The last destination of my 2024 Europe Trip....
.... the beautiful city of Madrid Spain (Madrid - Wikipedia). So, I asked myself, what to do in Madrid Spain for 3 days? As I began planning this trip in January, I found so much to do in and around Madrid that I couldn’t wait to get there and experience Madrid.
When you decide to answer your own question of “What to do in Madrid Spain for 3 Days?”, remember the incredibly diverse history of the City of Madrid, as well as the opportunities to explore outside of the city. Tour organizers, like Viator (Click here), enable you not only explore Madrid but also take a day trip to Toledo or visit several wineries for tours, tapas, and tastings. 23 Top-Rated Things to Do in Madrid | U.S. News Travel (usnews.com). Something to do for everyone.
Upon arriving at Madrid’s Atocha train station, on day 26 of my month in Europe, I was a bit tired and knew I had 3 full days of tours both in and outside of Madrid. The train from Malaga to Madrid had a stop over and change of trains in Cordoba Spain, then onto Madrid.
From the train station I had a 20-minute walk to the AirBnB check-in, at the BNBHolder Apartments & Locker office (Professional management of tourist apartments in Madrid and Seville. (bnbholder.com)), for my apartment which I reserved through Booking.com. Now it seems that BNBHolder is working through VRBO (BNBHolder Castizo Madrid Centre (vrbo.com)). The Castizo Madrid Centre apartment was spacious and very comfortable. I highly recommend it for your stay in Madrid; it is within walking distance of the Madrid Centro sights. You will thank me later…
After check-in and a quick take-away sandwich and salad from a local café, I decided to get some early sleep. Good news is that I found out that my full day tour to the historic cities of Toledo and Segobriga was cancelled (Tour of 5 Cultures: Explore Spanish History, Toledo & Segobriga 2024 - Madrid (viator.com)). Although I will miss seeing those cities, especially Toledo, this gave me a “free” day tomorrow to decide What to do in Madrid Spain for 3 days, on my own.
What to do in Madrid Spain on Day 1
A great night’s sleep in a very comfortable bed. This ground floor apartment is great. I just walk out the door and I’m on the street ready to go, no stairs, no elevators, no hallways, and no other tenants. So off to a small café at the top of the street, on the Plaza de Anton Martin (Plaza de Antón Martín - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), for some early morning people watching with my double espresso (see the "after" picture above-right). Not much traffic this early. I did notice the monument to the Spanish Civil War (see the picture above) called the Monumento los Abogados de Atocha (El abrazo (Madrid) - Wikipedia), a memorial to the victims of the 1977 Atocha Massacre (1977 Atocha massacre - Wikipedia).
So, off to find a stop for the Hop on/Hop off sightseeing bus tour, booked through Viator (Madrid City Tour Hop-On Hop-Off 2024 (viator.com)). Since Madrid is a large city with so much to see, I decided to get the 48-hour sightseeing bus ticket, just in case I wanted to use it tomorrow (which I did).
I ended up hopping off and hopping back on once or twice. I also made some notes on places to visit tomorrow, including the Archeological Museum, Parque de el Retiro, Palacio Real, and walks through the old town neighborhoods. For today, I focused on the awesome Spanish architecture, the street art, monuments, statues, buildings, and other sights first from the bus and then as I walked through Madrid.
Walk through Madrid pictures described below, beginning with the Catedral de la Almudena
I left the bus at the Palacio Real (Royal Palace of Madrid | National Heritage (patrimonionacional.es)) and the Catedral de la Almudena (Almudena Cathedral – Official website of the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. (catedraldelaalmudena.es)). Beautiful huge buildings. In fact, the Palacio Real is the largest royal palace in Western Europe. From there I went to Plaza de Oriente (Plaza de Oriente - Wikipedia) to see the bronze statue to King Felipe IV and the balancing that had to occur with the front legs of the horse off the ground. From the Plaza de Oriente I walked through Plaza de la Villa (Plaza de la Villa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) and on to the Plaza Mayor (Plaza Mayor, Madrid - Wikipedia).
Iglesia de los Jeronimos, next to Museo del Prado and the statue of Francisco de Goya.
From Plaza Mayor I took the Hop on bus for a few stops to the Museo del Prado. There were a lot of tourists walking around the museum and taking pictures (like me). Behind the museum is the Iglesia de los Jeronimos (Parish of San Jerónimo el Real (parroquiasanjeronimoelreal.es)), a beautiful church on a park-like rise above the museum. From the Museo del Prado I headed back to the AirBnB to get ready for the tour I scheduled for 6:30PM.
Madrid Tapas, Taverns, and History Tour - Tavern stops
At 6:30PM, I met the guide and the small group for the “Madrid Tapas, Taverns, and History Tour”, booked through Viator (Madrid Small-Group Tapas, Taverns, and History Tour 2024 (viator.com)). This was a great tour, very knowledgeable guide, with 4 different stops at taverns and restaurants. We had Sangria and cava among other drinks and various sausage, shellfish, and cheese tapas. Our final stop was at Casa Labra (Casa Labra - Traditional Spanish Food) for an excellent sit-down tapas meal and drinks. Unfortunately, the tour went by too quickly. I highly recommend this tour when you find yourself in Madrid and want to experience the local cuisine, history, culture, and people.
And on Day 2 in Madrid Spain
Pictures of the National Archeological Museum Madrid Spain
Today also started with a double espresso and a croissant. A short walk to the Museo Arqueologico Nacional (MAN - National Archaeological Museum - | Ministry of Culture) and a couple of hours for a walkthrough and experiencing the beautiful exhibits, including those in the central courtyard.
Since it was still early, I walked up the slight hill to the Plaza de Colon and the Christopher Columbus monument, now taken by 12-foot Julia (Julia, by Jaume Plensa | Official tourism website (esmadrid.com)).
After a couple of hours at the National Archeological Museum, I walked to the Puerta de Alcala arch (Puerta de Alcalá | Official tourism website (esmadrid.com)), past the Palacio de Cibeles (Cibeles Palace | Official tourism website (esmadrid.com)), and through the gardens to the Museo Nacional del Prado (Museo Nacional del Prado (museodelprado.es)). and then back through the parks and green areas to the Paseo del Prado. This time I took my time and took shots of Neptune, Cibeles, and Apollo fountains. A relaxing walk through the Parque de el Retiro (Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid - Wikipedia) and back to the AirBnB – it is laundry day (or laundry late afternoon).
My walk from the Archeological Museum through the Paseo del Prado
While my clothes washed, I walked around the neighborhood and took a few pictures of the streets and the art. Some good, others not so good, but all of them colorful. After the clothes were done, I stopped by a small corner market and bought some items for supper. Have to be up early to get to the meeting point for the Wineries Tour.
Street Art and Street Scenes around Madrid Spain
Day 3 in Madrid Spain... My Last Day
Today is my last tour and one that I have been looking forward to. Organized through Viator, it is the: Madrid Wineries Tour with Tastings (Madrid Countryside Wine-Tasting Tour with Guide and Snacks 2024 (viator.com)). This tour was fantastic!
Our small group met at the Claridge Hotel and boarded a small bus for a trip into the Madrid countryside. This was an all-day trip to visit three wineries and have tastings at each, plus some time to purchase wine to take home. I didn’t this time. When I bought wine in Portugal last year and had it shipped back home, the shipping was as much or more than the cost of the wine.
First stop was the Finca & Bodega Val Azul winery (LANDING PAGE HOME - FINCA VAL AZUL WINE & VENUE), located about 30 minutes outside of Madrid. This is a fairly new winery, founded in 1998 with the first wines produced in 2005. Their wines were very good, especially their reds. I particularly liked their red blend, called Blue Valve (OFFICIAL ONLINE STORE - FINCA VAL AZUL WINE & VENUE). It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, from the organic vineyards that surround the winery. Yes, this is a fully organic winery.
Pictures from the Val Azul winery
Back on the bus, we headed to the second winery, called Bodega del Nero (Nero Winery - Nero Winery (bodegadelnero.com)). This is a much older winery, founded in 1870 and located in the Las Vegas region. One fascinating feature is the use of very large clay barrels to age the wines. Two of their wines that I liked were the Trajin (a 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano blend) and Trapisondero (100% Tempranillo). These wines were excellent!
Pictures from the Bodega Del Nero winery
The third and last winery was Bodegas Jesus Diaz e Hijos (Home | Bodegas Jesús Diaz | Ear Apiary (bodegasjesusdiazehijos.com)), also an old multi-generational family winery, this one founded in 1898. This was a very unique winery with an amazing wine cellar carved out of solid bedrock. We tasted all varietals from a sparkling white to different reds. I really like the reds, it seemed like the whites were too sweet (just my opinion, a lot of people in our tour group loved the whites). This winery takes pride in continuing the traditional way of winemaking, in large clay jars and reinforced concrete tanks, respecting the legacy of their ancestors. I recommend their Red Altos de Colmenar and their signature Red Heredad Torresano.
Pictures from the tour at the Bodegas de Jesus Diaz e Hijos Winery
Back on the bus and back to Madrid. A tiring day, so I got an Uber back to the AirBnB.
Delicious supper at Bresca Italian restaurant in Madrid Spain
After getting my packing done, I had supper at a local restaurant, about 100 feet from the front door of my apartment, called Bresca (Bresca | Italian Restaurant | Madrid). An excellent Italian restaurant in the heart of Madrid, Spain. I highly recommend you enjoy a meal at Bresca, you’ll love it!
Before leaving Madrid Spain, here are more pictures of the beautiful architecture of Madrid.
More buildings and architecture of Madrid Spain...
Headed Home from Beautiful Madrid Spain
Early checkout of the AirBnB and an Uber ride to Madrid’s Adolfo Suarez International Airport for my 10:30AM flight to Denver, Colorado (by way of Newark Airport). Both segments of my United travel back to Denver were comfortable and on-time, no complaints here.
Satisfied that I answered, "What to do in Madrid Spain for 3 days?", I'm headed back to Colorado USA. I have a long day of travel. Arriving home at 10:00PM.
A wonderful 30-days of satisfying my wanderlust, seeing places I have not visited before, and about 8-days traveling with my daughters. Tremendous new experiences and encounters with people, places, and cultures new to me.
Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Now.... where should I go for my next adventure, my next Wanderlust Encounter...
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