de Carlos V, s/n
3 See Madrid from above
Hop on the cable car, originally built as part of the Parque de Atracciones amusement park, and see Madrid from a bird’s eye view.
The 2.5-kilometre walk takes you over the Manzanares River and into Casa de Campo Park. The tour begins on Paseo del Pintor Rosales, at the Argüelles metro station.
Along the way, you can admire some of Madrid’s major sights such as the Royal Palace, Plaza de España, the Egyptian Temple, the Cathedral and the business district with the famous Cuatro Torres skyscrapers.
The tour lasts 10-15 minutes and ends at the Casa de Campo cable car station, where there is a restaurant, bar and the opportunity to walk around and enjoy the stunning views.
Teleférico de Madrid, Paseo del Pintor Rosales
4 Spot colorful architecture
Madrid is packed with architectural gems, so you can spend hours looking up, down and around corners to get a closer look at the city’s buildings.
One of the more overlooked is Casa de las Bolas, despite being located in the city center, close to the Goya metro station. The building was designed by modernist architect Julián Marín. Built between 1885 and 1895, it is a beautiful example of neomudejar architecture, which has elements of Moorish design.
The building is located on a corner of a triangular block with courtyards in the middle. You can recognize it by its round tower, topped with a hemisphere. It is adorned with brightly colored tiles in delicate patterns and small inlaid silver balls (hence the name las Bolas).
Casa de los Bolas was created as residential apartments for the middle class. The architecture was inspired by Madrid’s old bullring, which was located nearby. It closed in 1931.
Casa de las Bolas, C. Alcalá 145
5 The urban garden in Madrid’s multicultural neighborhood
In the middle of one of Madrid’s main shopping streets in the Lavapiés district, Esta es una plaza (This is a square) is an organic and creative urban garden run by locals.
Around 10 years ago, residents took over the site to create a green space that they felt the neighbourhood lacked. The municipality closed it down and the residents moved back in. This continued for a while, until the municipality agreed to let the neighbourhood residents run the place.
Esta es una plaza is a free space where there is room for everyone. The only requirement is that you participate and contribute to the site with what you can. There is a playground, amphitheater and small areas with benches where you can eat your food.
The garden grows organic vegetables and herbs, hosts cultural events such as theatre performances, concerts and poetry readings, and community dinners, as well as bicycle repairs and book and toy swaps.
To preserve the local atmosphere and charm of the site, residents have agreed with local tourist guides not to bring groups into the site. But you are welcome to visit if you are a few people, and the place is a really nice place to breathe in the local life.
There’s also plenty of interesting street art to explore, including by renowned Belgian artist ROA.
Esta es una plaza, Calle Doctor Fourquet 24
6 Tour Madrid’s street art with a local guide
Local graphic artist Javier shares his vast knowledge of Madrid’s street art on guided tours of the Malasaña and Lavapiés neighbourhoods, where the concentration of street art is high.
On the walls of houses and shop fronts you’ll find works by local and international street artists in all styles. Every year, Madrid also hosts street art festivals in its neighbourhoods, so there’s always new and exciting art to discover.
Javier offers both guided street art tours on foot and by bike through his company Cooltourspain, where he also employs several other street art guides. Javier is a walking street art library, and on the tours he talks about the history of street art, the styles and the artists, several of whom he knows personally.
I’ve been on several of Javier’s guided street art tours, and they’re entertaining, informative and full of little surprises. The street art tour is a must on the to-do list of alternative experiences in Madrid.
Book street art tours via the website.
7 Eat tapas at Chueca’s food market
Most people who have visited Madrid know the famous San Miguel food market. Don’t forget to visit the gourmet market San Antón, located in Madrid’s LGBT+ neighborhood, Chueca. It’s far less crowded and packed with delicious food stalls.
The food market is on three floors. On the first floor you will find the produce stalls. On the second floor are the food stalls with a large selection of tapas, specialties from different Spanish regions, seafood, sushi and barbecue dishes.
On the rooftop terrace there is a bar where you can enjoy a drink with views of Chueca.
Mercado San Antón, C. de Augusto Figueroa 24
8 Madrid’s romantic park
Madrid has plenty of green spaces (insert link green madrid). El Capricho Park, located in the La Barajas area, is one of the more overlooked parks. Despite being one of the most beautiful parks in Madrid.
The 14-hectare park was built in the late 18th century by the Dukes of Osura. It was created in the English Romantic style with inspiration from Italy and France. It features a winding artificial river with an artificial lake with an island, a jetty and the reed-covered boathouse, Casa de Cañas.
You can also walk around temples, hermitages, fountains and small squares. The park also contains the dukes’ palace, a love labyrinth made of laurel and a pavilion where cultural events are held in the summer.
The park is filled with oak and pine trees, cypresses, cedars, plane trees and chestnuts. You can also spot blackbirds, wood pigeons, woodpeckers, blue tits, nightingales, swans and ducks.
The park is especially worth a visit in spring, when fragrant roses and lilacs are in full bloom.
Please note that the park is only open on weekends and public holidays.
Jardín del El Capricho de la Alameda Oscura, P.º de la Alameda de Osuna 25
9 Tourist-free seafood party at one of Madrid’s markets
Mercado de la Cebada in the La Latina district is a local market that sells fresh seafood daily, as well as fruit and vegetables that locals buy for dinner. The market’s many fish and seafood stalls are particularly popular.
At lunchtime on Saturday, the market changes character and the many seafood stalls turn into small bars where locals gather for a communal seafood feast. Boxes covered with paper tablecloths are set up around the stalls, offering a unique feast that few tourists have discovered, and the fresh seafood is among the best in town.
Raw squid, tuna, prawns, mussels and lobsters, marinated in oil, lemon and paprika, are briskly served to couples, groups of friends and families, who enjoy the fresh seafood from shared paper plates. It’s all washed down with white wine or beer, which is included in the price.
As the stalls do not have a liquor licence, you do not pay for the drinks. When you buy seafood at one of the stalls, you’re given a plastic glass and you take your own wine or beer, which is in plastic buckets with ice on the floor. You pay for your food by weight or portion. Don’t fool yourself with this authentic, different experience in Madrid.
Don’t be later than 2:30.
Mercado de la Cebada, Plaza de la Cebada
10 Market at the railway museum
The city’s most charming market is held on the second weekend of every month at the Ferrocarril railway museum. Here you can shop for vintage clothes, electronics and accessories as well as home goods, organic delicacies and bicycles among old locomotives and train carriages.
The sellers are both professionals and private individuals. You can also take a look inside the old trains and see how people travelled in first class in the past. There’s also a nice selection of toys and a mini train for kids to ride. Even the dog can go to daycare while you explore the market.
The market also hosts concerts and a host of food stalls with street food, tapas, beer, drinks, coffee, wine and sweets.
Mercado de Motores, Paseo de las Delicias 61
11 Culture in the old meatpacking district
Madrid’s former meat city is located on the Manzanares River, and the old slaughterhouses have been transformed into a cultural village. The neo-Mudéjar brick buildings house everything from a cinema, theatre, exhibition spaces and art studios around a central square that hosts concerts and book and designer markets.
There are also a number of cafés and food trunks around the square, and it’s a popular spot for locals to relax with the family at weekends. Also take a walk along the river with different, creative bridges, running and walking paths, skating rink and green areas.
Matadero, Paseo de la Chopera 10
12 The poet’s metropolitan oasis
The Spanish poet and playwright Lope de Vega (1562-1635) is also known as “the Spanish Shakespeare” because of the number of plays he produced. One of the best known is Fuenteovejuna.
The Lope de Vega City Museum is located in a narrow street in Madrid’s Huertas district, also known as the literary quarter because many great writers of the Spanish Golden Age lived here in the 17th century.
Loe de Vega bought the house in 1610 and lived there until his death. In 1935 it was converted into a house museum, and here you can see, on a guided tour, some of the author’s furniture and other personal belongings such as books and paintings, as well as set models for some of his plays.
The museum not only shows how Lope de Vega lived, but also gives a sense of the zeitgeist of the great Golden Age writers in Madrid.
The door to the green, quiet courtyard is always open during museum opening hours, so you can always step inside and take a break from Madrid’s hustle and bustle. A guided tour must be booked in advance.
Casa Museo Lope de Vega, Calle de Cervantes 11
More experiences in Madrid
- For more tips on things to do in Madrid, check out this beginner’s guide to Madrid and the guide to sustainable experiences in Madrid.
- Looking for good hotels in Madrid city centre, read the guide to the hotels I’ve tested and recommend in Madrid
- If you’re looking for tips on where to eat and drink in Madrid, read my guides to great restaurants, tapas bars and cafes in Madrid
