The capital does not lose its rhythm even on the last day of the week, the 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. Not getting up early and starting with brunch
which came first the brunch or the Madrid breakfast? Long ago, when the concept of brunch in the world was still a chimera, the people of Madrid 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 waking up 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 Vara del Rey square treasures antique shops, bars without gentrification and the shopkeepers with the most funniest of the Madrid street market.
3. Having an aperitif in La Latina
All right, La Latina is on fire on Sundays. Now, is there anything more Madrilenian than having an aperitif during communion? The neighborhood around the Rastro is not reduced 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 an aperitif. Let there be a will and a 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 on Sundays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Queen 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 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., as well as on the last day of the week Cerralbo Museum and that of Romanticism, from 1pm to 3pm.
5. Treat yourself to an all-you-can-eat buffet
If you stroll around Madrid, especially in the narrow streets surrounding Gran Vía you will hear many Anglo-Saxon tourists repeat: ‘all you can eat’. A magnificent expression that translates into the free buffet of a lifetime. And many restaurants in the city have made this formula a hallmark of Madrid’s identity. The liturgy is simple: come in, choose a table, grab a plate and hit the all you can eat.
6. Make a hiking route
In order to be a good Madrid Sunday-goer you have to know the Sierra (that’s how the locals call the mountain range that delimits the western part of the region). Walking some of the hiking tra ils 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 trail and others that are part of history such as the route to the chair of Philip II, it all depends on your preparation and desire.
7. Let yourself fall (literally) in Madrid’s Parque de Atracciones (Amusement Park)
If your energy is up, and if the hangover gives you a break, one of the Sunday plans par excellence is to test your vertigo in the Parque de Atracciones de Madrid. In addition to the arrival of new theme parks pAM maintains its legion of followers with a whole range of roller coasters, amusements, recreations and horror trains not suitable for sensitive stomachs. For all ages, for all budgets and for all year round.
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, newspaper or magazines you have to read and hit 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 movies
In recent years, many cinemas have closed with all the pain of our oldhearts. However, Madrid’s cinema scene maintains its commitment to viewers in venues such as 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 village in the region
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 of Madrid. In winter, the excuse is to see the snow; and in summer, to escape the heat. In both cases it is a more than wonderful opportunity to take a weekend getaway and take the opportunity to eat at one of the many (and good) restaurants in the Sierra. The region has beautiful villages in which to unwind on a Sunday before starting the routine again.