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A Madrid food tour is more than just tasting tapas. It is a journey through history, tradition and local life. Every neighborhood tells a different story, and every dish reflects centuries of cultural influence.

At Madrid and You, we believe the best way to understand Madrid is through its gastronomy.

The Tradition of Tapas in Madrid

The tapas culture defines social life in Madrid. Locals do not simply eat; they gather, share and move from bar to bar enjoying small plates accompanied by wine or a perfectly poured caña.

In traditional taverns, you will find classics such as Jamón Ibérico carved directly from the leg, freshly made Spanish tortilla with a soft center, and slow-cooked stews that have been perfected over generations. These are not tourist inventions but everyday rituals deeply rooted in Madrid’s identity.

Walking through historic neighborhoods like La Latina or Barrio de las Letras, you quickly realize that food and community are inseparable in this city.

Markets That Define Modern Madrid

Madrid’s food markets showcase both tradition and innovation. The iconic Mercado de San Miguel offers an elegant introduction to Spanish gastronomy, where visitors can sample everything from seafood to gourmet tapas in one space.

For a more local atmosphere, markets like Mercado de la Cebada reflect everyday Madrid life. Here, vendors know their customers by name, and seasonal ingredients take center stage. The colors, aromas and lively conversations create an authentic sensory experience.

A well-designed gastronomic tour balances both worlds, allowing you to experience refined bites and traditional flavors in equal measures.

Beyond Tapas: Signature Dishes You Must Try

Madrid’s cuisine extends far beyond tapas. A true culinary experience includes tasting Cocido Madrileño, the city’s most emblematic stew, traditionally served in stages and especially comforting during cooler months.

Another essential moment is enjoying churros dipped in thick hot chocolate at Chocolatería San Ginés, an institution that has been serving this sweet ritual since the 19th century. For those seeking bold flavors, callos a la madrileña offers a rich and hearty dish that reflects the city’s rustic roots.

Pairing these dishes with Spanish wines from regions such as Rioja or Ribera del Duero completes the experience, highlighting the depth and diversity of Spanish gastronomy.

Why Choose a Madrid Gastronomic Tour

Exploring Madrid’s culinary scene on your own can be enjoyable, but without local insight it is easy to end up in places designed primarily for visitors. A curated Madrid food tour takes you to establishments where quality and authenticity come first.

Understanding the origin of each dish, the history of the taverns and the cultural context behind local customs transforms a simple meal into a meaningful experience. Food becomes storytelling. Each stop reveals how Madrid evolved from a royal court city into a dynamic modern capital with a diverse and exciting gastronomic identity.

At Madrid and You, our tapas tours in Madrid are designed for travelers who want to eat like locals while discovering the hidden corners of the city. Whether you are interested in traditional taverns, contemporary cuisine or a combination of both, we create personalized experiences that reflect your tastes.

If you are searching for the best Madrid food tour, an authentic tapas tour in Madrid or a private culinary experience in the Spanish capital, let us guide you through the flavors that define this extraordinary city.

Taste Madrid with us — and turn your visit into something truly unforgettable.

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La entrada Hidden Gems in Madrid Only Locals Know (And How to Experience Them) se publicó primero en Madrid and You - Madrid private tours.

• It is essential to know the target audience of the visit. It is not the same to teach Madrid to a group of locals, to Spaniards who do not reside in Madrid. Or to foreign visitors. Both the message and the way of treating the client and finding out their preferences differs by taking into account : cultural background, provenance, age or preferences when it comes to getting to know the city.
• If you need to surprise us, we can look for an original guided tour that has nothing to do with traditional guided tours. For example, many customers ask us to know how we live the gastronomy in Madrid. This certainly forces us to show them the traditional markets of the city. Or secret sites to buy very specific things. And of course explain them the best time and places to go for tapas or enjoy a romantic dinner.
• We adapt the message dynamically to try to keep your attention and your desire to learn more about our city and our habits.
• Many times we are asked to how to live Madrid like a local, which obligue us to avoid from tourist places in the center and leads us to teach them other more remote neighborhoods where they  can really live as “Madrileños” .

To choose the best professional for a Private tours in Madrid is essential to ensure the success of the guided tour. It is not only a question of the languages spoken, which logically has to be the same as the client’s and with perfect diction, but also the quality of the guide in relation to the customer’s demand. It is not the same to make a guided tour for a company, than to do it for a family with children. The message must always be adapted to the target audience. Furthermore, our guides adapt the dress to the type of visit.

We have to prepare the itinerary well. Time control requires knowing the city very well in order to avoid delays. Visitors usually have other plans closed before or after the visit. Therefore, Extreme punctuality is fundamental.

For groups of more than 7 people, we always recommend the use of individual audio systems . For a perfect listening to the guide ,we have discreet devices to make a private tour in Madrid . Therefore we will not disturb the rest of visitors, and ensure a perfect listening of the message. It is always good to ask the client for their likes about the visit in advance. And of course always ask them for a review after the private tour. It helps us improve and try to make Madrid and You offer the best guided tours company in Madrid.
If you want to take a guided tour with us, or want to ask for a quote. You simply have to locate us . By phone or by mail , we will be happy to give you an irresistible proposal. We want to show you Madrid like no one has ever done before!

Just write us and we will offer you the best private tour in Madrid you can ever have.

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Válgame Dios -Augusto Figueroa, 43- (Chueca) The place to be, where more famous faces per squared metre you can find, a place to see and to be seen with an impressive gin list for the most demanding clients. Good service, special for regular clients. The walls are decorated with portraits of the people that have already enjoyed its cocktails. They have also a brief menu, not very elaborated, in case you are still hungry.

Bar de Diego -Calle de la Reina, 12- (Chueca) An ex barman of Chicote created this “Cocktail-Bar” back in 1992 and he has obtained success after success since then. It is one of the current king’s favourite bars, together with its neighbour Cock. They know how to serve a cocktail as nobody does, so, if you are willing to taste one of its new creations in an almost-New-York atmosphere, don’t miss it.

Cock -Calle de la Reina, 16- (Chueca) A neighbour of Bar de Diego. If you get to cross its wooden door and to pass through the attentive glance of the doorman, you’ll be inside a Londoner pub in the middle of Madrid, which opened its doors back in 1929. The Spanish barmen, same as ever, have impeccable manners and are used to take care of the most sophisticated people. And who is going tonight? Well, we don’t know, but in the Cock used to almost live Francis Bacon, who went out almost for dying in Madrid. And some other clients have been David Beckham, Pedro Almodóvar, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant. The measured music is the same as ever. Whenever we have to “take for walk” powerful international demanding clients, we book a table at Cock because it is always a safe bet.

Chicote -Gran Vía, 12- (Gran Vía/Cibeles) Sofia Loren was there and she tried to get a bottle that had the shape of her face. Perico Chicote didn’t let her and, thus, he became the first man to say “No” to Loren. But she was not the only celebrity to enter Chicote, because it was visited too by Liz Taylor, Ava Gardner, Gary Cooper, Yul Brynner, Gregory Peck , Rita Hayworth, Gina Lollobrigida or Bette Davis. Of course, you won’t find any of them anymore if you go these days, but we can assure you that in Chicote drinks are still combined as in nowhere else. But don’t expect to see any museum but for the one in the name; the museum of more than 18.000 liquor bottles that belonged to Chicote is not there anymore.

Maculato Club -Argensola, 14- (Justicia/Génova) This is another bar that has been full of people since it was inaugurated. It has a gay-friendly atmosphere and you’ll find the most trendy people in it: designers, Spanish actors and actresses, hipsters. Don’t miss its astonishing decoration, its good music and its inimitable atmosphere. A really enjoyable bar with longlasting cocktails.

Kioto Bar -Barceló, 5- (Fuencarral) A mythical bar too that still resists the passage of time with the most funny people of Madrid. It’s been recently refurbished, so you will have the opportunity of having a drink while enjoying its curious decoration. It’s the place where everything can happen, so be prepared for the best. Good cocktails and Gin Tonics with everlasting music.

Gabana -Velázquez, 6- (Salamanca) Dozens of famous faces have posed in front of the photocall of this bar and during its golden years everybody wanted to book a VIP table in it. Nowadays its dance floor is still full of young -and not so young- neighbours of Salamanca neighbourhood, that dance with their best fineries the rhythms of the 90’s or attend to concerts by Juan Peña or Siempre Así from time to time. It’s essential to wear appropriate clothes in order to pass unnoticed.

Fortuny -Fortuny, 34- (Castellana/Chamberí). It is famous for joining in it the most impressive women of Madrid. It has a spectacular garden full of beautiful people in summer. Good commercial music on its dancing floor and hooking up are assured. Lately, it is a bit out of fashion, but you can yet find upscale clients from the neighbourhood ready to have the night of their lives.

And where can you go to dance after the first drinks? We suggest you some dancing floors that most surely won’t disappoint you. But don’t appear before 2 am in those discos or you’ll be absolutely alone…

T-Club -Baceló, 11- (Fuencarral) The space formerly taken up by the mythical Pacha still has the best PRs of the city, that assure that the club will be full every night. The music is mainly electronic and it offers a spectacular sound-and-light display. Its three floors offer the opportunity to be missed while tasting one of its cocktails.

Kapital -C/ Atocha, 125- (Atocha) It used to be the biggest disco in Spain (it may still be) and it is recently being the source of much talk because it has re-emerged from its ashes in order to be again at the podium of the best Madrilenian discos, where it should have always been. The sounds and special effects displayed are simply spectacular, mixed with the best electronic music, some famous faces and thousands of metres distributed in seven floors where you will have the opportunity of satisfying every wish and enjoy the Madrilenian night this early in the morning.

Joy Eslava -Arenal, 11- (Centro/Sol) The mythical disco in Madrid, same as ever, that has reached to survive the passage of time with quite success. The public is mainly touristic, people looking for a big music theatre with surprises on stage every night and a unique atmosphere. An essential visit in order to discover the complete Madrid night life!

And for you, which one is the best place to have a drink? Let us just know!

La entrada Where to have a drink in Madrid se publicó primero en Madrid and You - Madrid private tours.

• Park of the Caprice. Yes, we know it is a bit far away but, doesn’t it deserve a visit to start a much more happy life? Its lush gardens will inspire the less skilled and it will be the perfect scene for this decisive moment in your life. But avoid “rush hour” (it is open on weekends only) or you’ll have public -desired or not- for your proposal.
• The Gardens of the Museum of the Romanticism. An unknown place for many Madrilenians, this garden has even a small café that will help your feelings to arise and will transfer you into the 19th century surrounded by a unique and incomparable environment. Of course, you don’t need to wear like a Medieval knight, jeans and sneakers are just ok. Don’t miss the museum, where you can find inspiration -or not- for the furniture of your new home.
• Rooftop terrace of the Circle of Fine Arts. Do you like heights? Well, then this is your perfect place for a proposal while you and your fiancé stare at Madrid from the air in an almost 360º view. This terrace, recently renewed, has also a restaurant and a bar where you’ll have the opportunity of drowning your sorrows with a good Gin Tonic if necessary or celebrating your success with the best aerial views of this marvellous city. What are you waiting for going up a jump into your future (not literally, please)?
• Sunset at the Temple of Debod. Nothing best that taking a blanket, preparing a picnic basket with a good wine and some cheese and being prepared for one of the most romantic dates you will ever have. The environment of the Egyptian Temple of Debod, perfectly well illuminated and reflected on the water that surrounds it, while the sun is setting on the vast West, will turn your visit into a romantic explosion of passion.
• The Big Pond of the Retiro Park. Yes, we know that rowing is not your best and that you have been training at the gym during the last three months for this moment. The Big Pond is the best place to show your efforts while you propose. It’s a big lake surrounded by trees -and of some passer-by feeding the carps- in which you will have the opportunity of hiring a boat and explaining your fiancé how important she/he is for you accompanied by the romantic sound of water. If you choose a weekday to propose it will be a cheaper and less multitudinous experience.
• A ride on the cable car. Another scene on the height, but this time inside a cabin, which makes it more intimate and inviting. That’s it, you have incredible views of the Casa de Campo, the Royal Palace and the Cathedral of the Almudena and ten minutes ahead in which you’ll have to captivate he/she. If you fail, we are sorry to have to tell you that you’ll have another ten minutes for returning. You can also go down at the Casa de Campo and look for another less permanent agreement.
• The Gardens of Sabatini. These unknown and quiet gardens (nobody goes down the stairs from Bailén street just to avoid going up again) has a central pond, on whose surface you can see the façade of the Royal Palace reflected. You’ll have to choose one of the stone benches that surround the pond and, accompanied by the sound of the fountains, you’ll surely reach your objective. Don’t forget to finish your proposal with a stroll along Cuesta de San Vicente down to the river, where you’ll put the best end to the most romantic evening ever.
• The Rose Garden at the West Park. This suggestion is only for the period between May and July, unless you’re a botanic lover and sprouts inspire you the most romantic words. 20.000 bushes with 500 varieties of roses are comprised in this Rose Garden. Choose the less pointed rose bush and declare your unconditional and eternal love with a colourful background. But ask him/her about allergies first, we don’t want you to end up at ER.
• The garden of the Prince of Anglona. Shhhh!! Don’t tell anybody, but our favourite meditation place when we are unable to concentrate at the office is this garden. Why? Because almost nobody knows it, it is small and bushy and it is at one end of the Plaza de la Paja, where you will have also the opportunity of having a drink to celebrate the proposal. The garden was designed by a French designer back in the 18th century and it has granite benches that will help you to find a comfortable position in order to have success. But don’t say it in the social network or everybody will discover our secret!
• In a restaurant. For the most traditional of you. Which one would we choose? Any restaurant in which you have a contact at the kitchen that can help you to personalize your proposal. Forget hiding the ring or the watch inside a cake, because the dentist bill can be more expensive than the present. In our blog you’ll find a lot of ideas for good restaurants in which you’ll find a private table to get your triumph.

Get lost in Madrid and declare your love! The best city to do it in the world!

La entrada Ten places in Madrid to declare your love se publicó primero en Madrid and You - Madrid private tours.

In Plaza de la Villa, next to the fence that gives access to the House of Cisneros, there is a very special plaque that informs us about

 Madrid Altitude , measured -according to the inscription in the plaque- from the “average level of the Mediterranean in Alicante”, that is 646,4 meters.

But Madrid is a city with a lot of slopes, hills and stream beds, so the altitude varies a lot from zone to zone. One of the lowest points is Madrid Barajas airport, at 582 m over the sea level, while Fuencarral neighborhood is one of the highest areas, at 742 m over the sea level. But this altitude is nothing compared with the highest point in Madrid Autonomous Community, the mountain range of Peñalara, at 2.428 m.

The levelling plaque -that’s its technical name- in the Plaza de la Villa and other similar ones are being placed all over Spain since 1871.

In fact, one of the first to be placed, that same year, was the Royal Observatory plaque in Madrid at 656,8 m. It was an extreme of the first altimetric itinerary between Madrid and Alicante.

The reference point for the zero level was and still is the first step of the staircase at the entrance of the City Hall of Alicante. From there, the levels advance for all the Spanish geography, nowadays along the roads, but formerly they went along the railways. That’s why, even though sometimes they have to be thoroughly searched, these plaques can be still found in railway stations like Atocha, Delicias and Príncipe Pío.

But they have been placed too at City Halls and other public buildings. In Madrid, you can also find them at the Royal Palace, at the Congress of Deputies or at Alcalá Gate, among other places. And, of course, you can’t miss the one at the Royal Mail House in Puerta del Sol, very near from another emblematic and famous plaque, the Kilometer 0.

And talking about plaques, the Kilometer 0 needs an explanation.

This is the point from which every radial road starts in Spain, which leads to logically think that this is the geographic centre of the Peninsula. But this is not true, it is not even the geographic centre of Madrid. The geographic centre of the Peninsula is considered the Cerro de los Ángeles (Angel Hill), although this is always something difficult to establish because it depends on the coast line. In Madrid, the geographic centre is at the crossroad between Serrano and Goya streets; formerly it was at the back of the Prado Museum. So, it seems that something apparently so objective as the central point of a territory is not so easy to establish.

The institution in charge of defining the spots for the levelling plaques, as well as of making the altitude measurements, is the National Institute of Geography, formerly the Geographic and Statistic Institute. That’s why the oldest plaques (prior to 1925) refer to this old Institute; many of them have lost its original function as reference points due to changes in the environment and the appearance of new and much more precise measure instruments.

But coming back to the altitude of Madrid, the range fluctuates between 580 and 750 m above the sea level. This leads to curious situations because some spots in the city are at 666 m over the sea level, which coincides with the number of the beast. Maybe that’s why Spanish film director Álex de la Iglesia chose Madrid as the birthplace of the Antichrist in his film The day of the beast, whose main character was played by sadly deceased Álex Angulo. As a gesture of this esoteric relationship between Madrid and the devil, Álex de la Iglesia chose the Statue of the Fallen Angel -a statue placed at the Retiro Park at an altitude of 666 m- as an image for the film credits.  But this statue and the relationship between the devil and Madrid deserve a post by themselves, so we will talk about them in the future.

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We spend a lot of time searching things to do in Madrid in order to have the best of the city. If you are looking for some plans for today in our so beloved Madrid, we suggest you a hundred irresistible things to do in Madrid before dying. So, we encourage you to read this list and check if you have done all of them. Otherwise, don’t hesitate in doing them and you’ll become a proper Madrilenian!

Enjoy Madrid city like a local

1. Travelling in time at Chamberí subway station.

2. Running all Retiro Park perimeter.

3. Going down to Opera subway station and seeing how fountains were in the 17th-century Madrid.

4. Seeing a musical at Gran Vía.

5. Seeing the Casa de Campo from the aerial tramway.

6. Taking a romantic stroll around the Park of the Capricho and hugging one of its centenary trees.

7. Going to ARCO (Contemporary Art Exhibition) and not to understand many of its works of art.

8. Seeing a flamenco show at Casa Patas or Café de Chinitas among Japanese people.

9. Having a custard canuto at El Pozo patisserie.

10. Having tapas at Mercado de San Miguel.

do not forget to visit the first tapas market in the world

11. Skating and picking up along the Carriage Promenade at the Retiro Park.

12. Buying espadrilles at Casa Crespo in Malasaña.

13. Going to see a bullfight at Las Ventas bullring during San Isidro’s feast.

14. Having churros with chocolate at San Ginés.

15. Having a Madrilenian cocido at La Bola or La Daniela (at General Pardiñas st.).

16. Spending a New Year’s Eve at Puerta del Sol and having the twelve lucky grapes avoiding to choke.

17. Looking for celebrities on a Saturday morning in Jorge Juan street.

18. Going to Casa de Campo in summer and enjoying its public swimming-pool.

19. Buying candies at La Violeta and tasting the typical Madrilenian sweet.

20. Going and searching phantoms at the Palace of Linares, not finding even one.

21. Going with your kids to the Three Wise Men Parade on the 5^th January, weighing afterwards the candies caught with your umbrella.

22. Celebrating a football triumph at Cibeles or Neptuno fountain.

Jump in the fountains of Madrid to celebrate soccer games.

23. Strolling along the Golden Mile (Serrano st.  with Ortega y Gasset st. ) admiring its store windows with prices out of reach.

24. Going up to the City Hall rooftop in order to admire the wonderful views of Madrid.

25. Seeing the carillon of Plus Ultra building and guessing who is who.

26. Humming the Verbena de la Paloma operetta (zarzuela) at the Royal Theatre.

27. Searching for the latest panda bear at the zoo.

28. Admiring the Modernist architecture of Longoria building.

29. Having breakfast under The Palace dome feeling like a 2nd-World-War spy.

30. Drinking “water of the Saint” at San Isidro’s meadow.

31. Going to see the opera at the Royal Theatre with the proper dress code.

32. Buying a Christmas lottery ticket at Doña Manolita after a two-hour queue.

33. Being seduced by British atmosphere while drinking a Gin Tonic at the Cock bar.

34. Attending to an Army parade on Columbus Day.

35. Visiting the Royal Palace and finding you imagining yourself seated at the gala dining room.

36. Sitting at the Bernabeu coach bench during a visit to the stadium.

37. Buying a book at the Book Fair and having a dedication by the writer.

38. Seeing the Guernica by Picasso and developing a new reading of the canvass.

39. Dining at La Pepa restaurant and tasting its fresh tomatoes, coming directly from a vegetable garden.

Best tomatoes in Spain are offered at La Pepa Restaurant

40. Finding the rests of an old Romanic church at the Retiro Park.

41. Being married at Los Jerónimos or Santa Bárbara churches and shine in their stairs.

42. Having a “gallina en pepitoria” at Casa Ciriaco.

43. Asking for a boyfriend at San Antonio de la Florida while you pound the pins to yourself.

44. “Climbing” 666 metres and staring at the statue of the fallen angel at the Retiro Park.

45. Listening to the bells of San Nicolás church from Biombo square.

46. Buying stamps and coins at Main Square on a Sunday morning.

47. Enjoying El Viajero Terrace terrace on a Sunday afternoon.

48. Finding the differences between the two sides of Alcalá Gate.

49. Buying a nativity figurine at Main Square.

50. Going up to the Círculo de Bellas Artes roof and having dinner at Tartán.

51. Playing roulotte in one of the new casinos in Madrid.

52. Having lunch at Lhardy and imagining stories from the Spanish post-Civil War.

53. Having sushi at Musashi restaurant feeling like a hipster.

54. Enjoying the blossomed almond trees at Quinta de los Molinos.

55. Having a cocktail at Chicote while searching for Ava Gardner among its pictures on the walls.

Feel like a Hollywood movie star!

56. Staring for hours at the Meninas and knowing each one of the persons represented in it.

57. Having your pet blessed at San Antón.

58. Going to see Cortylandia, specially on a weekday and with your kids.

59. Sitting at one table of the Cafe Gijón and writing something.

60. Finding the rests of the Muslim city wall of Madrid next to the Almudena cathedral.

61. Enjoying the view from the Eurostar Building restaurant.

62. Admiring the roofs of Madrid from the Gourmet Experience shop on the top of El Corte Inglés in Callao.

63. Going to San Antón market and seeing its varied public.

64. Having a batter-squid-ring sandwich at El Brillante or Casa Rúa.

65. Having a crazy night at Kapital or Joy Eslava.

66. Going the second weekend of every month to the Railway Museum and enjoying its Mercado de Motores.

67. Having dinner seated at the terrace of one of the Indian restaurants in Lavapiés neighbourhood.

68. Dining at the terrace of the Casino and feeling an important person.

69. Sunbathing at the terrace of Emperador Hotel.

70. Going to a concert at the Riviera Lounge.

71. Seeing the Christmas city lights and guessing which designer has made them.

72. Buying turrón at Casa Mira.

do not buy Turron just for Christmas

73. Attending a session at the Congress of Deputies and realizing that it is not as big as it seems in TV.

74. Dancing and singing till sunrise at Tony2.

75. Seeing Saint Pantaleon’s blood, specially when it is liquified.

76. Buying an umbrella at Casa Diego.

77. Strolling around Madrid of the Habsburgs at night and not finding anyone.

78. Relaxing at the garden in Lope de Vega’s house and feeling a writer of the Spanish Golden Century.

do not forget to enter in Lope de Vega’s house in Madrid

79. Finding your favourite vinyl at La Metralleta, at Las Descalzas underground parking.

80. Going to see people dancing at San Isidro meadow and Las Vistillas during the Patron Saint’s Day.

81. Going to see the image of the Christ of Medinaceli and kissing its feet.

82. Buying an antiquity at the Rastro on an early Sunday morning.

83. Visiting the Botanic Garden in spring and entering in its greenhouse.

84. Having a brunch at the Ritz restaurant and finding there the most world-famous actor of the moment.

85. Having “soldaditos de Pavía” (batter-cod bites) in Casa Labra while you reinvent Socialism.

86. Breathing the wet atmosphere of the tropical garden of Atocha and taking a train to anywhere.

87. Living in a different historic period at the Museum of the Romanticism and having tea at its cafe.

88. Having an appetizer at one of the terraces in Pintor Rosales promenade on a spring Saturday.

89. Having dinner at the 1st Chinese restaurant in Madrid.

“El Buda feliz” was the first Chinese restaurant in Madrid

90. Taking pictures of the Temple of Debod at sunset.

91. Having roast chicken with salad at Casa Mingo.

92. Visiting Cerralbo Museum.

93. Entering the Convento de las Carboneras, crossing its courtyard and buying pastries through the turnstile.

94. Making a queue at Ideal Cinema and admiring the Madrilenian “strange people”, including the Royal Family sometimes.

95. Sailing on a boat at the Retiro pond not getting wet.

96. Visiting the new archaeological museum and finding the Elche Lady.

97. Having sunny-side-up eggs at Casa Lucio on a Sunday night.

98. Searching for a button for your grandmother’s coat at Pontejos.

99. Going down to Sol railway station and finding the rests of the church of the Buen Suceso under the new Apple store.

100. Going to one of Madrid & You guided tours and letting us to show you Madrid as you have never seen it.

If you have done all the things to do in Madrid, you are our Madrilenian hero!

And you, what wouldn’t you miss to do in Madrid before dying? Leave us a comment and tell us your most important things to do in Madrid before you die!

La entrada 100 things to do in Madrid before you die se publicó primero en Madrid and You - Madrid private tours.

The Retiro is a park full of history. It was created between 1630 and 1640 as a part of the Buen Retiro Palace, promoted by the Count-Duke of Olivares -Philip IV’s favourite- for the relaxation and amusement of the king. Along the gardens of this palace balls and bullfights were celebrated, as well as water games at the Big Pond. Theatre performances were specially appreciated. Plays were written by the most famous poets, such as Lope de Vega or Calderón de la Barca and no expense was spared in order to give performances as much sensationalism as possible; among the actors and actresses sometimes even was María Calderón, the king’s lover. There was also an aviary with exotic birds and a sort of a zoo where wild animals from all over the Spanish empire were exhibited.

But the relationship between royalty and this area of the city was already old when the palace was built. The Catholic King and Queen founded there the Royal Monastery of Saint Hieronymus, that had a Royal Chamber (although the chambers were more than one) for them to stay. This Royal Chamber was expanded by Philip II, who used it for his spiritual retirements, activity that gave name to the palace and gardens: The Royal Complex of the Good Retirement (Real Sitio del Buen Retiro).

Charles III was the first king to allow Madrilenians to enter the park, provided they would observe a minimum of tidiness and propriety rules. He didn’t like much the Palace of the Retiro, so he moved to the Royal Palace as soon as it was finished (he was the first king to live there). However, he promoted some important changes in the gardens as part of the refurbishment of the Prado Promenade.

These refurbishments and changes were linked to the ideas of the Enlightment that marked his reign. A part of the Retiro was devoted to cultivation and pastures and a farming school was established. The Royal China Porcelain Factory of the Retiro was created, inspired in the one that Charles III himself had founded in Naples, the Royal Factory of Capodimonte, when he was the king in those territories. The king promoted the creation of an Astronomical Observatory too, designed by architect Juan de Villanueva.

This Observatory still exists, but the China Porcelain Factory was lost, as well as much of the Palace and gardens, as a result of the Independence War against Napoleon during 1808-1813. After that, Ferdinand VII tried to recover the lost splendour of the Retiro gardens. The Palace was destroyed but for a two small parts that still exist, called Salón de Reinos -the Crown Hall- and Casón del Buen Retiro -the Ball Room.

Ferdinand VII embellished the gardens with new elements, called Caprices, such as the Artificial Mountain, the Fisherman’s Cottage, or the House of the Beasts, a zoo that lasted in the Retiro till the second half of the 20th century.

After the Glorious Revolution in 1868, the park passed from the Crown to the City Council, even though by then it was smaller than the original one. After this important change of property, some new elements were added, such as the Car Promenade, the Crystal Palace and the Palace of Velázquez.

Through all these historical changes the Retiro has become the park that we know nowadays. The possibilities for enjoying it are boundless. You can relax on the grass while reading and sunbathing, have a ride on one of the boats at the Big Pond or feed the carps, but be careful not to overfeed them; one of these carps, known as Margarita, weighed 11,5 kilos! And she is not the only famous animal in the history of the Retiro. A little elephant called Nerón, that used to live at the House of the Beasts, was chosen for fighting against the bull Sombrerito in an uncommon bullfight in which he didn’t come out very well because he was too docile for his opponent.

Simply going for a walk is a perfect activity in order to discover the secrets of the Retiro, such as the Rose Garden, the Flower Bed or the Gardens of Cecilio Rodríguez, as well as its many fountains and sculptures, the Fallen Angel among them. This was a very celebrated sculpture made by Ricardo Bellver, but very controversial too due to its topic, as well as for its altitude, because it is 666 metres over the sea level. And maybe while walking you will find the elf of the Retiro, who according to legend used to change the flowers in the garden for Philip V to see them always new and different while strolling along the gardens.

Skating, running, seeing a marionette performance or simply having something to drink are some other little pleasures that the Retiro, one of the most important green areas of the city, offers to us. Enjoy!

La entrada The Retiro Park in Madrid se publicó primero en Madrid and You - Madrid private tours.

Three centuries passed and Alfonso VI, a Christian king, conquered the Muslim city of Magerit, that had evolved around the fortress, in 1083. Two years after, he decided to celebrate a procession around the town, accompanied by king Sancho of Aragon, Infant Ferdinand of Navarra and the selfsame Cid Campeador (legend or reality?). The procession started at the church of Saint Mary and its objective was to find the image of the Virgin that had already been hidden in the wall for two centuries.

And the miracle happened. The procession was at the level of current Cuesta de la Vega when the stones of the ancient wall fell down and inside it Christians found the image of the Virgin with two candles illuminating it.

If we conquer Toledo, I promise to search for the image of Saint Mary of the Meadow, until I reach to find it.

Alfonso VI, year 1085.

Since then, the Virgin of the Almudena (thus named after her discovery next to the Muslim wheat storehouse, called Almudín) is the Patron Saint of Madrid. The legend tells us too that it was brought to Spain by apostle Santiago and she was originally called the Virgin of the Town of Madrid.

The original image was destroyed, as many others, during the Civil War. The sculpture currently preserved at the Cathedral of Madrid is of a late Gothic style, possibly made between the 15th and 16th centuries. The sculpture at the outer part of the cathedral is made of white stone and commemorates the place where the supposed miracle happened.

La entrada The origins of Madrid and the Almudena Virgin se publicó primero en Madrid and You - Madrid private tours.