13 Spectacular Madrid Neighborhoods or Barrios

by | Apr 6, 2021 | BLOG, Europe, SPAIN

There are 13 Neighborhoods in Madrid that I consider to be the most important for travelers. But, this depends on who you ask.

Let me explain:

There appears to be a difference between the official administrative sections or districts (also divided into barrios) versus what is popularly known as “Neighborhoods” or “Barrios.”

The Madrid Neighborhoods or Barrios we will talk about here are those referred to by popular knowledge and will probably have differences versus the official ones.

But for travelers, this makes no difference, and I’m sure you will enjoy them all regardless.

These are the Madrid Neighborhoods or Madrid Barrios that you must not miss:

Barrio del Sol

Austrias

La Latina

La Gran Via*

Chueca

Malasaña

Conde Duque

Arguelles

Las Letras

Paseo del Prado*

Lavapies

Salamanca

Retiro

Let’s get down to it!

Barrio del Sol

This square is the very center of the city and officially kilometer 0 of the national highways.

Puerta del Sol is also the start point of the most popular shopping and pedestrian streets in Madrid: Preciados, Arenal, and del Carmen.

Along Calle de Alcalá, some noteworthy buildings are worth the visit: The Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Casino de Madrid.

Walking along San Martín street, we will arrive at the Monastery of the Descalzas Reales.

  • Madrid Neighborhoods

Places of Interest in Barrio del Sol

Landmarks

Museums

Religious Buildings

To Eat & Drink

This neighborhood is connected, through Calle Mayor, with the area known as El Madrid de Los Austrias.

Austrias

This Barrio is the oldest of Madrid Neighborhoods and also the oldest part of the city. It had particular relevance, thanks to the court’s presence.

It flourished during the almost two centuries that the Habsburg dynasty lasted in Spain, from the time Carlos I was recognized as king in 1516 until the death of Carlos II in 1700.

Madrid de Los Austrias is an area that encompasses some critical points in the historic center of the city.

The Plaza Mayor, the Plaza de Oriente, and the Plaza de la Villa are its central nucleus.

The area that is usually called Madrid de Los Austrias can be walked quietly in a couple of hours.

In this neighborhood, travelers will also find the Opera Palace, the Plaza de Isabel II, the Sabatini Gardens, and the Campo del Moro.

  • Arco de Cuchilleros
    Puerta de Cuchilleros
  • 5 Places to See in Madrid's Plaza Mayor
    Plaza Mayor
  • Catedral de la Almudena
  • Palacio Real
  • Mercado de San Miguel

Places of Interest in Austrias

Landmarks

  • Royal Palace.
  • Campo del Moro.
  • Athens Park.
  • Armory Place.
  • Sabatini Gardens.
  • Royal Theater.
  • Cisneros House.
  • Plaza de Oriente.
  • Incarnation Place.
  • Royal Theater.
  • Plaza Mayor.
  • Cuchilleros Arch.
  • Santa Cruz Palace.
  • Plaza de Isabel II.
  • Plaza de la Villa.

Museums

  • Armory Place Museum.
  • Caños del Peral Museum. (Archeology pieces from the XVI and XVII Centuries)

Religious Buildings

To Eat & Drink

La Latina

The old La Latina neighborhood is one of the most charismatic Madrid Neighborhoods.

It is one of the most popular when going out due to the number of tapas bars, restaurants, and taverns.

La Latina’s streets preserve the layout that they had centuries ago, as seen in the Villa plan from 1656.

Some of the street names (Puerta de Moros, Plaza de la Cebada, Calle de la Morería, Latina itself) take us to a time when this area was the true center of life in the city.

Places of Interest in La Latina

Landmarks

  • Villas Garden.
  • Anglona Prince Garden.
  • Toledo’s Door.
  • Mercado de La Cebada. (Fresh Food Market)
  • El Rastro. (Flea Market on Sundays)

Museums

  • San Isidro Museum. (Madrid’s Origins)

Religious Buildings

  • Parish of St Andrew the Apostle.
  • Basel of San Francisco the Great.

To Eat & Drink

*La Gran Via

Although it is not exactly one of Madrid Neighborhoods that you will find in any guide, it is a very important and large avenue that divides the city, going from Alcala street and the Fine Arts Circle to Plaza de España.

Plaza de España is one of the largest in Madrid. There are two significant buildings in front of the Plaza: the Madrid Tower and the España Building.

The Gran Via avenue is constantly in motion, as there are offices, cinemas, theaters, and shops along its route.

Many emblematic buildings in the city are on or near Gran Via: the Telefónica building, the Metropolis building, and the Fine Arts Circle.

Right next to the Plaza de Callao, there’s the Capitol Building.

There are many cinemas and theaters around the Plaza de Callao.

The Antigua Casa de Talavera is a family business that opened its doors in 1904, so the Madrid City Council considers it a “centennial establishment” and is now in its fourth generation.

Initially, the products marketed here were: artistic ceramics, Sevillian-style furniture, artistic irons, etc.

Of all these products, there are still vestiges in the store, such as tables, chairs, sideboards, wrought iron, plus some decorated ceramic pieces that are still in the decoration process.

From Plaza de Callao, the Preciados and del Carmen streets start, and both of them connect directly with Puerta del Sol.

Places of Interest Along the Gran Via

Landmarks

  • Plaza de España.
  • Madrid Tower.
  • España Building.
  • Telefonica Building.
  • Metropolis Building.
  • Capitol Building.
  • Fine Arts Circle.
  • Plaza de Callao.

Museums

  • Antigua Casa Talavera. (Not exactly a museum, but Madrid Officials considered it a Centennial Establishment, with Ceramics and Handcrafts from all over Spain).

Religious Buildings

  • Calatravas Church.

To Eat & Drink

Chueca

The Chueca neighborhood has become one of Madrid’s most fashionable areas in recent years.

Its activity of shops, bars, and cultural offer is enormous. But actually, it stands out for the bustle of people who walk its streets.

You will also see fashion stores with exclusive products that are not for sale or exhibited in any other of Madrid Neighborhoods; it is also a place where public markets turn into meeting places.

The Chueca neighborhood is home to museums, unique buildings, the odd religious building, associations, art galleries, many bars and restaurants, and some hotels.

The Plaza de Chueca is the center around which restaurants, terraces, and bars open, all very personal and cosmopolitan.

The streets around the square are semi-pedestrianized, and there you will find shops of all kinds, especially in Fuencarral, where many young designers have their shops.

If Chueca is known for something, it is one of the most recognized LGTBI neighborhoods globally.

The Pride Festivities, which are celebrated every year between the end of June and the beginning of July in Chueca, are among the most recognized worldwide.

Places of Interest in Chueca

Landmarks

  • Plaza de Chueca.
  • Plaza de Pedro Zerolo.
  • Plaza del Rey. (Kings Place)
  • The House of Seven Chimneys.
  • Longoria Palace.
  • House of Gators.
  • Santa Barbara Place.
  • Santa Barbara Palace.
  • Fuencarral Street.

Museums

  • Romanticism Museum. (Art, History, and Life of the Spanish people)
  • Madrid’s History Museum. (From Madrid’s selection as capital in 1561 until the 20th Century).

Religious Buildings

  • San Anton Church.
  • Santa Maria Magdalena Convent.
  • Mercedarias Descalzas de la Purísima Concepción Convent and Church.

To Eat & Drink

Malasaña

The Malasaña neighborhood does not exist as an administrative entity.

Officially this area is in the Centro district, the Universidad neighborhood, which covers the popular areas of Malasaña and Conde Duque

Malasaña is one of Madrid Neighborhoods with the more historic heritage that, curiously, brings together the city’s most modern and underground residents. It is usually associated with the explosion of the cultural movement of the 80s called Movida Madrileña, immediately after the end of the Franco regime.

The center of this bohemian Madrid Neighborhood is Plaza Dos de Mayo.

There are many small squares in this neighborhood, such as the Comendadoras or San Ildefonso squares, around which there are bars, nightclubs, and cafes.

It is one of the usual areas for a night out.

Places of Interest in Malasaña

Landmarks

  • May 2nd Place. (Plaza 2 de Mayo)
  • Manuela Malasaña Street. (From whom the Barrio gets its name)
  • Moon Place. (Plaza de la Luna)
  • San Ildefonso Place.
  • Fish Street. (Calle del Pez)

Street Sculptures

  • After Julia. (Tras Julia. Julia was the first woman to study at the University, for which she had to disguise herself as a boy).
  • The Walker. (La Paseante. A young woman in a long skirt and tank top guards the La Palma Art School).
  • The Young Woman Walking. (La Joven Caminando. In the Plaza de San Ildefonso. She dresses in modern clothes and carries a folder under her arm. She is supposed to go to the same Art School).
  • The Readings of the Second of May. (Las Lecturas del Dos de Mayo. An abstract figure of a young woman reading a book that she is holding on her lap).
  • Daoiz y Velarde Monument. (Most visible sculpture in the neighborhood. It represents these two heroes of the War of Independence, who died in this place where the Monteleón Barracks used to be. The arch that accompanies them is the old gate of the barracks).

Religious Buildings

  • St. Anthony of the Germans Church.
  • St. Ildefonso Church.
  • St. Martin Church.
  • Good Happiness Church.

To Eat & Drink

Conde Duque

North and adjacent to the Plaza de España, Conde Duque is one of Madrid Neighborhoods or Madrid Barrios which is almost a continuation of another neighborhood: Malasaña. However, Conde Duque is quieter and somewhat more select.

Places of Interest in Conde Duque

Landmarks

Museums

Religious Buildings

  • Montserrat Monastery.

To Eat & Drink

  • Mostenses Market. (Mercado de Los Mostenses. Fresh Food, and a handful of places to eat).
  • Secret Garden. (El Jardin Secreto. Cocktails)

Arguelles

The most elegant of the Madrid Neighborhoods.

It overlooks Paseo Rosales, the avenue that borders Parque del Oeste.

All this green area is on a land elevation, which makes it a natural viewpoint.

From there, you can board the cable car that takes you to Casa de Campo, a green area with the most different fauna and flora.

At the Parque del Oeste is the Debod’s Temple, a 2nd-century Nubian temple donated by the Egyptian government.

This Madrid Neighborhood is also a nerve center for Madrid’s transport, the place from where the city center connects with the peripheral areas.

Here is the Complutense University Campus.

You can also visit the Moncloa Lighthouse, which will allow you to see Madrid from above.

Places of Interest in Arguelles

Landmarks

  • Complutense University.
  • Moncloa Lighthouse.
  • Moncloa Palace. (Spanish Prime Minister Residence)
  • West Park. (Parque del Oeste)
  • Prince Pio Mountain Lookout. (The best sunset views of Madrid)
  • Debod’s Temple. (Egyptian funerary monument installed in 1970. Donated to Spain by the Egyptian government for the collaboration in the rescue of numerous monuments of Ancient Egypt in the area of ​​Abu Simbel
  • Cable Car to Casa de Campo.
  • Casa de Campo. (Largest Urban Park in Spain)

Museums

  • Debod’s Temple
  • Museum of the Americas. (The conquest of “The New World”)
  • Cerralbo Museum. (Old Master Paintings Collections)

Religious Buildings

  • Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida. (Burial place of Francisco de Goya)

To Eat & Drink

Las Letras

It is known as the Barrio de las Letras because some of the most important Spanish writers of the 17th Century lived in this Madrid Neighborhood: Calderón de la Barca, Cervantes, Lope de Vega, and Quevedo.

Currently, the Barrio de las Letras is probably the most charming and most attractive of the Madrid Neighborhoods. Its commercial and gastronomic offer is extensive, and if you add the tranquility and seclusion of a pedestrian environment free of road traffic, you get one of the most inviting and friendly neighborhoods in the whole city.

This neighborhood (one of my favorites) has many peculiarities that differentiate it from the rest of the capital. Its small businesses are very particular; they are only here. The flavor of its streets, seasoned with a history of centuries, is unique in the world

The places to eat and drink are very numerous and of a very different variety. They certainly attract visitors, but the neighborhood would not be what it is without its theatrical past.

The Spanish Theater, the heir to the 16th century Corral de la Pacheca, is still alive. Other theaters offer their performances a few steps away.

Places of Interest in Las Letras

Landmarks

  • Plaza de Santa Ana. (Barrio de Las Letras Center. Built where the Santa Ana Convent used to be before being demolished during the 19th century Madrid expansion)
  • Calle Huertas.
  • Plaza del Angel.
  • Miguel de Cervantes Statue.

Theaters

Museums

  • Athenaeum of Madrid.
  • House-Museum of Lope de Vega.

Religious Buildings

  • San Sebastian Parish. (Burial place of Lope de Vega)
  • Trinitarias Descalzas Convent. (Burial place of Cervantes)

To Eat & Drink

*Paseo del Prado

It is another of the great avenues and not precisely one of Madrid Neighborhoods.

In the Prado area, we can locate the buildings with the most important public offices in Madrid: the Cortes, the Bank of Spain, the Stock Exchange, the City Council.

There is also the very famous Puerta de Alcalá, the fountains of Cibeles and Neptuno. And the most important museums: Del Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza.

  • San Jeronimo el Real | @alexmustaros

Places of Interest in Paseo del Prado

Landmarks

  • Artichoke Fountain.
  • Neptune Fountain.
  • Cibeles Fountain.
  • Cibeles Palace.
  • Royal Botanical Garden.
  • Puerta de Alcala.

Museums

Religious Buildings

  • San Jerónimo El Real. (Former 1500’s Monastery)
  • Jesus of Medinaceli Basel. (Jesus of Medinaceli Statue)

To Eat & Drink

Lavapies

In the Middle Ages, it was the place where the Arab and Jewish quarters settled and located outside the city walls.

Today It is one of Madrid Neighborhoods with more social diversity. It’s an area where many immigrants live, and this gives it a multicultural character that is particularly evident in the number of ethnic food restaurants in the area.

People from far corners of the planet coexist in its streets, that’s why you can hear many different languages.

The name is peculiar, and although its origin is not known for sure, it seems that there was a fountain here where the Jews washed their feet before entering the temple.

The nameplate for Carrer Lavapiés illustrates that fountain and two people washing in it.

Its streets are narrow and old, some with steep slopes.

There’s an abundance of retail stores not found anywhere else.

There are many places to eat, generally cheap.

Also, on a walk around the neighborhood, you will find a lot of street art.

The Plaza de Lavapies is the center of this Madrid Neighborhood with two streets famous for their nightlife: Ave María and Colegio.

Places of Interest in Lavapies

Landmarks

  • Plaza de Lavapies.
  • Fernan Nuñez Palace.
  • San Fernando Market.

Museums

Religious Buildings

  • Real Monasterio de Agustinas Recoletas.
  • San Lorenzo Parish.

To Eat & Drink

  • Bar El Boqueron. (Tapas and Seafood)
  • Bar Melo’s. (Bar with excellent vibes)
  • Casa Pachuco. (International Tapas)
  • El Sur. (Traditional Tavern)
  • Toga Restaurant. (Traditional & Modern Spanish)

Salamanca

It is one of the few Madrid Neighborhoods with a defined urban structure in blocks.

It is the most luxurious of the 13 Madrid Neighborhoods or Barrios which encompasses several well-differentiated areas.

Here are the most exclusive shops in the city. The Jardin de Serrano shopping center is in this neighborhood.

Everyone knows this Madrid Neighborhood for its “Golden Mile” or for its exclusive restaurants.

Places of Interest in Salamanca

Landmarks

Museums

To Eat & Drink

  • Kabuki Wellington. (Japanese Restaurant at the Wellington Hotel with a Michelin Star)
  • La Tasqueria. (Traditional Spanish Dishes with a Michelin Star)
  • Punto MX. (Authentic Mexican recipes with a Michelin Star)
  • Albora. (Upscale Mediterranean on the Michelin Guide)
  • Lavinia. (It is not a restaurant. It is a Wine Store with a Bistro)

Retiro

One of the Greenest of all 13 Madrid Neighborhoods that we are reviewing in this article.

The Retiro Park, almost four centuries old, is home to numerous paths that run along its entire length. There are ornate squares that distribute these paths, sculptures, and monuments dedicated to famous people, historical fountains, ponds of different sizes.

Also, sports facilities, gardens with various decorations, terraces where you can sit and have a drink, historical buildings, and even the odd palace— all centers of attraction for walkers and tourists.

Without a doubt, the Retiro is the most representative park in Madrid, and due to its central location, it is the scene of a wide variety of citizen activity.

This Madrid Neighborhood encloses the park to the east and the south.

Places of Interest in Retiro

Landmarks

  • Buen Retiro Park
    • Velazquez Palace.
    • Crystal Palace.
    • Fallen Angel Fountain.
    • Large Pond.

To Eat & Drink

And there you have them, my 13 favorite Madrid Neighborhoods and areas to visit in the beautiful and cosmopolitan capital city of Spain.

Disclosure

Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to us at no cost to you if you decide to purchase. This site is not intended to provide any kind of advice and is for entertainment only.

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