Madrid, Spain
AE Internships will take you to the eight trendiest neighbourhoods (barrios) of Madrid. Which district has a typical Spanish atmosphere? Where are the best restaurants? We will tell you all about it in this blog.
La Latina is known for its large number of tapas bars. 🍽 The neighbourhood attracts a lively and relaxed local crowd who enjoy spending many hours here. Cava Baja, the neighbourhood's most iconic street, is home to many popular tapas bars, restaurants, and wine and cocktail bars. Nightlife in La Latina is also exciting! 💃 And don’t forget El Rastro, it is the most popular open air flea market in Spain. It is held every Sunday! 😍
Nowadays also called the 'hipster quarter' of Madrid and this is of course not without reason. Malasaña is overflowing with lively bars and cool restaurants and also on the streets it is bustling as ever. The district Malasaña is situated around its central point Plaza del Dos de Mayo. This square is a popular spot for sociable drinks with each other (botellón). Cosiness! Also for a varied nightlife you go to this district! A cool place to have some drinks and to dance is Tupperware. This club is completely retro furnished. On the wall you see all kinds of funny paintings and the atmosphere is great too. Pay special attention to the nice details here! 👀
This large district is adjacent to the districts of Chueca and Retiro, and is definitely worth a visit, because if you like shopping, this is the place to be! The most luxurious design shops parade through the streets of Salamanca. You can spot brands such as: Dior, D&G, Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Of course there are also affordable brands like Mango and Zara. In the side streets are also nice boutiques with surprising items. The district is also known for the bullfighting arena🐂, an old city gate called: Puerta de Alcala and the Plaza de Colon, which is the square of Columbus where you can spot the biggest Spanish flag in the world. 🇪🇸The three concrete blocks on the square symbolise the three ships he used to sail to America. One of the best shopping streets in this part of Madrid is Callejón de Jorge Juan, this small dead-end street is filled with trendy boutiques and hip Parisian brands such as Isabel Marant, Vanessa Bruno and American Vintage have a shop here. 🛍
Chueca is known for being a hip, artistic neighbourhood where gay friendliness is highly valued. There are many nice cafes, terraces and a nightlife which is undeniable. It is a lively neighbourhood that also reminds you of a village. The district is open minded where a mixed crowd comes to have a drink. Every year there is even a Madrid gay parade, the Orgullo Gay. The Chueca district also boasts the beautiful Mercado San Anton. 🍒Calle de Fuencarral is the shopping street, here you will find many famous stores. There are also chic shopping streets such as Calle Almirante and Calle Prim. 🛍 Sights you can’t miss are Museo Municipal, Museo Romantico, Palacio de Justicia and don’t forget Palacio Longoria. In our opinion, this district is one of the best places to understand and enjoy the atmosphere of Madrid! 😍
Barrio de las Letras, the literary quarter, is one of the most historic and important districts in Madrid. Located between Puerta del Sol and the "Golden Triangle of Art", it is the old neighbourhood of several influential authors and playwrights from Spain's literary Golden Age. Keep your eyes open as you walk through this district and look for the plaques attached to the walls of historical sites commemorating these literary figures. Wander around and take your time exploring this neighbourhood. 🗺 Its pedestrian-friendly cobblestone streets and abundance of shops, bars and entertainment make it a wonderful place for a morning or afternoon stroll. You'll find the perfect blend of modern and traditional in the form of musical instrument shops, flamenco accessories, boutiques, galleries, handicrafts, antique stores and bookshops. When you get hungry after all that walking and shopping, walk into one of the many coffee shops or pastry shops, tapas bars, taverns or restaurants for a traditional Spanish or international meal until late at night. 🌜
The Chamberi district is different from other districts. The streetscape is determined by home and kitchen shops and cosy squares. On and around Plaza de Olavide there are mostly terraces and restaurants, but there are also many places where you can do a wine tasting. 🍷The district is very suitable for cycling because of the wide streets. 🚴🏻♀️ In Calle de Fuencarral you can do some nice shopping and the perfect place to have lunch during your day in Chamberi is Mandioca, don't forget to taste the lime pie! 🍰 When the evening comes and the offices close, the bars are at their best, go to Calle de Ponzano, there you can choose from many tapas bars. 🍽
El Retiro is officially not a separate district but secretly belongs to Salamanca. Because we find this part of Madrid so special we would like to share it with you! In the weekend everyone in Madrid goes to the Parque del Buen Retiro, the Retiro park, to relax and escape the bustle of the city. The park has an area of 1.4 km² and is located directly east of the city centre. It is a beautiful park to go for a walk, do sports, have a picnic or sit on a bench and watch the passers-by and street artists perform their tricks. 🎤 You can also visit an exhibition in the beautiful Palacio de Cristal. A good tip is to rent a boat, go out on the lake and relax! 🚣🏽♀️ There are also many nice restaurants and cafes and all you have to do is enjoy!
Sol is the 💛 of Madrid. Several busy pedestrian streets full of shops lead up to the 18th century Puerta del Sol square. During the day, modern department stores and old-fashioned tapas bars create a buzz and, at night, the district's bars and clubs fill up with a young nightlife crowd. Some of the elegant buildings on the Gran Vía have rooftop bars with beautiful views. 😍 Sol is the city-center and home to Madrid’s most popular meeting-point: “the bear statue” or as it’s called in Spanish, “El Oso y el Madroño”. This neighbourhood also marks Kilometer Zero, meaning that it’s literally the middle-point of the entire Iberian Peninsula. Sol is also the center-point of the city when it comes to transport, shopping and tourist destinations. Madrid’s most popular shops are located within walking distance from Sol and there are a number of restaurants. The Plaza Mayor is a hop skip away, and a ten minute walk from Sol will conveniently bring you either to the Prado Museum or the Royal Palace. 💎
Enthusiastic for a Madrid internship? Follow our Madrid Instagram page for more information and impressions of these neighbourhoods 👉 madrid_aeinternships
