Explore Madrid, Spanish Traditions

How to enjoy a magical christmas in Madrid

December 13, 2018

1. Go to a Christmas market

Nothing better to feel the christmas like a Christmas market.

The one in the main square is the most famous, but beware, it is also the busiest. The center of Madrid can be a bit overwhelming on weekends and holidays, and this situation increases significantly during these dates. This is a market composed of more than 100 booths dedicated to the sale of traditional Christmas products: nativity scenes, sweets, decorations and the big star for children, joke items.

If you want to get closer to a market where you can move more smoothly, you have the independent design market Nómada Market, Christmas edition. In the Market of the barley and only for a few days (December 14, 15 and 16) you will be able to get the creations of many artists, also, you can find street food and fun activities.

El Rastro is the best-known market in Madrid on Sundays throughout the year, and at Christmas it is not far behind. It is located in the neighborhood of La Latina and is so well known that, if you miss the map, anyone from Madrid can tell you how to get there.

2. Ice skating

In winter, several places are enabled to enjoy this fun activity in Madrid. The main and best-qualified place is the ice palace, and also the one that is open the longest during the year.

On these dates you can also find “Pop Up” tracks through different parts of the city. Perhaps the most spectacular is the Crystal Gallery of the Cibeles Palace, where children and adults can enjoy a 400m² track next to a large Christmas tree.

3. Watch a Christmas play or musical

Nothing better to take refuge from the cold and escape from the world than to go to see a play, or for the most musical, listen to it. In Madrid the offer is huge: from classic Christmas stories like the nutcracker, to more modern plays. Another good option is to choose a holidays that is not related in terms of themes with Christmas but which are especially enjoyable during these dates. Like the super blockbusters as The Lion King. You will find tickets for practically everything in ticketea.

4.The Navibus

Are you crazy about Christmas lights? Well now there is a double-decker bus with a duration of 50-60 minutes that will show you the most magical part of Madrid illuminated by the lights while actors tell you the legends that accompany the tour. Here you have the offer tickets.

5. Visit Madrid Río

Madrid Río dresses as a Christmas from December 21st at 7:00 pm, starting with a light parade, from there on there will be concerts, shows… it will even be transformed into a great ballroom on December 30th. In Matadero Madrid there will be a lot of activities, mostly free, that we leave here.

6. Museums for childrens

Whenever you visit a city, you like to see some museums. But doing it with children can complicate things. Do not worry, many of the museums in Madrid are totally adapted to the taste of the youngest of the house. The Prado Museum has an itinerary for children, with a children’s audio guide available on its official website. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum has an initiative for children called EducaThyssen and a large number of museums follow them.

Christmas is a good time to take advantage of these initiatives since in these dates there are more events and workshops than in any other.

Happy holidays from Heima Homes!

Explore Madrid, Spanish Traditions, Travel tips

5 things to do in Spring

By heima on

March 7, 2018

- Explore Madrid, Spanish Traditions, Travel tips

Spring is a wonderful season of the year, it warms up and the sun brightens our days. That’s why we recomend you some amazing places where you can go if you visit Madrid in spring.

1. Botanic Garden
Our first recommendation is The Botanic Garden. For a price of 2€, you have access to a unique plant collection in a very special environment. Spring is it’s best moment, because the plants reach their maximum beauty. You can find it in Atocha, a very centric place easily accesible from all our Heima Homes.

Botanic Garden of Madrid.

2. Museums
One of the most important atractions of a city is the cultural life you can find in it, that’s why we think visiting a museum could be a very enriching activity. The 3 most important museums of Madrid are: Museo Reina Sofía, Museo del Prado and Museo Thyssen. They have the most important spanish artworks and they are very close to each other, so if you are an art lover, you can not miss them!

3. El Rastro
Spending a morning in El Rastro of Madrid is a typical sunday plan. It’s a market with more than 400 years of history. Depending on the zone we are walking by, we can find different stuff, for example handcrafted items, new and vintage clothing, accesories, second hand CDs and magazines. All of these in a very cheerful and crowded enviroment.

Second hand vinyls.

4. “Ir de pinchos”

Spain is a country with strong gastronomic traditions and foundations. One of it’s stepping stones is ir de pinchos, which is basically making a route from bar to bar asking for a wine or beer together with a pincho, a piece of bread with delicious and sometimes incredibly complex food on top of it, something similar to the famous tapa. Although pinchos are typical specially in the north of Spain, Madrid is full of amazing places to taste them and substitute a classic structured meal with this playful and tasty tradition.

5. Escape
If you have extra days in Madrid you can always make a scape to other nearby cities. You can go and return on the same day so it’s a practical option you can always keep in mind. The most typical proposals are Segovia, Ávila or Toledo. They have a very beautiful storic center so they’re perfect to rest from the big city.

If you need more activity ideas, ask us! We’ll happy to give you some extra tips 😉

Explore Madrid, Heima news, Travel tips

New flat in the heart of Madrid

By heima on

February 28, 2018

- Explore Madrid, Heima news, Travel tips

Heima homes has a new flat where you can enjoy a perfect holidays in the best location you can expect: “Barrio de Salamanca”. It’s a place where you can find the most famous stores to enjoy your holidays and also very near of one of the biggest parks in the city: “El Retiro”.

Barrio de Salamanca

District of Salamanca, Madrid.

The district of Salamanca it’s one of the 21 districts that form the municipality of Madrid. It owes its name to its builder, José de Salamanca y Mayol, who made one of the most beautiful architectural zone of Madrid. It has 5,38 km² which makes an extensive neighborhood, perhaps it is very well connected by metro or bus.

Platea Madrid: the biggest gastronomic & leisure centre.

It has become one of the most important commercial areas of the city and one of the highest living standards in Europe with the largest luxury shopping area in Madrid. It also counts with the best restaurants, where you can taste the best gastronomy of Madrid.

El Retiro

El Retiro.

It is a historical garden and public park. Its considered one of the main tourist attractions of the city. It houses many architectural, sculptural and landscape ensembles. El Retiro is the best place to escape from the city and enjoy the nature that offers the 118 hectares. Its also a good place to make some physical activity or to take some pictures. It counts with 19.000 trees of 167 different species, so if you are a person who loves nature, this is your place.

Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), El Retiro.

The Crystal Palace is one of our favorite architectonic place in Madrid. The crystal makes this palace a unique building that you can visit for free.
Its opened the whole year so it doesn’t matter the season or the moment you visit Madrid, because you can always enjoy this beautiful place.

Book it now here and enjoy the city!

Explore Madrid

Top rooftops with the best views in Madrid

By heima on

August 2, 2017

- Explore Madrid

There’s a popular Spanish phrase that says “de Madrid al cielo” meaning “from Madrid to heaven”, which reflects that one of the best things the city has to offer is its sunsets. There’s no better plan than to spend a sunset sipping on a cocktail or enjoying a glass of Spanish wine on one of Madrid’s ultra-chic roof bars. Here’s our selection of the very best.

1. Azotea del Circulo de Bellas Artes

Probably the rooftop with the best views of Madrid. It is located right in the middle of the city center, at Calle Alcalá between Gran Vía and Plaza de Cibeles. The entry price is 4€ but the 360º panoramic view of Madrid makes the visit definitely worth the money. You can buy the ticket at the entrance of the building and make sure to get there early to avoid long queues and get to see the beautiful sunset! Address: Calle Alcalá, 42.
www.azoteadelcirculo.com // +34 913 60 54 00

2. The Roof

One of Madrid’s most popular nightlife venues can be found at the Plaza de Santa Ana. This ultra-chic and elegant rooftop is located on the roof of the Hotel ME Madrid Reina Victoria, and it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail, the music and the great views of the city. Address: Plaza de Santa Ana, 14.
www.melia.com // +34 917 01 60 00

3. Terraza Cibeles

Terrace located in the sixth floor of one of Madrid’s most iconic buildings, the former city’s post office and the current city hall. The entry price is only 2€ and at the top you can have a cocktail, a coffee and or a meal at an elegant restaurant where you can have a unique gastronomic experience. Address: Plaza de Cibeles, 1.
www.adolfo-palaciodecibeles.com // +34 915 23 14 54

4. Urban Hotel Terrace

One of the most spectacular rooftops is located in one of Madrid’s most exclusive hotels, the Urban Hotel. It is the perfect place to go on a summer night to enjoy a fancy cocktail and a unique view of Madrid’s skyline. Address: Carrera de San Jerónimo, 34.
www.hotelurban.com // +34 91 787 77 70

5. Gymage

Close to Callao Square and overlooking the Church of San Martín de Tours you will find the Gymage terrace. The place has different areas with sofas, chill out area, hammocks… and if you get a drink you can even access the pool. Address: Luna, 2.
www.gymage.es // +34 91 532 09 74

We hope you’ve liked our top picks and that you enjoy the summer nights in Madrid from above the city streets.

Explore Madrid

Madrid’s best urban beaches (both for summer and winter)

By heima on

July 3, 2017

- Explore Madrid

If you’re visiting Madrid during the summer but you miss the beach… you’re lucky!! The city offers three urban beaches that you can’t miss.
P.S.: even if it’s winter or a rainy day you can always go to the indoor option!

Pizzi&Dixie

A new restaurant that opened during the spring of 2017 and it is located in the most alternative area of the city, Malasaña, right next to the city center. The place offers an incredible fusion of Italian and vegan food. They have a wide variety of pizzas, even suitable for those with coeliac disease!

The owner has prepared a beautiful beach-inspired area in the basement where you can relax and read a book with one of their delicious cakes or have a drink with your friends.

Ojalá

A two-floor restaurant where you can choose between staying at the regular restaurant or going for the cozy beach. They’re open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner but it is definitely a place to try all sorts of drinks: for the daytime such as shakes or soft drinks, or perfect for the night such as cocktails, gin tonics…

Urban beach next to the river

If you’re looking for a tan, you must know Madrid is crossed by a large river called Manzanares, better known as Madrid Río (río means river in Spanish). The whole river is surrounded by garden and it’s enabled for pedestrians, runners and cyclists so it’s a very calmed area. In 2011 Madrid opened an urban beach by the river, with big water jets bordered with sun loungers, where you can stay in your swimming suits without any problems. Just make sure to bring your sunscreen with you!

Now you can both enjoy your stay in the beautiful city of Madrid with all its advantages, and spend a nice and refreshing day in any of any of these urban beaches, either chilling under the sun or having a drink.

Explore Madrid

5 things not to miss in Madrid

By heima on

May 4, 2017

- Explore Madrid

Madrid is a city full of life and it can seem quite daunting to see and do all the city has to offer: impressive museums, amazing architecture, relaxing parks, tapas bars, busy squares, outdoor markets and many more. The good news is that most of Madrid’s main attractions are within walking distance from one another, so you can manage to see them all in just a few days. To make things easier, we have listed the 5 things you won’t want to miss on your next trip to the sunny capital.

1. Do a walking tour around the city center

Walk down the Calle Mayor and enjoy the architecture along the way. You will pass the Plaza Mayor, a square full of restaurants and street performers and the Puerta del Sol, a beautiful square where locals gather. Keep going until you reach Cibeles square, where there is the Palacio de Cibeles -also popularly known as Palacio de Correos- which currently functions as the city hall.

2. Visit the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral

The Royal Palace is the largest palace in Western Europe and it is one of the main attractions of the city. At the moment it is only used for official functions and events. The palace is surrounded by the Campo del Moro gardens, a beautiful place to go for a walk after you have visited the Palace on the inside. Next to the palace is the Almudena Cathedral, which is also a must!

3. Enjoy nature in the middle of the city

Despite the fact that Madrid doesn’t have a beach, it has great parks to offer for you to enjoy the sun. The Retiro Park is the green heart of the city and it is an amazing place. You can go there for a peaceful walk, to enjoy a coffee, to discover its beautiful sculptures and galleries, and you will probably find many performers near the pond. You can spend a few hours messing about in hired rowing boats on the lake with your loved ones!

4. Visit the art museums

The city’s art museums are one of its main attractions. Although the Prado Museum is the most popular one and it hosts one of the largest and most prestigious painting collections- particularly interesting for Velázquez and Goya’s collections, there are several other important museums that art lovers should visit. For instance, the Reina Sofía Museum or the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum which houses one of the largest private art collections.

5. Discover it’s nightlife!

Just as vibrant as the city during daytime, Madrid’s nightlife never stops. You can go out from Monday to Sunday until the early hours of the morning and end up eating churros with chocolate in any café. Whether you fancy chic cocktails, a pub crawl, or dancing the night away, Madrid has places to suit all tastes. And remember, in Spain, if you’re back before 3 am is not considered partying but having a drink or dining 😉

Explore Madrid, Spanish Traditions

How to enjoy a magical christmas in Madrid

1. Go to a Christmas market

2. Ice skating

3. Watch a Christmas play or musical

4.The Navibus

5. Visit Madrid Río

6. Museums for childrens

Explore Madrid, Spanish Traditions, Travel tips

5 things to do in Spring

Explore Madrid, Heima news, Travel tips

New flat in the heart of Madrid

Explore Madrid

Top rooftops with the best views in Madrid

1. Azotea del Circulo de Bellas Artes

2. The Roof

3. Terraza Cibeles

4. Urban Hotel Terrace

5. Gymage

Explore Madrid

Madrid’s best urban beaches (both for summer and winter)

Pizzi&Dixie

Ojalá

Urban beach next to the river

Explore Madrid

5 things not to miss in Madrid

1. Do a walking tour around the city center

2. Visit the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral

3. Enjoy nature in the middle of the city

4. Visit the art museums

5. Discover it’s nightlife!

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