Madrid

The capital city of Spain is often overlooked by visitors sampling its seaside neighbour, Barcelona, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll discover this energetic medieval city has a lot going for it.

Madrid is best experienced on the street. Described as a ‘golden metropolis’, meet its friendly residents, very welcoming of outsiders, and discover some of Europe’s craziest nightlife. The city throbs with vibrant life at all hours as locals mix on the plazas and boulevards, maximising every hour not spent working. In fact, there are more bars in Madrid than in any other city in the world. Dinner typically starts at 10pm, and ‘going out’ only counts if you’ve made it to dawn.

If you’re after a quieter time, there are dozens of world-renowned museums and galleries, but don’t be surprised if you suddenly find them transformed into a flamenco venue or festival. Spontaneity is part of everyday life here.

The city is also an excellent jumping-off point from which you can easily discover many other parts of Spain, with an abundance of day trips available to the historically rich neighbouring towns. Ask us, and we’ll give you some suggestions.

One thing is for sure. Once you’ve experienced some time in Madrid, it won’t be so easy to overlook in the future.