Madrid is a vibrant, energetic and bustling city, perfect for city lovers who love nothing more than to be surrounded by a wealth of social and cultural activities. If this sounds like you then why not learn Spanish in Madrid.
As you would expect from a European capital city, there is a wealth of monuments and places to visit such as the Royal Palace, Plaza de Cibeles, Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor, to name just a handful. What you may not expect to have found in Madrid is vast green spaces. The El Retiro park is the most famous; a 118 hectare park located right in the centre of the city. However, that is not the largest park in Madrid. The park which is less visited by tourists is Casa de Campo, which dates back to 1553, covers an area of 1,722 hectares, and which remarkably is five times bigger than Central Park.
Of course, there is much more to Madrid than monuments and wide green spaces. For many people, what makes Madrid so special is the sheer diversity, especially when it comes to food and drink. If you like to indulge in bit of Spanish cuisine, you really can find everything here. From street food, to traditional tapas, high-end restaurants or an array of modern, boundary pushing independent eateries, you really can find it all. There is a wide range of food tours of the city, so if you want to make the most of your time here, and delve into the best tastes the city has to offer, make sure you book a food tour and enjoy!
After dinner, why not enjoy the famous nightlife the city has to offer. However, do not think for a moment that this simply means a never ending list of bars and night-clubs. Whatever your preferences or age group, you can easily find just the right place for you to sit down, relax and enjoy staying up that little bit later than usual, taking in all that the vibrancy that Madrid has to offer.
Being Spain’s capital, it is not at all surprising to also find that it has one of the best selections of museums in the country. If you have ever longed to marvel at the paintings of Velazquez, Goya, Picasso or Dali, why not visit one of the city’s many museums and see their remarkable works of art in real life. The two most significant galleries are the national museum (El Prado), and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum. As you would expect, at any time of year there is a host of other art and cultural activities, whether it is festivals, cinema, music or theatre, there certainly is not a dull moment to be had.
For those of you considering spending a longer time in Madrid, the fact that it is located right in the centre of Spain makes it an ideal location from which to explore other parts of the country. If you are not thinking of travelling that far from the city, nearby it is also worth visiting El Escorial, Segovia or the national park of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
