Image by Nikko Hinderstein

This is a rather sad and often overlooked spot, but it is also a beautiful and reflective place.

Commemorating the 191 people who lost their lives during the March 11, 2004 bombing of four trains destined to the Atocha station, the memorial is located in the middle of the station.

From outside the station, you see an 11 meter cylinder of glass bricks, but from below you see a tunnel of light with clear plastic balloon floating inside the cylinder, printed with thousands of messages of hope and condolences in various languages.

If you have a few minutes while waiting for a train, I think it’s nice to take a few minutes to relax and be gracious.

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11 M Memorial | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Atocha Station | Lavapies & Latina
10:00 – 20:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Nikko Hinderstein

While strolling around Malasaña, you can’t miss the colorful tile facade of the Juanse Pharmacy. Dating back to the early 1900s, the pharmacy and laboratory Juanse made their own concoctions and medicines (nowadays it’s a normal pharmacy).

The tile display has suffered some graffiti attacks in the recent years, but you can still enjoy their giant ads for toothache powder (the woman clutching her jaw with a handkerchief really looks like she’s in pain) and my favorite: the ad for diarrhea medicine showing a sad child hovering over a chamber pot.

Chances are we’ve all had embarrassing ailments, so here is beautiful tile-work to pay public homage.

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Juanse Pharmacy | Art & culture | Free
Calle San Andres / Calle San Vicente Ferrer | Chueca & Malasaña
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Nikko Hinderstein

Nestled into Parque Oeste on the West side of town is one of Madrid’s amazing treasures – an Egyptian temple which is striking by day and luminous by night.

The Temple of Debod was a gift to the government of Spain after helping to save various historical buildings from the Nubia region in 1960 which was under threat of flooding from the construction of the Great Damn of Aswan.

It graciously arrived bit by bit to Spain in 1968 and stands in open air with a view of the far West of Madrid (on clear days you can see out to the Guadarama mountains). Several other temples were given to other countries; the Temple of Dendur stands inside the Metropolitan museum in New York, Temple Taffeh is in the Netherlands and the Ellesiya Temple is in Turin, Italy.

My favorite time to go is to watch the sunset behind the temple; it’s a popular place for young and old couples to go and make-out (you’ll find a very easy-going public kissing policy in Madrid). If you go during a hot day, you can admire the temple from a shady trail and then find a nearby terraza to enjoy a cold drink or ice cream.

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Templo de Debod | Art & culture | Free
Calle Pintor Rosales | Gran Via & Princesa | +34913667415
Apr – Sep Tue – Fri 10:00 – 14:00 & 18:00 – 20:00 Oct – March: Tue – Fri 09:45 – 13:45 & 16:15 – 18:15, Year round Sat, Sun and festivals 10:00 – 14:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Nikko Hinderstein

Just around the corner from the royal palace, this quaint bookstore is a great place to relax and peruse the books while having a cup of tea or coffee. Though mostly in Spanish, there is a travel section and a great kids section. Clients are invited to (carefully) look through the books while enjoying a snack.

La Buena Vida has cakes and savory snacks that change daily, while they also offer a wine special every month paired with a book. They use loose tea and Italian presses, so you actually get two cups out of an order.

For a truly royal experience, take your new book to read in the nearby Plaza Oriente or the Sabatini Gardens.

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La Buena Vida | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Tea € 2.00
Vergara, 10 | Sol | +34915429142
Tue – Sun 11:00 – 14:00 & 18:00 – 00:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Nikko Hinderstein

The CaixaForum Madrid is an art exhibition space sponsored by the La Caixa Foundation.

They’ve withstood all criticism and worries about keeping their amazing outdoor vertical garden green and lush despite Madrid’s sunny disposition. Designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc, this wall of green has 15,000 plants of 250 species covering a 460 m2 wall in the square in front of The CaixaForum.

The building itself was an old electrical plant, built in 1899 that has been reconstructed to be a funky rust-colored modern eye-catcher alongside classical beauties like the Prado and the Thyssen museums.

Inside you’ll find a permanent collection, several temporary exhibits, a café, a lounge area with a view of the garden and Paseo del Prado, and a bookstore.

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CaixaForum Madrid | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping | Free
Paseo del Prado 36 | Salamanca Area | +34913307300
10:00 – 20:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Teresa Juan

Faunia is a biodiversity theme park that is made up of eight of the world´s eco-systems and 3,500 animals.

The first time I visited it was because I was making a report for the radio station I work for. It really impressed me! I don´t find the zoo particularly amazing, but this is a completely different concept. It’s divided into different areas so you can see the animals in their habitat, not in cages.

My favourite is the ‘Night time’ area. Many animals and birds are kept outside. The most enjoyable aspect of the Faunia park is that many of the animals are allowed to roam quite freely. There are, what we call in Spanish, “perritos de la pradera”, a lot of very cute little furry animals who pop up out of holes in a grass bank. They are able to run totally free in the park, so you can imagine how fun it is for the visitors!!

The aquarium section should not be missed, as it contains the world´s largest species of fish. But something unique is the Amazon Jungle area, a recreation of a real one, even because there are artificial storms that make all type of exotic birds very very happy!!

In Faunia you can also find the largest reconstruction of a Polar Eco-system in Europe so it´s a place for children but also for grown-ups, as I have an incredible time whenever I go back!!

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Faunia | Art & culture, Relaxing | Entrance adults € 23.00
Avenida de las Comunidades, 28 | Salamanca Area | +34913016235
See the website for opening times

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Teresa Juan

There are several book stores of Casa del Libro in Madrid, as it´s a franchise. So why do I choose and recommend this one in particular? From my point of view, Gran Vía is a great location and I always find those rare books I’m looking for easier than in other shops. I think it’s because they have more clients and they need more variety…

The good news is that there´s no problem when they don´t have the book that I want, as I just ask for it and they will call me in a few days when they have received it.

I normally check first the first pages of the books on their website in order to have a rough idea of what I´m looking for. The problem is that, when I’m there, I get so fascinated with EVERYTHING that I´m always tempted and I end up buying more than expected! There´re specific and more general books from all genres, good literature and the latest releases. And sometimes you get good discounts!

This is actually a very traditional bookstore in Madrid. Founded in 1923, it started in the city and expanded to more than 19 places right now in different parts of the country.

Because of my job as a Journalist I interview authors very frequently, so that´s why I highly recommend Casa del Libro as it offers a good chance to go to book presentations almost everyday.

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Casa del libro | Art & culture, Shopping
Gran Vía, 29 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34902026402
Mon – Sat 09:30 – 21:30, Sun 11:00 – 21:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Teresa Juan

Sunday morning is my favorite day for or a stroll in Plaza Mayor. The Plaza Mayor is now a major tourist attraction, visited by thousands of tourists a year. But it has been the scene of many events: markets, bullfights, soccer games, public executions, and, during the Spanish Inquisition, “autos de fe” against supposed heretics and the executions of those condemned to death.

The Plaza Mayor is now completely different and has its own live. There are always people wandering around, street musicians and, what I prefer the most: street painters.

The street painters not only sell their art work during the weekends. In fact, I would highly recommend to walk around any other day of the week if you are looking for something specific.

Sometimes they are specialized in caricatures, so you can sit down and get a funny vision of yourself after a few minutes. But most of the times the paintings have Spanish themes or just abstract designs.

Prices are quite affordable and it is really a nice and different souvenir from the city. As a local, I enjoy talking to the artists because of their original view of life…

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Painters in Plaza Mayor | Art & culture
Plaza Mayor | Sol
Daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Teresa Juan

More than just a cafe, this old staple of Madrid is a music and poetry venue. Almost every famous songwriter, musician, and poet has passed through this decadent and charming hangout.

It´s actually one of my favourites because every time I go, it reminds me all its history. The building started as a cow house, then it changed into a wine house and used to be the place where Journalists and writers gathered.

From 1975, it is a cafe. It has an “L” shape so when you first enter there´s a bar and, if you walk further, you´ll find a small stage for the shows. On this stage there is still a real “pianola” dated from the beginning of the last century. And it works!

Most of the very popular Spanish singer-songwriters as Pedro Guerra, Rosana, Tontxu or Kiko Tovar started here. Nowadays, it´s a very well known cafe in Spain and Latin America. Not only that: right now you can enjoy storytelling for adults, photography and painting exhibitions or poetry reading, as the selection varies depending on the day. Its owner, Ricardo del Olmo, is promoting new talents and wants to consider this place as a cultural reference. I think he´s doing a great job!

Café Libertad 8 is located close to a lot of bars, in the Chueca district, so it could be the beginning of a long night out in the city! Enjoy!

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Libertad 8 | Art & culture, Bars, Music
C/ Libertad 8 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915321150
Mon – Fri 17:00 – 02:30, Sat 18:00 – 03:00, Sun 15:00 – 00:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid

Image by Teresa Juan López

Madrid is full of creative initiatives, full of people with great ideas for entertaining pedestrians and also for earning money.

You just have to walk around the city centre and you will see how amazing art in the street could be. From musicians (of course, all genres) to comedians, singers or mimes. These two on the picture were actors frozen in the middle of the street, in a very crowded sidewalk close to Sol metro station.

No one is forced to give them any money, but we have to accept that they enrich the landscape and they make a regular walk a fantastic experience.I personally find out something new almost every day. Not just in the city centre, but also in the Retiro park or almost everywhere in Madrid.

Another view, sometimes without words, that shows how beautiful is Madrid!!

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Art in the streets | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Puerta del Sol | Sol
Anytime of the day

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Madrid