narrator

Hi,
Next week, we will have a 1-day connection in Madrid, landing at 12:00 at noon, and departing at 14:00 on the next day.

We rented an apartment in Huertas.

The places we'd like to visit are:

Puerta del Sol

Calle Preciados

Mercado San Miguel

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Santa Ana

We have a few questions please.

1. In what order would you recommend to visit those places?

2. Where would you recommend to taste the night life of Madrid?

3. Where would you recommend to spend a brief morning on day 2, before taking the bus to the airport to catch the 2PM flight?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Bedar

You can eliminate Puerta del Sol and c/ Preciados. Go to the Prado, even for a short time and see the highlights. A 2 pm flight means you'll have to be at the airport by noon at least. Have a leisurely breakfast at a sidewalk cafe and people watch.

IMDonehere

There is nothing to see at the Plaza Santa Ana besides some mediocre restaurants.

Sol is a madhouse.

If you do not like museums and want to be outside go to Retiro

For night life, try Chueca.

Christina

Puerta del Sol us very well-known, you kind of see everyone there, nothing wrong with going there if you want. I stay a few blocks from there when in Madrid so use it a lot as a central transportation point. I presume you have a reason for wanting to see calle Preciados, is it shopping? There is a FNAC there and some smaller shops going north from there for fans, knickknacks, etc., and they are not just for tourists. The street itself is not scenic, though.

The problem is you have so little time, though, so not sure you can do all that. I guess you could put that at the end of your list so if you run out of time, okay. Depends where you start, but if it is calle de las Huertas, I'd go to either Mercado San Miguel or Plaza Mayor (they are right near each other, so whichever way you are in the mood for) first, then the other.

After that, you could head back via Puerta del Sol and walk up calle Preciados a bit if you want and have time.

I left Plaza Santa Ana for last (although really you could go by it first) just because I figured you'd be heading back and could eat dinner around there as it isn't too far from your accommodations.

Not sure you really have time to do anything the next day, whatever you do, don't wander off too far. You'll have to be going to the airport around 10 am, won't you? You could just walk in the park over there (in front of the Prado) and have breakfast.

Are you saying you rented an apartment in Madrid for less than 24 hours?? I'm very surprised by that.

narrator

Bedar, IMD, Christina,
Thank you very much for the info!

Christina, I deeply appreciate your detailed response!

Chueca - is the Plaza de Chueca the place we should go to get a glimpse of the night life?
Would you recommend visiting Mercado de San Anton as well in the evening?

Yes, we found an apartment for 24 hours luckily.

Would you recommend not visiting Puerta del Sol?
I thought it was the main centre of Madrid and most famous square.

Is there an alternative to Calle Preciados for a bustling street?

Thank you very much.

danon

The area near the Palace - Plaza de Oriente is beautiful (especially at night)

If you wish to see the elegant, classy ,and expensive Madrid ,
walk to Calle Serrano ,just north of famous park Retiro.

danon

Plaza Ana is lively at night , so is Cava Baja.

Mercado de SA is not worth visiting
Sol is central - you can see it in a few minutes...
Many parts of Madrid are more interesting ...you just have very little time
in a very big city.

IMDonehere

Chueca - is the Plaza de Chueca the place we should go to get a glimpse of the night life?

_________

That is but one spot. El Mercado de San Anton was a bit cramped. There are many other places on Plaza Santa Barbara, Calle Libertad, and La calle de Hortaleza.

michele_d

Plaza de Oriente is beautiful in the evening. It was near our apt. We visited it several times. People strolling hand in hand in front of the palace. Lovely.

emily71

I'd recommend visiting Plaza Mayor-yes, there's not much there but it is one of the bigger plazas in Europe and then stop over and see Puerta del Sol and kilometro zero as well as the famous bear and strawberry tree(symbol of Madrid. If you like art, either the Prado or Reina Sofia to see Guernica.

I liked strolling around Plaza Santa Ana at night and seeing all the families out.

If you do go by Puerta del Sol be sure to check out the wonderful pastries and cafe con leche at La Mallorquina, it is one of the oldest pastry shops in Madrid and I believe one of the oldest stores on the Puerta del Sol that is in business.

IMDonehere

If you go to the Plaza Mayor, you will see inscriptions on the light posts around the benches describing the auto-da-fé. That is public acts of torture during the Inquisition that occurred in the Plaza.
______________________________
And one of the best churros places is just off Sol. The famous San Gines.


https://chocolateriasangines.com/

emily71

If you go to the Plaza Mayor, you will see inscriptions on the light posts around the benches describing the auto-da-fé. That is public acts of torture during the Inquisition that occurred in the Plaza. >>

I believe they even have engravings of the unfortunate act.

joannyc

If you have time, go to Temple Debod for sunset. It is gorgeous! And, a terrific photo op from a number of vantage points.

Google it!

Robert2016

You rented an apartment for one night?

kimhe

<Where would you recommend to taste the night life of Madrid?>

The Huertas area around vibrant Plaza Santa Ana has got some of the best nightlife in town.

Two of the finest flamenco tablaos in the country (Casa Patas and Cardamomo), the best live jazz venue in town (Café Central, Populart is also good), and plenty of great bars and clubs just down from Plaza Santa Ana, especially in narrow and emblematic C/ Echegaray.

And fabulous restaurant Casa Alberto from 1827 is just off Plaza Santa Ana, as traditional Madrid as it gets but with a modern touch. Very affordable for what you get, and one "sol" in the Guía Repsol, the Spansih equivalent to the Michelin guide. And an excellent little tapas bar in front of the restaurant. Very popular with both locals and tourists. A dinner here is always a must in Madrid: http://www.casaalberto.es/en/
https://www.guiarepsol.com/es/gastro...-casa-alberto/

Casa Patas: http://www.casapatas.com/
Cardamomo: https://cardamomo.com/en/
Café Central (we use to end our late nights in Madrid here): http://www.cafecentralmadrid.com/
A couple of the great places in C/ Echegaray just down from Plaza Santa Ana:
- Venencia: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/sp...sit-in-madrid/
- El Burladero: https://www.timeout.com/madrid/music...e/el-burladero

And Plaza Santa Ana itself: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/m...1094834/360770

kimhe

When it comes to the morning, and as Bedar also suggests, there is nothing like a lesiurely breakfast in a local atmosphere café in Madrid. The quiet buzz, regular clients and the smell of fresh bakery and coffee.

And plenty of such places in Huertas, here are some examples.
Matilda: https://www.yelp.com/biz/matilda-madrid-4
La Tapería: http://lataperia.es/
or one of the places in Plazuela de Matute: http://www.sightseeing-madrid.com/plaza-de-matute.php

narrator

Oh WOW!

I couldn't thank you enough!

So wonderful posts of you! thank you so much!

Thanks to you we have made our itinerary:

1. check in apartment at Huertas (around 15:00)

2. Pass by Plaza Santa Ana (on the way to Mercado San Miguel)

3. Visit Mercado San Miguel and perhaps have a Chorros there or something else local

4. Visit Plaza Mayor and then Puerta Del Sol

5. Visit the lively shopping street Calle de Preciados

6. If time (and energy) allow, Visit Plaza de Chueca and Calles Fuencarral and Hortaleza

7. go back to Plaza Santa Ana for night dinner


Your opinions are very welcome

Thank you so much again!

narrator

Hi,
To be more specific,

Are Calles Fuencarral and Hortaleza worth a visit to get the vibe of Chueca Barrio?

Is Calle de Preciados nice to stroll in the late afternoon - early evening hours?

Thank you very much

Christina

I think your itinerary is fine. I think you may be expecting too much from calle Preciados, it isn't a grand shopping street like the Champs Elysees, etc. I just have gone up/down it because I stay in the area and it may be between two points where I'm going, and I'll admit, I've gone down it just to see a few shops and what they have (and I do shop in FNAC for books). For example, they have shops on there that sell traditional fans, tablecloths, textile products. Some are just kind of junky stores and the street itself it nothing special. It's not really a grand shopping experience, hope you don't want that. Now I'm thinking mainly of the part closest to Puerta del Sol, it wraps around the the other end has some restaurants and hotels, as I recall (that is very near where I stay).

Bedar

Calle Serrano is a way nicer than Preciados. Chueca is a gay district. Nuff said.