The capital does not lose the rhythm even on the last day of the week, Sunday plans in Madrid, in fact, comply with a very local concept: that of the dominguero. For Anglo-Saxons, the week begins on the last day of the Christian week. And for those who live in Madrid, the Lord’s Day is celebrated in the streets, in the bars, among antiques, books, works of art, beers and, almost always, in the company of a hangover.
1. Don’t get up early and start with a brunch
Which came first, brunch or breakfast in Madrid? Long ago, when the concept of brunch in the world was still a chimera, the Madrilenians were already having breakfast at aperitif time. Today, and with the permission of the New Yorkers, Madrid has perfectly integrated the brunch ritual into its long Sunday mornings.
2. Finish your wake-up call at the Rastro
Madrid’s flea market is, in its own right, the most complete and diverse in the city. Among its narrow streets, you can find a myriad of objects without order or order, books, paintings, antiques and, in general, great treasures of the analog era. A note: the Plaza de Vara del Rey treasures antique shops, bars without gentrification and the shopkeepers with the most funniest of the Madrid flea market.
3. Having an aperitif in La Latina
Okay, La Latina is on fire on Sundays. But is there anything more Madrilenian than having an aperitif in communion? The neighborhood next to the Rastro is not limited to the four streets we all know. Beyond the Cavas (Alta and Baja), there is a universe of bars, taverns, restaurants and other redoubts of the art of serving the aperitif. Make your will and toast.
4. Seeing art in Madrid is a free luxury
Another of the saintly customs of the capital (especially for travelers who stop in Madrid on a Sunday) is to go to the halls of a museum to see some of the jewels of Spain’s artistic heritage, and for free .
The Prado Museum is free on Sundays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm and the Reina Sofia, from 1:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Outside the Art Triangle, the Archaeological Museum is open free of charge on the last day of the week, from 9:30am to 3pm, as well as the Cerralbo and Romanticism Museums, which are open from 1am to 3pm.
5. Treat yourself to an all-you-can-eat buffet
If you walk around Madrid, especially in the narrow streets around Gran Via, you will hear many Anglo-Saxon tourists repeat: ‘all you can eat’. A great expression that translates into the buffet libre de toda la vida. And many restaurants in the city have made this formula a hallmark of Madrid’s identity. The liturgy is simple: go in, choose a table, take a plate and hit the all you can eat.
6. Take a hiking route
To be a good Madrid Sunday-goer, you have to get to know the Sierra (that’s how the locals call the mountain range that delimits the west of the region). Walking some of the hiking trails in these mountains is an opportunity to clear the mind, exercise and learn more about the Community of Madrid. There are some as well known as the Schmidt path and others that are part of history as the route to the chair of Felipe II, it all depends on your preparation and desire.
7. A bike route through Madrid Rio
Madrid Rio has not only returned the Manzanares to the citizens, burying the M-30, it is also a park that runs through the south of the city giving a facelift to the area. Now this is one of the best spaces for outdoor activities, with facilities for soccer, skateboarding and other sports, but on a daily basis it is one of the favorite routes for cyclists in the city.
This walk on both sides of the river, in addition to the scenery, has a great advantage over the rest of the city, and that is that it is a flat road that facilitates its 30 km of bike paths. Along the way there are also beach bars, fountains and one of the most complete cultural centers of the city: Matadero. A great plan for Sunday in the capital.
8. Escape to read outdoors or among books.
How long has it been since you’ve spent an afternoon reading? Put yourself to the test. It’s Sunday, you haven’t gotten up early and the social networks are also hungover. Grab those books, newspapers or magazines you’ve been meaning to read and take to the streets. Outdoors, in a cafeteria with sofas or having a beer in bookstores with a bar (amen) as in the cinematic Ocho y Medio.
9. No Sunday without a movie theater
In recent years, many cinemas have closed with all the pain of our old hearts. However, Madrid’s movie theater scene maintains its commitment to spectators in places like the Cineteca, the Filmoteca, the Cine Paz, the Sala Equis and the Cine Embajadores. In original version, in 3D, with or without popcorn or with a gin and tonic.
10. Escape to a town in the region
There is no wrong date. No month of the year is a bad option to escape a few kilometers from the capital and visit the most beautiful villages in Madrid. In winter, the excuse is to see the snow; and in summer, to escape the heat. In both cases it is a wonderful opportunity to make a weekend getaway and take the opportunity to eat in one of the many (and good) restaurants in the Sierra. The region has beautiful villages where you can disconnect on a Sunday before starting the routine again.