Wander Madrid's Neighborhoods
cultural wander
Stroll and shop Lagasca, Claudio Coello – Head to the streets of Lagasca and Claudio Coello, and their cross-streets between Villanueva and Ortega y Gasset, to shop fun traditional designers as well as well-curated boutiques. This is not about Chanel and Dolce, but all about discovering less-known brands and adding a twist to your wardrobe!
The area around calle Barquillo known as Chueca is fun and trendy. It is full of bars, restaurants and hip stores such as Pez, with unique curated collections and even some vintage furniture.
Make sure to leave some time to walk around the historic area surrounding the Palacio Real and the Catedral de la Almudena, as well as the Plaza Mayor and the Mercado San Miguel.
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Left Colomn image © farbregas1987 / Adobe Stock
Right Column image taken by Roaming Stones
Known for its vintage shops, many located on calle Velarde, Malasaña is a trendy barrio of Madrid, just adjacent to Chueca. One of our favorites is The Storage, a temple to vintage denim stocking everything from ’70s dungarees to original Levi’s from decades past. Make sure to strike up a conversation with the owner and curator Basilio, his stories are very entertaining!
Barrio de las Letras was home to great Spanish writers like Cervantes, these days it oozes literature and art through its narrow alleyways and cobblestones streets. With its bohemian atmosphere, walking, eating and drinking your way through this charming area, with Plaza de Santa Ana in its center, is a great local experience, unique to Madrid.
The Casco Viejo is the oldest part of Madrid. Head to Cava Baja, a lively street in the middle of the Casco Viejo, full of tapas restaurants and bars; after 12 noon on a Sunday the streets are packed with people enjoying the fun atmosphere, the restaurant Casa Lucio is on this street mentioned in EAT.
