Full of magnificent architecture, delicious food, and thousands of bars and nightclubs, Madrid is a city that’s impossible not to have fun in. Start at Gran Via, one of the most famous streets in Madrid, to enjoy the shops, cafés, theaters, and ornate architecture all the way down to the Plaza de España. Visit the Mercado de San Miguel, one of Madrid’s oldest markets, to sample the local delicacies like bocadillos de calamares, a baguette filled with fried squid rings that is one of the city’s favorite treats.
Get some fresh air at Parque del Retiro, a 350-acre park where you can rent a paddleboat to explore the pond or check out the Crystal Palace. Take a relaxing stroll down the banks of the Manzanares river, lined on both sides by bike and pedestrian paths with picturesque bridges to cross along the way. Feeling fancy? Consider wrapping up your trip with dinner at Sobrino de Botin, thought to be the oldest restaurant in the world and a favorite spot of Ernest Hemingway.
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