The Popularity of Madrid As A Holiday Spot

A city full of culture, history, vibrant nightlife and sporting legends

For many people the idea of a holiday in Spain is lazing on a Mediterranean beach on one of the costas or in the Balearic Islands.

But for others it’s visiting Madrid, a city that really couldn’t be further from the sea if it tried. As the capital of the country it is obviously very important as a seat of power but it also has a great deal to recommend it to visitors both from within Spain and abroad.

As the second highest capital city in Europe, after Andorra La Vella, this helps to make the climate a little cooler than many other Spanish cities. So hot summer days can give way to cooler, more comfortable, evenings. But its climate is far from the only thing that the city has going for it.

This is borne out by the statistics. In 2023 it was recorded that there were a grand total of 10.6 million visitors, both national and international, to the city. In terms of where the international travellers arrive from, the highest number are from the US at 15.96%, followed by France, Italy and the UK. Unsurprisingly, the months from May to October are the busiest and over the year tourism is estimated to be worth €13.3 billion to the city with the average spend per capita in 2023 of €293, a record amount.

So what are the visitors doing, and where are they spending their money?

As with all big cities, part of the nightlife scene has always been casinos. And in Madrid there is one of the best and grandest in Europe at the Grand Casino Madrid Colón. Despite the ever-increasing popularity of online slots this casino in the heart of Madrid continues to attract visitors to its suite of three gaming rooms. It also offers fine dining options, but you’d expect nothing else from a city that loves to eat.

Get on the tapas trail

In fact one of the best ways to discover the sheer variety of delicious food on offer is to go on one of the city’s tapas trails, it’s certainly what plenty of tourists do.

Hopping from bar to bar, it’s where they can enjoy traditional dishes like albondigas al salsa, patatas bravas and the risky business of pimientos de Padrón – who will get the really hot pepper from the plate? For those looking for fine dining there are also plenty of options including the two Michelin starred Paco Rocero for tourists with very deep pockets.

Soak up some art

The city is also a mecca for art lovers, boasting no less than three different museums each with its own distinct personality.

Leading the three is undoubtedly the Museo de Prado. Famous the world over for its collection of Spanish masterpieces, there are works by Velázquez, Francisco Goya and Francisco Zurbarán. It’s the former’s Las Meninas that is on display that everyone wants to see as it’s considered to be one of the most important pictures in the history of European art. The Louvre in Paris may have the Mona Lisa, but this is a far more significant draw.

At the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia it’s art from the 20^th century onwards that’s on display. Naturally, there are many examples of Dali and Picasso’s work including the awe-inspiring Guernica.

Meanwhile the Thyssen-Bornemisza was once the private collection of the Baron of the same name which was given to the country on his death cand covers art from the 13^th to the 20^th century.

Follow the steps of Hemingway

Many Americans, and other nationalities too, come to Madrid to experience the city that had such a great effect on Ernest Hemingway. There was a great deal of the macho Spanish culture that attracted him while posted in the country as a journalist covering the Spanish Civil War.

Two of the best known restaurants are La Venencia which still looks very much today as it must have done back in the 1930s. Also on the Hemingway trail is Restaurante Botin, which also claims to be the world’s oldest restaurant founded way back in 1725.

A sporting paradise too

Even if they’re not in the city to watch a game of football many tourists include a tour of one of the city’s iconic stadia on their itinerary. Real Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium tours are legendary for the insight they give into the team and its illustrious history.

So it’s easy to see why so many tourists, with so many interests, head for Madrid for their holidays. And with so much to see and do it’s not surprising that many of them return again and again.