Accommodations (Sep. 27-30)
AirBnb in Atocha Neighborhood
This was the perfect place for my mom and I. There were two beds but it could accommodate up to three people. It was very stylish, clean and spacious enough for us. I preferred the location too as it was a more quiet area compared to probably somewhere closer to the city center. I would definitely stay here again if I ever came back.
Photos from AirBnb.
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Accommodations (Oct. 5-6)
Hotel: SLEEP’n Atocha
I booked a hotel for our last night in Madrid, on our way back from exploring Andalusia.
The hotel was in a great location, right next to Reina Sofia Museum, lots of restaurants and El Retiro park.
The rooms however, were tiny, but I was definitely expecting that. And when all you go to the hotel for is sleep, it’s not bad at all. The design of the hotel was very unique and the hotel itself was clean.
There is a nice rooftop bar/restaurant too. I got to enjoy the breakfast there which was awesome. I love the views and it was very peaceful. The breakfast buffet was delicious and had a nice variety.
Places Visited
Crystal Palace in El Retiro Park
I really wanted to see the Crystal Palace but unfortunately it was closed in preparation for an art installation. I made the most of it thought. 🙂
Plaza de Cibeles
Inside, you can find a cultural center that hosts exhibits, workshops, concerts etc. It also has two restaurants and a rooftop bar that you can go up to enjoy city views.
Gran Via
After Plaza de Cibeles, we strolled on Gran via and took in one of the most famous streets in Madrid.
La Latina
Honestly we just strolled around and discovered beautiful streets, like this one in La Latina.
Plaza Mayor
A famous plaza with lots of restaurants, street performers and artists. A great location to sit and people watch.
Royal Palace of Madrid
Catedral de la Almudena
Palace Gardens
Temple of Debod
Temple of Debod kind of disappointed me because there was no water around the monument like in all the photos I had seen. Nevertheless, there were nice views of the city from here. People usually come to see the sunset in this location.
El Corte Ingles For a City View
Our final stop was the top floor of El Corte Ingles. There is a supermarket and pop up restaurants there with views of Madrid. We stopped by quickly to see the views. It does get crowded in the evening there so plan ahead.
Prado Museum
We went museum hopping on our final evening in Madrid. The museums are free after 5 or 6 p.m. Obviously just two hours are not enough to see them so we just picked 2-3 exhibits in each. Like in Prado there are pieces by the famous Spanish artist, Goya.
San Jerónimo el Real
This is right by Prado, so it makes for a great stop after.
Reina Sofia Museum
I was interested in Reina Sofia because it featured art pieces from Salvador Dali.
Where we ate
Patacon Pisao – Colombian Food
Pastelería Manacor
We got some delicious pastries from here one night to take home and nejoy for breakfast.
Mercado San Miguel
This place gets crowded and has so many options!
We tried croquetts and steakpaas from here. The steak was delicious! Croquettes were okay.
San Gines
I was worried that these would be overrated but they weren’t. They were the best churros I had in Spain.
Also, a disclaimer. Churros aren’t coated in cinnamon sugar in Spain. They are pretty plain. At first you miss the sugar, but then you get past it and enjoy the crispy dough dipped in a cup of chocolate.
Sonali Indian
Before going to Spain, I had read that there is a big population of Indian and Pakistanis. Naturally, I felt the need to try this cuisine too. We sat down for fresh naan and chicken karahi.
Jalo Cucina Turca
This Turkish restaurant was delicious! We ordered a falafel wrap and a donner kabab plate.
Giolatto
Vanilla and chocolate gilatto from Giolatto!
Tako Away
You can even find a Tex-Mex restaurant in Madrid. This was next to our hotel (on our last night in Madrid) and was a quick and easy stop for a snack. We got street corn and nachos. Tex-Mex never disappointing!
