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Where to stayBy Clever Tourists · Published
For a first visit, stay in the Barrio de las Letras, between Puerta del Sol and the Prado. It puts the three big art museums, Plaza Mayor and Sol's metro hub on foot, with tapas bars on every corner. Sol itself is the most central and the most hectic; Malasaña and Chueca are for nights out; Salamanca is the calm, upmarket option near the Retiro. We spent 4 days in Madrid at the end of June 2022, the first stop of our whole trip, before moving on to Ávila and Salamanca, and the central barrios are compact enough that almost everything is a walk.
• First visit: Barrio de las Letras (Huertas), or Sol if you want to be at the exact centre.
• Nightlife: Malasaña for bars and indie music, Chueca for restaurants and Madrid's LGBTQ scene.
• Budget: Lavapiés, south of Sol, or the streets around Atocha station.
• Families: Salamanca or the Retiro side of Las Letras, near the park.
• Transit-focused: Sol, served by several metro lines and the Cercanías commuter trains, or near Atocha for high-speed trains.
• Quiet and romantic: the streets around the Royal Palace and the Plaza de Oriente, or Salamanca.
Las Letras, also called Huertas, is the literary quarter between Sol and the Paseo del Prado, where Cervantes and Lope de Vega lived. The Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía are a 5 to 15 minute walk, Plaza Santa Ana is its main square, and Retiro Park is just across the Paseo.
It suits first-timers, art lovers and food-focused travelers; our Madrid guide names it among the walkable central neighborhoods that put plazas, museums and tapas bars within reach on foot.
The downside: Calle de las Huertas and Plaza Santa Ana are busy bar streets, and weekend nights are loud. Pick a room on a side street or facing an inner courtyard.
Puerta del Sol is kilometre zero of Spain's road network and the hub of central Madrid. Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, Gran Vía and Las Letras are all a short walk, and the station below has metro lines and the Cercanías commuter trains.
It suits short stays and travelers who want maximum convenience, including day trips by train; see day trips from Madrid.
The downside: crowds, chain shops and street noise around the square at all hours, and restaurants on the main routes aimed at tourists.
Gran Vía, the grand avenue just north of Sol, is lined with hotels in early 20th-century buildings and has several metro stations along it. It is central and well connected, but it is a main traffic artery with heavy pedestrian crowds day and night, so ask for a room off the avenue or high up at the back.
Malasaña, north of Gran Vía around Plaza del Dos de Mayo, is the city's bar, vintage-shop and live-music quarter. Chueca, next door to the east, is Madrid's LGBTQ district and one of its best areas for restaurants and terraces. Both are 10 to 15 minutes' walk from Sol.
They suit nightlife, younger travelers and anyone who wants to eat where people who live in Madrid eat.
The downside: Madrid eats and drinks late. Dinner rarely starts before 9pm and bars run long after midnight, so street-facing rooms here are noisy, especially at weekends.
La Latina, south-west of Plaza Mayor, is the old quarter of Cava Baja and Cava Alta, two streets packed with tapas bars, and the Sunday morning Rastro flea market. Lavapiés, to its east, is the multicultural district with the city's cheapest central rooms and restaurants from all over the world.
They suit budget travelers, food lovers and anyone who wants old Madrid lanes without Sol's crowds.
The downside: both are hilly, the streets are narrow, and La Latina is packed on Sunday afternoons after the Rastro.
The Barrio de Salamanca is the 19th-century grid north-east of the Retiro, with designer shopping along Calle Serrano, wide streets and some of the city's best-kept buildings. It is on several metro lines, and the Retiro is on its doorstep.
It suits families, luxury stays and travelers who want quiet nights. An early walk in the Retiro, before the heat, is easiest from here.
The downside: it is expensive, residential in feel, and a metro ride from the old centre and its tapas bars.
A calmer central alternative is the Ópera area between Sol and the Royal Palace, around Plaza de Oriente and the Teatro Real. It is a few minutes' walk from Plaza Mayor and a 10 to 15 minute walk from the Templo de Debod, the city's favourite sunset spot, but its streets go quiet earlier than Las Letras or Malasaña.
Airport: the Exprés Aeropuerto bus runs around the clock for about €5 (≈ $5.6), to Atocha by day and Cibeles at night. Both are easy for Las Letras, Sol and Salamanca. The metro is the other option.
Heat: Madrid summers are hot; we were there at the end of June. Check that the room has air conditioning, and remember the city's rhythm: a long lunch, a quiet afternoon and a late evening.
Noise: in central Madrid, the street is loud until late. An interior room, facing a courtyard, is often the quieter choice and is worth asking for.
Season: spring and autumn are the most comfortable for walking.
How many nights: two full days covers the Prado, the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor and the Retiro; three or four allow a day trip to Toledo or Segovia. Madrid was where our 60-day Spain route began, heading to Ávila and Salamanca and then the north coast; our 2-week Spain itinerary is a shorter version. Before eating out, read what to eat in Madrid and tipping in Spain.
The Barrio de las Letras, between Sol and the Prado. The three big art museums, Plaza Mayor, Retiro Park and Sol's metro hub are all on foot.
Yes for nightlife and younger travelers, 10 to 15 minutes' walk from Sol. Street-facing rooms are noisy, especially at weekends.
Salamanca or the Retiro side of Las Letras, near the park, for quieter nights.
Two full days for the main sights, three or four with a day trip. We spent 4 days in Madrid at the end of June 2022.
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