Top family friendly activities in Madrid 🇪🇸

Jan 9

Jan 9 Top family friendly activities in Madrid 🇪🇸

Madrid is the capital and the most populous city in Spain! And although it is big and busy, we loved the vibes of this city when we first visited it in 2019. That time we only had 2 days in Madrid and really wanted to come back and explore more, which we did in August 2021, when we stayed for a week.

Below are some of the activities we recommend:

Museo do Prado (quick cheeky pick at the entrance)

Museo Nacional del Prado: This is the main reason many people come to Madrid. It offers a comprehensive exhibition and considered to house one of the world’s finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century. It was founded in 1891. You can easily spend hours exploring. We spent about 2 hours (which is a lot with 3 kids in tow!) TIP: They offer free entry tickets, every day, from 6-8pm. However you will need to come at 10am to get your free tickets for that evening.

Our visit to the botanical garden in 2019

Museo National de Arte Reina Sofia: This is where you will find Picasso’s world famous Guernica! Just for this, the visit is worth it. It is huge and impressive and the sketches Picasso made before this master piece are also interesting to see. There are also pieces of Miro and Dali. TIP: After 6pm it is free. Get there early to get in line.
Real Jardim Botanico (botanical gardens): Located right next to the Museo del Prado, it is a well maintained garden with many interesting plant exhibitions, including many impressive bonsais and succulent garden. TIP: free entry on tuesdays after 5pm.
Moncloa’s Lighthouse: this is a quick trip to the north part of the city. The lighthouse offers a great view and informative panels on the building you can see from the top. After visiting the lighthouse, you can stroll around the neighborhood, which has many restaurants and cafes. Or you can go to the Western Park, a great place to walk and let the kids run around.

Casa de Campo: this used to be the old hunting grounds for the royals. Now it is a immense park with lakes, playgrounds, cafes and many paths. It is also a great place to go for a run and get ‘lost’.
Mercado de San Miguel: this place is not your regular market with fruit and vegetables, but a upscale market with many food options like oyster bar, pastries, all sorts of tapas, sangria bars, etc. You can pick several and share on the tables provided.
Parque del Retiro: beautiful park with many interesting features like the cristal palace (which hosts art exhibitions), a lake, many cute gardens and cafes. It’s a great place to walk around, let the kids run and have a picnic! TIP: bring old bread or seeds to feed ducks, squirrels and even wild parrots!

Tapas in the many historic botequins such as Malacatin, Taberna Antonio Sanchez, Sobrino de Botin, Casa Baganda, Casa Paco, any place on the Plaza de Santa Ana. Try the many delicious and authentic tapas with a nice glass of red wine or sangria! Not sure what to order, we really like the following tapas: spanish omelette, jamon, cheese, croquettes, pan tumaca, papas arrugadas ou papas bravas, salmorejo and gazpacho.

Madrid has so much to offer! For a quick weekend getaway to for a longer stay. There are so many interesting places to explore, restaurants to eat, museums to visit and parks to stroll…. You won’t get bored!