{"id":17044,"date":"2014-10-22T01:00:36","date_gmt":"2014-10-22T01:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17044"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:37:39","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:37:39","slug":"top-neighborhoods-in-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/top-neighborhoods-in-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"Top neighborhoods in Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5; font-family: Helvetica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/Madrid.d178281.Destination-Travel-Guides\">Madrid<\/a>\u00a0is the quintessential European city. For us, it typifies the European urban experience\u2014a striking balance of traditional and cosmopolitan, ancient and cutting edge, exclusive and welcoming. But Spain\u2019s largest city can be a little overwhelming for first time visitors.<\/span><span style=\"line-height: 1.5; font-family: Helvetica;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">To make it easier for you to choose <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/Madrid-Hotels.d178281.Travel-Guide-Hotels\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">where to rest your head<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\"> (after what undoubtedly will be some very late nights!), we are happy to highlight five of our favorite neighborhoods, and some of the specific attributes that make each of them so much fun.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Puerta del Sol<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">The Puerta del Sol neighborhood (often simply referred to as Sol) is not just central to Madrid, it is the symbolic center of Spain. Like the rays of the sun, the streets of the city radiate from this bustling hub.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Puerto del Sol is known for being very tourist-friendly; you are as likely to hear English being spoken here as you are to hear Spanish. That fact makes the vibrant neighborhood very attractive to many but also should serve as a caution to visitors who are looking for a more local-centric experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">While the central plaza may be well known for buskers and international fast food chains, it is also bursting with cultural and political significance. The area has been a central meeting point for centuries, and has served as a focal point for democratic demonstrations and protests. It\u2019s also the location of many government offices, including the office of the President of Madrid.<\/span><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"small-width-image-container lansdscape-596f37a7-50ee-63e1-bbde-ff000073f150\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/default-source\/user-no-vacation-required\/mad-hood-content-[size_512x290].jpg\" id=\"landscape-596f37a7-50ee-63e1-bbde-ff000073f150\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Title\">Examining neighborhoods over tapas<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Salamanca<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol\/>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Salamanca is about as ritzy as a neighborhood can be. Well-heeled travelers from around the world, including many foreign diplomats, call this chic enclave home. In fact, Salamanca is known for having some of the most expensive real estate in all of Spain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Close to the center of the city but worlds away from the bourgeoisie hubbub of Puerta del Sol, Salamanca is the perfect place to stay for visitors looking for a refined and upscale neighborhood vibe.<\/span><span style=\"line-height: 1.5; font-family: Helvetica;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">One of the area\u2019s main shopping streets, Calle Serrano, boasts many of the world\u2019s prime fashion houses and designer labels. So if you&#8217;re interested in buying a \u20ac30,000 handbag or just want to dream a little, this is your spot.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Chueca<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol\/>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Just north of Gran Via, the city\u2019s main drag, is the trendy-but-approachable Chueca neighborhood. Chueca is Madrid\u2019s most LGBT-friendly barrio, and its eclectic mix of international restaurants, tabernas (traditional gathering spots), and western style bars make it a destination for a wide array of visitors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/viewfinder.expedia.com\/madrid\/tapas-binging-in-madrid\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">One of our favorite activities<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\"> in Madrid is to grab a cerveza or vermouth at Taberna \u00c1ngel Sierra and chomp on some delicately spiced green olives while listening to the music being played in Plaza de Chueca, the barrio\u2019s main square.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Right in the heart of Chueca is the San Ant\u00f3n Market, a multistory foodie Mecca. The culinary emporium offers a cornucopia of artisanal meats and cheeses, crusty Spanish breads, and ripe local fruits and vegetables. It also houses numerous restaurants and handicraft stalls.<\/span><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 40px;\">Viewfinder Tip: The Atocha neighborhood, which borders Retiro in the south, can be an easy and cost-effective place for travelers who are visiting via the barrio\u2019s namesake train station.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Retiro<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol\/>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Retiro is defined by the enormous park that shares its name; El Retiro is one of the city\u2019s largest parks. The park is dense with ornate gardens, rich with sculptures, and is dripping with water features.<\/span><span style=\"line-height: 1.5; font-family: Helvetica;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">On any given day the park plays host to thousands of Madrelle\u00f1os and visitors enjoying a diverse range of activities. Some of these activities include\u00a0jogging around the park&#8217;s iron-fenced perimeter and exploring celebrated buildings such as the glass pavilion named <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Palacio de Cristal (the &#8220;Crystal Palace\u201d). On one of our runs through the park, we stumbled upon a marching band performing near the Paseo de la Argentina, also popularly known as Paseo de las Estatuas (the &#8220;Walk of Statues&#8221;), because it is lined with statues of kings from the Royal Palace.<\/span><span style=\"line-height: 1.5; font-family: Helvetica;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">In addition to featuring sumptuous outdoor spaces, the neighborhood contains several major museums. Along Paseo del Prado, the tree-lined main boulevard, sits the world-renowned Museo del Prado, which has a world-renowned collection of European art.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Further down the boulevard is <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sof\u00eda, our personal favorite. We love this modernist museum because Pablo Picasso\u2019s masterpiece, Guernica, hangs on the walls.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Malasa\u00f1a<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol\/>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">This neighborhood\u2019s architecture\u2014buildings largely uniform in shape and color\u2014belies how dynamic and diverse it really is. For example, where Salamanca is known for luxury fashion houses, Malasa\u00f1a is adored for cutting-edge boutiques and emerging designers pushing the boundaries of fashion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Centered around Plaza del Dos de Mayo and easily accessed by the city\u2019s metro system,\u00a0Malasa\u00f1a  is famous for bars, galleries, and boutiques that cater to the most niche interests and avant-garde tastes. Visitors and locals alike flock to the crowded streets to be part of scene that is artsy and edgy but unpretentious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\"><strong>What do you look for in a neighborhood when you travel?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding the unique draws of five Madrid neighborhoods<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1883,1782,1788,1888,1987,1824,1776],"tags":[33],"authors":[2229],"class_list":["post-17044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","category-destinations","category-interests","category-lgbtqia-friendly","category-madrid","category-spain","category-type-of-vacation","tag-couples","authors-no-vacation-required","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Top neighborhoods in Madrid | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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