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Barrios in Madrid

Travel Blog — 2-22, 2012 16:38

The Spanish capital, like all big cities, has different districts, ‘barrios’ in Spanish, that are totally different to one another where you can find all sorts of different things. Here are some of the most important ones and what you can expect to find in each.

Madrid is the Spanish capital located right in the centre of Spain. Its population is of 3.2 million people and, as such, it has a large variety of places and sites for you to visit during your stay in Madrid apartments. Each district, barrio in Spanish, is famous for something, and depending on what you want to see or do, here is a small guide to the barrios in Madrid and what you will come across when you visit them.

Sol is the epicentre of Madrid, where you can find such relevant landmarks as the Puerta del Sol, which is the main contemporary square in Madrid, as opposed to the Plaza Mayor, which is the old square but equally as important for different reasons. Puerta del Sol is where all the tourists go and see the famous façade of the Casa de Correos building and the statue of the oso y el madroño, the famous symbol of the coat of arms of the city of Madrid, a bear and the strawberry tree. At the Plaza Mayor we can find the old square, where we can sample one of Madrid’s typically delicious deep-fried squid sandwich, bocadillo de calamares.

The barrio of Malasaña is where you can expect to find the main bars district in Madrid. All the hipsters and ‘cool people’ in Madrid can be seen around this district. It’s also where the famous pop culture movement, the Movida Madrileña, began in the 70s and 80s. Also, if you’re looking to spot a celebrity in Madrid, whether it’s a famous musician or a famous actor, this is the place you have to hang around. One could consider Malasaña as Madrid’s coolest district, although some might disagree and say that La Latina is the coolest place. An arty district, here we can find some of the best typical but contemporary tapas restaurants in Madrid. Also, when it comes to partying at night, La Latina has plenty of cool bars and clubs to offer. If you also like shopping for a bargain, every Sunday there’s the Rastro flea market, where you can find everything to be expected from a place like this, Spanish style!

If we want to see the most exclusive area of the city of Madrid, we must head towards the barrio of Salamanca, where we can find some of the most aristocratic buildings in Madrid. A bourgeois district by definition, here we can also find some of the most exclusive brand shops in designer fashion. If you have plenty of money and want to spend it, here’s the place for you.

Madrid is also a cosmopolitan and liberal city, and the barrio of Chueca embodies that. It’s known as the gay district, with plenty of gay-friendly bars, clubs and stores. Also, it’s the home to electronic music clubbing in Madrid so, if this is your scene and you were hoping that Madrid would have one, you couldn’t ask for a better one.

See the large variety in the Spanish capital when you rent apartments in Madrid, where tradition mixes with modernity in the most perfect way.

Barrios in Madrid is a post from: onestep4ward.com