I just realized it’s been way too long since I’ve written about my beloved Spain and I thought I’d share some of my reasons to love Madrid.
For those of you who are new to the blog, I lived in Spain for three years on and off before moving to New Zealand in 2013. Spain has always been one of my homes, and I hope it always will be. And while I’ve called Salamanca, Cordoba and Logroño home, I realized I have neglected to talk about a place where I spent quite a bit of time over the years – Madrid.
For me, Madrid is the heart of Spain and it’s a place I know really well. Geographically the center of the country, it’s also the center for travel and work and I pretty much am always passing through there over the years. It’s where many of my friends are and it’s a massive hub for expats. I know it well.
For some reason Madrid doesn’t always have the best rep – people tend to compare it to Barcelona a lot. Madrid versus Barcelona is more than just an epic soccer rivalry, and tourists tend to love the flashy beachside Catalán capital a lot more than traditional Madrid. Having spent a lot of time in both, I can safely say I hate Barcelona and love Madrid.
For me, Madrid is the real Spain. It doesn’t get anymore Spanish than Madrid. With great food, amazing arts and culture, historic neighborhoods, adorable old man bats, fabulous shopping and super fun events, not to mention it’s the center for just about anywhere, Madrid a very livable lively city. I have so much nostalgia for it, especially in summer!
Why have I not talked about this before on the blog? Why? Better late than never, I guess.
I visited Madrid for the first time in 2005, spent a lot of time there in 2007/2008 and finally lived there for the first time in the summer of 2009 which researching for my college senior thesis at the National Library and have been coming back on and off ever since.
Even though Madrid is a well-known city, for me it doesn’t feel touristy. It still has an authentic, traditional Spanish vibe that I love and adore. And while I generally always enjoy being in the countryside or small towns, I really also love big cities, especially ones that I know pretty well.
I spent over a week chilling out in Madrid a year ago and thought I’d piecemeal together some bits and pieces of my time there and why I love Madrid so much. I literally spent so much time there that I had to force myself to leave and head south to go exploring!
There are so many reasons to love Madrid. Far from being any sort of clear guide of what to do or what not to do in Madrid on holiday, and since I have never really gone to Madrid for a holiday anyways, I thought I’d go ahead and share personal reasons for why I love Madrid, what keeps bringing me back there and where my favorite haunts are.
Enjoy!
My Travels 