I love big cities. Absolutely adore them. I love how busy and exciting they feel, how diverse the food and play options are, how you can be anonymous in a crowd, and most of all, how everything you may ever need is available within a short walk. As a girl growing up in a small (*very, very small*) town, I always felt like a big city soul dropped in a small town by accident. I longed for just a little more excitement than what I was used to. So naturally, as I grew up, I eventually moved to the city and started to prioritize trips to big cities around the world. So, imagine my excitement when I found myself with enough time in my recent Spain and Portugal itinerary to see Madrid in one day.

Madrid is the kind of big city that I am referring to. Busy, exciting and incredibly modern in comparison to the rest of Spain.

But throw in a twist...

Palm trees, extended summers and the unreal Spanish food scene that I have grown to love so dearly. If you find yourself in Madrid, you certainly won’t forget that you are in Spain.

I couldn’t help but love the place, although my time was short in it. Although we were on a tight schedule, we did our research and I’d like to recommend to you my top must-see experiences for a complete one day Madrid itinerary.

Have churros for breakfast

We arrived in Madrid at the early hour of 7AM, after flying an overnight flight across the Atlantic. After dropping our baggage at our hotel, the very first thought on my mind was breakfast, and in Spain, that means churros!

The award for the best churros in town, no matter what way you research it, always seems to go to Chocolatería San Ginés, a cafe dating back to 1894.

All you have to do is order “churros con chocolate” for the whole table and have a seat. Churros are for sharing, so you will get a pile! They were delicious here. The chocolate is thick and the churros are crispy. While churros may seem like a dessert food, they are more commonly eaten in the morning, or as a late night treat!

Visit the Royal Palace of Madrid

The next spot we wanted to see was the Royal Palace. Luckily, it is located conveniently in downtown Madrid and was an easy walk from our hotel.

The Royal Palace belongs to the Spanish Royal Family, but is not used as their current residence. It is incredibly grandiose, with a long history of building and renovating dating back to Spanish Moorish times. However, the bulk of the building seen today was built in the 1700s. It features a large, square courtyard that is gated from the public and dotted with impressively ornate lampposts.

The entrances to the palace are equally as extravagant, with giant, arched doors painted white.

The interior of the Royal Palace can be toured as well, with many great rooms themed by colour and material used for design (ie. the porcelain room), and a large interior courtyard. A gorgeous mural can be seen on the ceiling over the staircase.

The Almudena Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church, faces the exterior Plaza. The Sabatini Gardens can be toured behind the Palace. I recommend you tour as much as you have time for.

Taste everything at Mercado San Miguel

Ah, the market… An insanely busy, but oh so wonderful place to grab a bite to eat where you can find samples of all of the most famous Spanish dishes. Acorn-fed Iberian ham shaved thinly before your eyes, fresh fruits, bocadillos (small sandwiches), croquettes, and drinks to wash them down. Vermouths, Sherries and Tinto de Verano (an excellent and arguably better substitute for the ever popular Sangria) are in no short supply here.

The weekend is a popular time at the market, especially Sundays (which is when we happened to be in Madrid), so you may find it less lively here midweek (or not, please comment below if you have tried it).

If not, don’t be afraid to shoulder your way through the crowd. This is not considered rude in Spanish culture.

Let’s take a moment to discuss Spanish meal times, because this one can be a bit of a culture shock for those unfamiliar with Spanish lifestyle. A tour guide on a wonderful food tour we took in Sevilla explained it as such…

Meals in Spain are frequent and small. Breakfast comes early (if you are up early) and consists of something no bigger than tostada (toasts with various spreads and meats on top), then a mid morning snack is common around 10:30 or 11AM, then lunch happens around 2PM.

Lunch is the largest meal of the day, and many workers go home for several hours at this time, the time referred to as the “siesta”. This time is not necessarily spent sleeping as is assumed, but rather spending time with family, relaxing and eating. Many shops (but not all) are closed down at this time, only to reopen at 4 or 5PM.

Supper comes late, often not until at least 9PM and may consist of picking at small things, ie. tapas. All businesses do not operate in this way, but family owned, traditional shops and restaurants are more likely to. It is also more common to operate with these hours in Andalucia.

Enjoy rooftop bars, pools and views

One thing I love most about cities in summertime is finding a nice rooftop to take in the view. Our hotel, Dear Hotel, fortunately had a bar and pool located on the roof. I wish I had a fabulous photo of our view, but sadly I left my camera as we were in the pool.

Wander a little

What better way to get to know a city than by putting a few kilometres on just wandering. One thing in particular we noticed about Madrid is that it is a very clean city, at least in the downtown and Gran Via areas where we visited.

Stop by the Temple of Debod

An excellent place to watch the sunset after a busy day of exploring, the Temple of Debod is an Egyptian Temple that was donated to Spain by Egypt in 1968. The park surrounding it serves as a popular hangout place for families having picnics and playing outside.

Typically the temple is surrounded by a reflecting pool which makes for fantastic photos, but unfortunately this was drained due to some maintenance being done while we were in Madrid. Disappointing for a travel photographer, but I still got some photos I love.

If you have more time, or are feeling more ambitious than we were after a red eye flight, here are some additional recommendations.

Circulo de Bellas Artes - for another beautiful rooftop view. This is perhaps the most famous of rooftop views in Madrid.

Retiro Park - A large, treed park with boating and a beautiful glass house which is popular for photography as well.

I hope this guide helps you make the most of Madrid in one day, and if you have the time, I’d recommend staying even a little longer.

Chao!

Hill XO

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