Reasons to love Madrid

Last Friday I took a very early bus from Santander to Madrid. The journey was 5 hours long but totally worth. Not just because I was able to see some wonderful friends from university, but I also was able to tour the capital city which I love. I have been to Madrid before, and this time round wasn’t any less exciting than the first. In my opinion, Madrid is one of the greatest cities in the world with some sort of sparkle that makes it stand out from the rest. While walking through the hustle and bustle, I realised that I could quite happily live there, as many people do. But, I understand why: there are so many reasons to live (or at least visit) Madrid.

1.     Location: Not only is Madrid at the centre of many social and business affairs, it is also, quite literally at the centre of Spain. The capital city is located right in the middle of the country making it relatively easy to get to … well, anywhere. If you are someone who likes to explore different places, then Madrid is a pretty good base for you. Even the furthest distances tend to be pretty similar, and thus the time needed to complete the journey tends be the same.

From Santander (which is undeniably one of the most Northern parts of Spain), it is about a 5 hour bus drive to get to Madrid. And even though you can get a train, I have found that it is not worth it. There are frequent problems, and you often have to change and wait and change and wait making it a 5 hour journey anyway. That said, there are some places that are better connected than Santander. From Alicante, for instance, you can take a high speed train lasting just 2-2 ½ hours to reach the capital city.

And of course, Madrid itself is fantastic regarding transportation. The buses run regularly and, for the most part, smoothly docking at Avenida de las Americas. The long distance trains run from Puerta de Atocha station, running all over the country. And the airport is easy to get to and offers many low fare flights for within Spain. Should you live in Madrid, but fancy that weekend away in Tenerife, it is relatively easy to do. Or at least in comparison with Santander.

The transportation for within Spain is also fantastic for both the tourist, and permanent resident. This brings me onto my second reasons to love Madrid.

2.     Metro: Madrid is a large metropolis, with many attractions scattered around. Sometimes, it can be slightly daunting when there seems to be so much to do in so little time. But, rest assured, the metro system is great. Most places have a Metro station close by, and generally, the trains run regularly. You can be where you want to be in the matter of minutes and orientating yourself around the stations is simple. There are lots of clear signs and maps to aid us tourists to all the major attractions.

3.     Museums: Some of the major attractions are, of course, the museums of Madrid. And you cannot miss the art museums – they are incredible, and you can find many of them along the Avenue of Art. There are a variety of galleries with many traditional collections and contemporary as well. Notably, there is The Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, all of which I would recommend. But you can’t miss the slightly less known art and history museums such as Museo Sorolla, the Archaeological museum and the Museum of the Americas.

If you are interested in neither history nor art, I would recommend paying a visit to these museums for the architecture alone.

4.     Architecture: The architecture of Madrid, in general, is incredible. As I said, the museums are exquisitely designed, and the Royal Palace and the Cathedral are great photo ops. Moreover, the Egyptian, Temple of Debod always turns a few heads and not only is interesting to learn about, it has fantastic views as well.  But you don’t have to go anywhere in particular in order to discover great architecture. Simply by walking through the streets, you will find beautiful buildings of all shapes and sizes. The Gran Via, for example, is a great place to shop whilst taking in the different architectural styles that came to Madrid in the 20^th century.

5.     Shopping:  Should you wish to go shopping during your time in Madrid, you certainly will not be disappointed. Of course there are the designer and the more costly brands, but there are many high street stores as well (as a uni student in debt, I elect for these). Of course, there are also many markets in Madrid during the week, all of which have a great atmosphere about them.  The city boasts the San Miguel Market and the El Rastro market which is said to be the biggest flea market in Europe. These are also good places to eat and discover the culinary delights of Spain.

6.     Food and drink: Spain, in my opinion, has some of the best food in the world. But, that is just my taste. It is pretty darn good though. Wine, Sangria, Tapas, and Paella … you just cannot miss these, stereotypical, but delicious foods and drinks whilst in Madrid. Especially when you can often enjoy them outside in the warm weather.

7.     Weather: it is kind of cliché, I know but when you are from the UK, you have a hard time not noticing the glorious sunshine. Granted, Madrid can get cold (there has even been snowfall this year) but in the spring and summer, it is wonderful and makes the trip just that much better. In particular, it makes your trip to the different parks and gardens just that more enjoyable.

8.     Parks and Gardens: Retiro park is one of my favourite places in the whole world. I cannot tell you why exactly, but there is something very special about it. The lake, and the crystal palace and all the monuments just make the park seems like some sort of wonderland. It is incredibly lovely to just wander through, and pass your time. Of course, this is not the only park of Madrid. The Parqe del Oeste, Casa de Campo (the largest urban park) and the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid are also worth a visit if you have time.