Free things to do in Madrid

Madrid is such an inexhaustible city that there is room for all kinds of plans, including everything you can do without spending a penny. Walks, exhibitions, architecture and proposals of various kinds to give your wallet a break, but that does not mean you can do nothing. On the contrary.

Puerta del Sol

Probably the most emblematic place in Madrid and the most photographed by tourists from all over the world. It is the square in front of the City Hall and where the kilometer zero of the city is located, the famous sculpture El oso y el madroño and the sign of the winery Tío Pepe. Your children will have a lot of fun with the characters of SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and other cartoons roaming around Sol. And if you happen to be in Madrid at the end of the year, Puerta del Sol is where all the festivities are concentrated and the favorite place for locals and tourists to welcome a new year.

A stroll through the Plaza Mayor

One of the most beautiful squares in the historic center of Madrid, imposing in its magnitude, with beautiful galleries and exquisite porches and balconies. This is one of the most impressive walks through the center of the capital and you can do it in a free tour for which you will have to leave a tip at the end. And if you want to eat a calamari sandwich in a bar in the square, that’s not free, but it is a one hundred percent Madrilenian experience that you can’t miss.

The adventure of El Rastro

On Sundays and holidays, the flea market of El Rastro opens its doors in the area that continues from the street Ribera de Curtidores in many stalls where you can find absolutely everything from the most eccentric and surprising antiques to modern items. This is the most famous flea market in Spain, which deserves a walk in an adventure to discover objects that can only be found there. And, of course, you can find lots of cheap clothes, records, stickers and all kinds of second-hand items in a market that has existed as such since 1740, a time when it functioned as a meeting point for bartering and bartering.

A stroll through Lavapiés

Lavapiés is one of the most fascinating neighborhoods in Madrid for its multiculturalism, graffiti and history. African, Arab and Latin communities coexist with other European immigrants and lifelong Madrileños in a multifaceted neighborhood full of stimuli for a long walk full of colors. The legendary Cine Doré, one of the oldest cinemas in Madrid, is worth visiting, even if only from the outside and to see its facade (and if you can get in to see a movie, so much the better). It is also advisable to walk along Embajadores street enjoying its murals and visit two emblematic cultural centers in Lavapiés: Casa Encendida and La Tabacalera.

Temple of Debod

This ancient Egyptian temple, with more than 2,200 years of history, is located 15 minutes from Plaza España. It was transferred to Madrid from the city of Aswan as a gift for the help received by Egypt from the Spanish government during the years when the Aswan Dam was built, when the entire archaeological complex of Abu Simbel had to be moved to avoid flooding. The Temple of Debod can be visited free of charge and the best time to visit is at sunset, when the colors acquire a unique mysticism. From there, there are also panoramic views of the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral.

Enjoying nature in the Retiro Park

The great green lung of Madrid can be visited and toured free of charge. It covers a total of 125 hectares and has more than 15,000 trees of different species. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site and houses in its interior different types of gardensThe gardens of the Vivaces Garden, the Andalusian-style classical gardens of Cecilio Rodriguez, the gardens designed by the architect Herrero Palacios, the famous Rose Garden with its large collection of roses that bloom in spring and many more. An ideal place to walk or cycle, sit and read a book, have a picnic, practice sports and all kinds of outdoor recreational and leisure activities.

Barrio de las Letras

Quevedo, Góngora, Cervantes and Lope de Vega are four emblematic names of Spanish literature and representatives of what is known as the Golden Age. And the four coincided in Madrid in the same neighborhood, in those years when poetry, theater and novels were beginning to make waves and Don Quixote de la Mancha was becoming, little by little, a world legend. All that air can still be breathed in the Barrio de las Letras, through the a walk that starts at the Plaza de Santa AnaThe central point, and from which you can continue along any of its pedestrian streets and take a break in some of the most traditional bars in the area (Los Gatos, Casa Alberto or Maceiras). It is also highly recommended to visit the Plaza Jacinto Benavente and the Plaza del Angel, where the legendary Café Central is located.

A visit to El Matadero

As its name indicates, this building functioned for many years as a huge slaughterhouse and livestock market, the main one in the city and with a busy activity that had to be interrupted. The slaughterhouse closed its doors and in 2006 the building came back to life, after a long and intense restoration work, to become one of the cultural hubs of Madrid, with exhibition halls, residency spaces for artists, research areas and a huge bar-restaurant. Admission to El Matadero and to some exhibitions is completely free, but there are some exhibitions where admission is charged, depending on the case.

San Miguel Market

An architectural jewel that is worth visiting for its classic glazed structure and the beautiful finishes on its ceilings and columns. It is located in the heart of Madrid and you can stroll around and take pictures of the food stalls for free. We recommend, however, that you set aside a few euros to try a tapa and drink a good wine.

The open-air museum of architecture called Gran Vía

The fame that Madrid’s Gran Vía has earned is not only due to the fact that it is a central street that connects with the main attractions of the city. It is a street famous for its beautiful architecture, its facades, domes and stained glass windows of unique beauty and different architectural and historical periods. We recommend that you take a few hours to walk it back and forth and photograph buildings such as the Metropolis, the Carrion or Telefonica.