A day in Madrid 🇪🇸

I arrived from Munich at around 11:00 AM and had the rest of the day in Madrid until my next flight at 11:50 PM. This was my first time in Spain, and I was excited. I navigated out of the airport toward the metro station and bought a €8,40 1-Day Tourist Ticket.

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I planned on taking a walking tour at 3:00 PM, so I had time to see a couple of places on my own before then.

First, I took the metro from Madrid-Barajas Airport to Puerta de Toledo to see the neoclassical arched gateway built to honor Fernando VII. A local landmark, this triumphal arch marks a grand entrance into the heart of the city and is one of the few remaining gates from the city’s ancient walls.

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Then, I took the metro from Puerta de Toledo to Plaza de España to see the Fuente del Nacimiento del Agua, a beautiful fountain featuring bronze figures and cascading shells. The nearby Monumento a Cervantes is a stone-and-bronze epic dedicated to the author of Don Quixote. It features Cervantes overlooking his most famous characters—Don Quixote on his weary horse, Rocinante, and Sancho Panza on his donkey, Dapple.

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After spending some time there, I took the metro from Plaza de España to Callao and joined the Free Walking Tour in Madrid 🔗 at 3:00 PM. It was a lovely walk around Madrid that lasted just shy of three hours. I’m certain there is much more to see if one has more time!

After the tour ended, I walked to Primark on Calle Gran Vía to do some shopping for the kids. I also managed to spot the Iglesia de San Jerónimo el Real, a stunning 16th-century monastery and church that sits on a hill overlooking the Prado Museum. I took the metro from Gran Vía back to Madrid-Barajas Airport to catch my flight to Delhi.