Outside view of San Miguel market in Madrid

The Best Markets in Madrid

On a hunt for Spanish goodies? We got you covered!
By Adam Fraiel

If you’re keen on shopping for souvenirs, trinkets or yummy produce, then check out our favourite markets in Madrid!

You’ll find some of Spain’s best markets in Madrid. Called ‘Mercados de Abastos’ (literally meaning 'warehouse markets'), these markets are usually located near train stations, bus terminals, or other public transportation hubs.

With markets scattered across the city, some small and quirky, others huge and touristy, it’s more than a shopping experience. Exploring these markets is a window into Madrileños and Spanish culture.

They sell fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, flowers, clothing, souvenirs, household items, and much more.

Regardless of size and produce, each offer something unique and interesting.

  • El Rastro
  • Mercado de la Paz
  • San Miguel
  • San Anton
  • San Ildefonso
  • Platea Madrid
  • Mercado de Motores
  • San Fernando
  • Vallehermoso
  • Maravillas

El Rastro

El Rastro is the largest, oldest, and most popular street market in Madrid. Located along Plaza de Cascorro, this outdoor market opens every Sunday and on public holidays, selling everything from clothes and food to artisanal goods, collectibles, and souvenirs.

It’s worth spending a full morning exploring not just the main street, but the side streets too. With over 1000 sellers, you’re bound to find something of interest.

Opening times:

Sundays and Public Holidays - 9:00AM to 3:00PM

Nearest transport:

Line 5 - La Latina or Puerta de Toledo stations

 

Mercado de la Paz

Situated close to Plaza Mayor, Mercado de la Paz is known for its fresh produce. They sell fruits and vegetables straight off the truck.

Locals come from all over the city to stock up on the fresh produce from Mercado de la Paz. All good travelers know that if the locals go, it must be good, so don’t miss out.

Combining a modern design with a traditional iron structure, it bridges the old and new. You’ll find free Wi-Fi throughout and can even shop for the goods online if you don’t fancy carrying it all home.

Opening times:

Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 8:00PM

Saturday 9:00AM - 2:30PM

Nearest Metro:

Line 4 - Serrano

 

Mercado de San Anton

This market is right in the city center. It’s smaller than the others, but it offers a wide variety of things to buy.

Located in the neighborhood of Chueca, Mercado de San Anton is similar to Mercado San Miguel, but with fewer visitors.

While this may seem like a negative, it’s not! It has all the benefits - fine dining, fresh local produce, and a rich cultural experience, all without having to fight your way through the endless crowds of tourists.

Featuring 3 floors, the ground floor covers the general market, the middle houses fast food and tapas, while the top floor is where you’ll find the 11 Nudos Terraza Nordés restaurant.

Opening times:

Monday - Saturday 10:00AM - 10:00PM

Nearest Metro:

Line 5 - Chueca

 

Mercado de San Miguel

Located just behind the Royal Palace, Mercado de San Miguel is one of the world’s main gastronomic markets.

Originally opened in 1916, it relaunched in 2018, backed by several internationally renowned chefs. Welcoming over 10 million visitors a year, you can sample the finest products from all over the country.

With stalls run by Michelin-star and award-winning chefs, you can feast on some of the most delicious foods in all the land.

Opening times:

Sunday - Thursday: 10AM - Midnight

Friday, Saturday: 10AM - 1AM

Nearest Metro:

Line 2, 5, R - Opera

Line 1, 2, 3 - Sol

 

Mercado de San Ildefonso

You can find this market at Calle de Fuencarral. It’s not really a traditional Spanish market, but it’s interesting and worth exploring.

Less a traditional food market and more a place to meet up, socialize, and share a meal with friends, Mercado Ildefonso houses 20 unique gourmet food stalls.

It’s also home to exhibitions, fashion shows, and commercial launches. It has history, being the first covered food market in Madrid, but nowadays it’s a more modern, internationally inspired culinary scene.

Opening times:

Monday, Wednesday - Friday: 6PM - 10PM

Saturday - Sunday: 1PM - 11PM

Nearest Metro:

Line 1, 5 - Gran Vía

 

Platea Madrid

If you’re looking for a unique dining experience, Platea Madrid is for you. Spanning 5800 square meters, this food hall is located inside a former theater, complete with royal boxes, orchestra pit, and stage.

Divided into multiple distinct areas, you can enjoy gourmet tapas, relax at one of the cocktail bars, catch a show, or dance the night away in the night in the nightclub.

Platea Madrid is far from a traditional market, yet should definitely be on your itinerary when visiting the Spanish capital.

Opening times:

Friday - Saturday: Noon - 2:30AM

Sundays: Noon - 1AM

Nearest Metro:

Line 4 - Colón

 

Mercado de Motores

Mercado de Motores provides another unique shopping experience, this time within a railway museum, surrounded by locomotives and electric trains.

It’s not just a quirky backdrop. Boasting gourmet food stalls, fashion, unique collectibles, and local crafts, you can find some truly unique holiday gifts here, and all for a reasonable price.

With live music, refreshing drinks, and a wide selection of food trucks, this beautiful market is a true hidden gem.

Opening times:

The second weekend of every month - 11AM - 9PM

Nearest Metro:

Line 3 - Delicias

 

Mercado de San Fernando

San Fernando Market is in the heart of Madrid, in the Centro district.

A more traditional space, this municipal market is home to a variety of food stalls - tapas, empanadas, tacos, organic produce, etc.

The real magic, however, comes from the grapes. Home to Madrid’s premier natural wine bar, you can sample some of the best Spanish wines around.

Fashion stores, a unique pay-by-the-pound bookstall, and a vast selection of gift and craft stalls round it out to make this a must-visit tourist attraction.

Opening times:

Monday: 9AM - 2:30PM / 5:30PM - 9PM

Tuesday - Saturday: 9AM - 10PM

Sunday: 11AM - 6PM

Nearest Metro:

Line 3, 5 - Embajadores

 

Mercado de Vallehermoso

The thing that makes Mercado de Vallehermoso truly unique is that it’s home to Spain’s only permanent farmer’s market. If you’re looking to do some grocery shopping, look no further!

Organic food at affordable prices, the ground floor of Vallehermoso is one of the most popular food markets for chefs from many of the city’s fanciest restaurants. Smoked foods, chocolates, snails, liqueurs, and pastries are just some delicacies on offer.

After you’re done food shopping, explore the many craft-beer shops, wine bars, or international food stalls and restaurants.

Opening times:

Monday - Thursday: 9AM - 8:30PM

Friday - Saturday: 9AM - 12AM

Sunday: 9AM - 6PM

Nearest Metro:

Line 2 - Quevedo

 

Mercado de Maravillas

Saving the biggest for last, we have Mercado de Maravillas - The Market of Wonders!

Spanning 9,000 square meters and over 200 stalls, Mercado de Maravillas is the largest municipal market in Europe. It’s so big it has its own visitor information booth.

Located three miles north of the city center in the Tetuán neighborhood, the distance ensures it’s not a tourist trap. People travel there for the delicious fresh products, the tapas bars, international cuisines, and for the pure joy of exploring the endless corridors.

Opening times:

Monday - Friday: 9AM - 2PM / 5:30AM - 8:30PM

Saturday: 9AM - 2PM

Nearest Metro:

Line 1 - Alvarado

This is just a selection of the many markets scattered around the Spanish capital. From flea markets to gourmet food halls, there’s such. a wide range of attractions that there’s truly something for everyone, regardless of taste or budget.

 

Save on Admission to Top Madrid Attractions

Explore the best things to do with a pass for Madrid by Go City®. Select from top attractions with our All-Inclusive and Explorer passes, where you’ll enjoy access to galleries, museums, tours much more. Grab a Madrid pass and see it all!

Share Your Adventure with Us

Tag @GoCity in your vacation photos and we’ll feature you on our page. Follow the Go City Instagram and Facebook channels for exclusive competitions, special offers and events to help you make the most of your travels.

Adam Fraiel

Continue reading

Madrid's Plaza Mayor at sunrise.
Blog

3 Days in Madrid

There’s no shortage of attractions and activities to keep you entertained in Madrid, the thriving capital – and beating heart – of Spain. Think elegant boulevards crammed with eye-candy architecture, exquisitely manicured parks and gardens, museums filled with some of the planet’s finest art, and (whisper it) delectably decadent churros con chocolate. Three days is a decent amount of time in which to take in a handful of the major landmarks, soak up the city’s sophisticated vibe and, of course, to stuff your face with as much Spanish tapas as you humanly can. First-time visitors to Madrid often fall foul of the old ‘kid in a candy store’ approach, frenziedly attempting to see as many of the city’s big-ticket attractions as possible. But, like the sugar-stuffed child’s inevitable crash, whirlwind sightseeing is all but guaranteed to leave you feeling unsatisfied and burned out. Our guide to spending three days in Madrid takes a more leisurely approach, ticking off several of the must-sees but, more importantly, allowing plenty of time to relax and watch the world go by, too. Read on to find out how to make the most of Madrid. Day 1: Breakfast... and a Few Big-Hitters Make like the Madrileños: this is a city that wakes late and parties late, so breakfast before around 9AM and you’ll likely be doing so alone. Instead, enjoy a long lie-in then mosey on down to one of Plaza Mayor’s traditional Spanish breakfast joints, where a fiesta of flavors awaits the intrepid gourmand. Tuck into classic tostado con tomate y jamón (that’s toast with ham and tomato to you) or hearty Spanish tortilla, washed down with café con leche, the discerning locals’ coffee drink of choice. In fact, locals often opt for sweet over savory at breakfast, which is where such sugary delights as churros con chocolate, lemony magdalena cupcakes and honey-drenched torrijas (Spanish-style French toast) come in. Beautifully elegant and ornate, Plaza Mayor is as good a place to start your day’s sightseeing as any. After an essential spot of people-watching over breakfast, check out the medieval-style murals that decorate the huge baroque facade of Casa de la Panadería, then trot over for a selfie by the bronze statue of King Philip III astride his royal stallion. From here it’s a short stroll down Calle Mayor to your next stop: Almudena Cathedral (try not to be distracted by the foodie mecca that is the Mercado de San Miguel along the way – you’ve just had breakfast, you animal!). A fine photo opportunity awaits at the bottom of the road, where the cathedral’s baroque dome and bell towers loom over the city’s 9th-century Moorish walls. Pay your respects to the many royals interred inside before hopping next door to the palace. A guided tour is a great way to get a flavor of this stately confection’s highlights, among them a fairytale central staircase, an awesome Giaquinto ceiling fresco (plus loads more priceless art from the likes of Velázquez, Goya and Caravaggio), a royal armory, and an opulent throne room. Afterwards, stick around to relax in the ornate, statue-filled gardens. Take in the English-style Campo del Moro with its monumental neoclassical fountains, stroll maze-like avenues flanked by box hedges, magnolia trees and lofty cypresses, and enjoy panoramic palace views from the Sabatini Gardens. And take your time! After all, you’ve got all day: dinner isn’t eaten until 9 or 10PM in Madrid! Day 2: The Art of Relaxation You could easily fill a three-day trip to Madrid with world-class art alone. But if you have to pick only one museum, let it be the Prado. It is, after all, indisputably one of the best in the world. Here’s where you can ogle legendary masterpieces by the likes of Goya, Titian, Bosch, Rubens, Velázquez, Van Dyck, Rembrandt and more. Whatever you do, don’t miss Hieronymus Bosch’s hallucinatory triptych altarpiece The Garden of Earthly Delights or Goya’s The Third of May 1808, a brutal meditation on the horrors of war. You can enjoy a leisurely look around under your own steam, or take a guided tour of the collection’s highlights. Feeling suitably cultured, amble over to Retiro Park for 350 acres of lush greenery, meticulously manicured gardens, majestic fountains, opulent palaces, and more monuments, statues and sculptures than you could shake a very big stick at. Again, the key here is to be selective – there’s no way you’re going to see it all, so don’t wear yourself out trying. Instead, find a shady spot in one of the many gorgeous groves and plan your sightseeing over an antipasti picnic of Spanish salamis, breads and cheeses. However, if you simply must ‘see it all’, the best way to do so is on a segway or bicycle tour, which all but guarantee sightings of most of the park’s essential attractions, among them the boating lake, the beautiful iron-and-glass cupola of the Crystal Palace, the neoclassical confection that is the Velázquez Palace, and the Paradise Lost-inspired Fountain of the Fallen Angel. You’ll have worked up an appetite by now for sure. Prime time, in other words, to hit up some of the city’s best tapas joints for a feast of cured meats, spicy patatas bravas, moreish meatballs, stuffed peppers and garlicky grilled prawns. You’ll find authentic restaurants just about everywhere in Madrid, but the selection along Calle de la Cava Baja in the atmospheric La Latina neighborhood is particularly celebrated. DAY 3: La Latina, Gran Via, and the Temple of Debod Last night’s tapas is sure to have whetted your appetite for more of La Latina, an Instagram addict’s paradise of cobbled lanes, hidden alleyways and brightly painted window shutters. This lively and picturesque neighborhood is just made for aimless wandering, pausing to snap hidden squares and medieval churches and, of course, to refuel regularly with churros con chocolate along the way. Take time out to chill on the lush terraces of Vistillas Gardens and soak up views of the Casa de Campo and shimmering Manzanares river. Here on the weekend? Don’t miss the sensory Sunday saturnalia that is El Rastro, the largest open-air flea market in Spain, and the kind of place you can have hours of fun browsing. Don’t forget to bring cash and your best haggling game if you want to secure that coveted Julio Iglesias vinyl box set! Speaking of shopping, you’ll want to pick up a few souvenirs of your trip, and where better to do so than along Gran Via, Madrid’s legendary (and massive) shopping boulevard. Or – if you have particularly deep pockets – in the boutiques of Calle Serrano, home of Gucci, Chanel, Miu Miu, Manolo Blahnik and dozens more wallet-sapping designer emporia. Having scratched that itch (and given your bank manager a coronary), head up to Oeste Park, where the Temple of Debod is one of the best sunset spots in town. Somewhat incongruous in the modern city, this ancient Egyptian shrine was donated to Spain by the Egyptian state in the 1960s and has become something of a favorite with locals, thanks to its graceful stone arches and tranquil pools. Dinner back down the hill on the elegant Plaza de España is the perfect climax to your three-day Madrid adventure. Save on things to do in Madrid Save on admission to Madrid attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Madrid skyline
Blog

The Best Time to Visit Madrid

Madrid - the Spanish capital and one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Home to over 6 million people, Madrid features stunning architecture, lively nightlife, great restaurants, and iconic attractions, including the Prado Museum, The Royal Palace and Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium. The best time to visit Madrid depends on your itinerary and which activities you plan to enjoy. Spring and Autumn have the most pleasant weather but, as you’ll see below, there’s never a bad time to visit. Spring (March-May) Certainly one of the best times to visit Madrid would be during Spring, when the city’s shaking off the winter cold and the locals are venturing out again for their paseo por la noche (evening stroll). Accommodation prices are cheaper, the streets are quieter and pleasant temperatures mean it’s the perfect time to explore this magical city. The three-hour Madrid highlights tour, taking in the Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium gives an excellent introduction to the city. Temperatures hover around the mid-60s Fahrenheit (16–18o Celsius) so pack an extra layer or two for the colder days. It's always handy to have a compact umbrella in case of April showers. That being said, it’s still an amazing time to be out exploring the ancient squares, catch a puppet show in Retiro Park or just watch the world go by as you enjoy a café con leche or Tinto de Verano (iced red wine). Madrid also has several options for day trips, including the nearby UNESCO-listed cities of Toledo and Segovia, or head to the mountains for a spot of skiing at Puerto de Navacerrada. Summer (June-August) Madrid’s peak tourism season is July-August. During this time it gets extremely hot and the entire city gets crowded. With the average daily temperature passing 83°F (28 Celsius), it can get a little too spicy for some. As these are the busiest months, you’ll also have to deal with longer queues and higher hotel prices. On the plus side, Madrid is less touristy than Barcelona and the nightlife in the summer is amazing. There are also plenty of summer festivals to make your Madrid trip unforgettable: La Paloma Veranos de la Villa Paraíso Festival Mad Cool Gay Pride While there’s never a bad time to visit Madrid, the summer months can be intense. That’s why we recommend the shoulder seasons, meaning the months either directly before or after Summer. Fall (September-November) Hands down, the best time to visit Madrid is Fall. Daytime temperatures average in the high-60s Fahrenheit (20o Celsius), the tourists have moved on and you’re left with warm afternoons, quiet streets and more reasonable hotel rates. Towards the end of the season you’ll need your warm clothing, but there’s still a festive spirit in the air. The city’s parks are turning from green to beautiful ambers, oranges and reds, making it the dream time for photographers. There are also plenty of cultural events such as the annual International Festival of Light and Jazz festivals. Madrid is home to some of the most incredible galleries in the world, and during fall they become even more exciting. During Apertura Madrid Gallery Weekend you’ll experience a complete program of activities, completely free, including tours, exhibitions and guided outdoor activities. As the streets are less crowded, it’s the ideal time to explore the hidden gems of the city. Enjoy a new perspective of Madrid as you take to the city on two wheels, either with an epic three-hour, 10km electric bike tour or a one-hour Segway sightseeing tour. Winter (December-February) The cold winter months in Madrid aren’t the most popular time to visit Madrid, but don’t discount them completely. While you won’t get the amazing weather, with average temperatures around 36 Fahrenheit (2o Celsius), you can escape the cold by visiting the endless number of galleries, museums and exhibitions. Prices are much cheaper, queues are tiny and you’ll have the tourist attractions all to yourself. The Prado Museum, considered one of the greatest art museums in the world and the most visited attraction in Madrid, is jam-packed during the summer months. In winter, you’ve got all the time in the world to enjoy the paintings and sculptures. If you’re still a little chilly, warm your bones with a hot chocolate or mulled wine while exploring the sprawling Christmas markets. The main one’s in Plaza Mayor and features over 100 stalls, but you’ll also find smaller ones popping up around the city centre. Save on Admission to Top Madrid Attractions Explore the best things to do with a pass for Madrid by Go City®. Select from top attractions with our All-Inclusive and Explorer passes, where you’ll enjoy access to galleries, museums, tours much more. Share Your Adventure with Us Tag @GoCity in your vacation photos and we’ll feature you on our page. Follow the Go City Instagram and Facebook channels for exclusive competitions, special offers and events to help you make the most of your travels.
Adam Fraiel
Madrid Royal Square
Blog

Things to do in Madrid for Adults

Explore Madrid’s adult-friendly attractions such as the nightlife, live shows, historic sights and more with our guide!
Adam Fraiel

Have a 5% discount, on us!

Sign up to our newsletter and receive exclusive discounts, trip inspiration and attraction updates straight to your inbox.

Thick check Icon