It’s been three days since arriving in Madrid. You sit in a coffee shop with your family wondering what else is there to do. You visited the parks, the museums, and the most famous restaurants. But there is much more to Madrid that you missed, a city full of history, colonial architecture, and diverse culture.

Many TCS students visit Madrid regularly. However, most only visit the most famous places, and after the first time, end up repeating the same activities and landmarks, not realizing that Madrid is a lot more than the ‘hip’ photos you see in your Instagram feed. 

Daytime

Las Letras is a great neighborhood in Madrid if you enjoy admiring traditional buildings on a sunny day. Quotes from famous Spanish authors such as Cervantes, Jose Echegaray, and Lope de Vega are embedded in bronze on the streets. As you walk, the history and writings, a tribute to Spanish literature, will amaze you. 

“It is really fun because I was able to visit Calle de la Cruz which is a very old street that exhibits a lot of history in Spain and it is home to a great writer called Miguel de Unamuno,” Juan Arango, Grade 9, said. 

Mercado San Anton and Mercado de Motores are two busy markets recommended by TCS students.  Mercado de San Anton is known for its cooking shows, food stations, and sustainability. Mercado de Motores is surrounded by trains, music, entertainment, food trucks, and unique shops.

“There are multiple markets that show Spanish gastronomy, and design. Mercado Motores is special for its decoration, it is located where there was once a train station. Today it is a market in which the shops are the train wagons. San Anton is a three-story market, with different food stations, cooking demos, and a terrace bar, ” Joaquin Jaramillo, Grade 10, said.

When you are tired of walking around all day, cafes and restaurants are the perfect places to sit and rest for some time before you continue on your sightseeing journey. 

“One of the best coffee shops I recommend is Estela Hojaldre. They sell all types of pastries like almond cookies, croissants, and their most famous product: Hojaldres,” Martina Jaramillo, Grade 11, said. 

Taverns serve some of the best traditional Spanish food, and according to many students, these types of restaurants are a must-go.  

“Madrid has a big variety of food but if you really want to try traditional Spanish food you should go to Cervantes Cerveceria. It is a small local in Barrio Las Letras with great price quality and delicious food,” Senior Lucas Palacio said. 

Madrid is known for its cultural and gastronomical diversity, besides taverns, there are other restaurants known for their innovation, food, and interior decoration. 

“I personally recommend Leña. My favorite dish is steak, which is one of the best meats I have ever tried in my whole life. And its location is close to Cerrano so all the bars and restaurants are really close,” Emilio Uribe, Grade 11, said.

During the day TCS students enjoy walking around Madrid discovering new places like libraries, museums, or parks different from the famous ones like Parque El Retiro, or Museo El Prado. 

“Two things I enjoy when I go to Madrid are visiting the Biblioteca Taschen, and going to the Caixa Forum. I recommend the library for literature lovers. It has a huge amount of bizarre books that we don’t normally read in other parts. The Caixa Forum is a cultural center not many people know about but it has an interesting history and it has a peculiar architecture,” Isaza said. 

Other activities TCS students recommend are the Temple of Debod, hiking in Casa de Campo, visiting El Mercado Rastro, or going to Parque el Capricho. 

“Parque el Capricho is a beautiful park outside of Madrid. It is full of history and it has a lot of architecture that can be appreciated. One of my favorite things to do is go to the Templo de Debod and watch the sunset with my family. Mercado Rastro is something not many tourists would think about going, but I recommend it because it exhibits a part of Madrid that many people are not aware of,” Arango said. 

Night-time

Some recommended rooftops are Bless and Casa Suecia. Both rooftops are full of music, good drinks, and food.

“I love going to rooftops in Madrid because it is full of Latinos and it gives me really good party vibes. At first, it is like a restaurant with great food and drinks and then it turns into a party,” Maria Correa, Grade 11 said. 

Tony2 bar is a place recommended by many people at the school because they have live music which makes the experience much more special. 

“It is different from other bars around the world because the music represents Spain, it has a really specific audience so you can relate really easily to the people at the bar,”  Uribe said. 

The quality of innovation in restaurants stands out, every restaurant is different, and each one has a different characteristic that makes it unique. 

“Fanatico is one of the best experiences I have ever had, the music, the food, the decoration everything is perfect. It is a restaurant that has a maximalist decoration with amazing food,” Maria Correa, Grade 11 said. 

If shopping is something you are interested in, the most recommended place by TCS students is the Corte Ingles. 

“There are a lot of them throughout the city, it’s like a Macy’s. It is a big and clean mall with a big variety of clothing. My favorite part is the stores full of food that you can bring to Medellín and the quality of the food is amazing,” Lucas Palacio, senior said. 

Petit Palace is a small boutique hotel not very recognized by tourists. It is located in the neighborhood Santa Barbara and it is close to everything you need. 

“Petit palace is very underrated because it has great prices, it is really comfortable, it is in a beautiful plaza, the food is great, people in the hotel are very nice and it is great because it is not very popular,” Jaramillo said. 

Casa Suecia is not only a highly recommended rooftop, but it is also a hotel with colonial decoration, hidden bars, and delicious gastronomic proposal, and it is located close to Puerta de Alcala. 

 “The best part of this hotel is the rooftop. Watching the sunset while eating some tapas and drinking something with family and friends is a great experience. I also enjoy it a lot because it has a hidden bar that honors the American novelist Hemingway,” Correa said.

The next time you go to Madrid, take the time to get to know the “real” Madrid, not the same old tourist traps.

“I will always recommend Madrid as a travel destination, such a rich city, full of delicious food, wonderful architecture, welcoming people, and interesting history,” Jaramillo said.