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Arab baths in Madrid, how the Hammam session worksPeople

Arab baths in Madrid, how the Hammam session works

Thinking of the Arab baths in Madrid? Hammam Al Ándalus, a short walk from Plaza Mayor, runs a 90-minute loop of hot, warm and cold pools, a steam room and tea, and any massage you add is taken out of that same time rather than added on. Book two or three days ahead, bring swimwear, and know that couples are not guaranteed a massage side by side.

6min readRead →
Best spa in Madrid, which one to book on your tripPeople

Best spa in Madrid, which one to book on your trip

Looking for a spa in Madrid? Book the Hammam Al Ándalus near Plaza Mayor for the Arab bath ritual, a slow loop of hot, warm and cold pools with steam and tea. Pick a hotel spa such as the Wellington if you only have an hour, since it opens at seven on weekdays. Drive out to Thermas de Griñón if you want a whole afternoon in the water for less than the price of a hotel hour.

6min readRead →
Couples spa in Madrid, where to go and what it costsPeople

Couples spa in Madrid, where to go and what it costs

Planning a couples spa in Madrid? For a quick treat with a glass of cava, the Meliá Princesa sells its wellness area for two at a modest price. For a proper hotel circuit with sauna and a cold plunge, book the Wellington near the Retiro. For atmosphere, the Hammam Al Ándalus near Plaza Mayor is the pick, as long as you accept that your massages may not happen side by side.

4min readRead →
Madrid hotel spa day pass, which one and at what timePeople

Madrid hotel spa day pass, which one and at what time

Want a hotel spa in Madrid without booking a room? Four hotels sell day access with a published price. The Wellington opens at seven on weekdays and has a cold plunge, the Urso lets you in every day of the week, the Hospes only sells access from Monday to Friday, and the Meliá Princesa is the cheapest, with juice or cava thrown in. It is also a smart way to fill a check-out day.

5min readRead →
Thermal spas near Madrid, Griñón or Olmedo for a dayPeople

Thermal spas near Madrid, Griñón or Olmedo for a day

Searching for hot springs near Madrid? The easiest thermal day out is a spa complex rather than an open-air spring, and two of them work well by car. Thermas de Griñón, half an hour south, sells three hours of pools, saunas and an ice fountain. Castilla Termal Olmedo, almost two hours north-west, uses mineral-medicinal water and welcomes children of any age, which Griñón does not.

5min readRead →
Easy walks near Madrid with kids, which one to chooseNature

Easy walks near Madrid with kids, which one to choose

Need an easy family walk near Madrid for the weekend? Think about toilets and the trip home before the trail: the El Chorro picnic area has toilets and a playground, the Montejo village centre has a baby-changing table, and the Los Batanes loop takes 55 minutes along the Lozoya river. Montejo passes are applied for on the 1st and 16th, and swimming is banned everywhere.

7min readRead →
La Barranca valley near Madrid, trails and how to get thereNature

La Barranca valley near Madrid, trails and how to get there

Is La Barranca worth a Saturday from Madrid? Yes, if you start early or skip the car: the barrier stops admitting vehicles once full, with no guaranteed arrival time. Expect two small dams at the bottom, the cleared site of an old sanatorium up top, and weekend buses home from Calle de las Eras until 22:30. Fires, gas stoves and swimming are banned, so pack sandwiches.

7min readRead →
Rio Lobos Canyon from Madrid, which trail and where to parkNature

Rio Lobos Canyon from Madrid, which trail and where to park

Is the drive to Soria worth it for the canyon? Yes, if you want scenery without big climbs: the river trail is almost flat, the Cueva Grande cave opens opposite the chapel, and griffon vultures circle over the La Galiana viewpoint. In winter, plan around three limits: springs are untreated, heavy rain can make the river impossible to cross, and the chapel stays locked.

7min readRead →
Waterfalls near Madrid, which to visit and how to get thereNature

Waterfalls near Madrid, which to visit and how to get there

When do the cascades outside the capital carry real water? In the wet months, peaking with the late-spring snowmelt; by August several are a trickle. The Aljibe, beside the black villages, can dry up completely, the Navafría picnic area has toilets and a restaurant, and parking at Las Presillas costs 10 euros a car from October to May, so pack a lunch and make a day of it.

6min readRead →
Where to eat in Las Rozas Madrid, Village and beyondGastronomy

Where to eat in Las Rozas Madrid, Village and beyond

Where to eat in Las Rozas on a shopping day: inside the Village, Cristina Oria takes no bookings, so you queue, and a terrace table adds 10 percent to the bill at all three restaurants there. A cheaper weekday lunch is the set menú del día at Saona, 14.99 euros, or the dish of the day at Sputnik for 11.50 euros. On Sunday evening, Sputnik's kitchen serves until 21:30.

6min readRead →
Restaurants in Majadahonda, Madrid, menus and Sunday hoursGastronomy

Restaurants in Majadahonda, Madrid, menus and Sunday hours

Where to eat in Majadahonda, and when: kitchens keep Spanish hours, with lunch from about 13:00 and dinner later in the evening. On Sunday the steak houses close after lunch, on Monday Onneca and El Viejo Fogón stay shut, and on Wednesday As de Bastos rests. The same set lunch also costs more on a terrace, and the grills charge bread per person, which is not a tip.

6min readRead →
Bookshops in Madrid, English books and Cuesta de MoyanoCulture

Bookshops in Madrid, English books and Cuesta de Moyano

Which Madrid bookshop for which reader? For maps and hiking guides, Desnivel on Plaza de Matute opens until 20:00 even on Sunday; for comics and manga, Antonio Machado in Salesas stays open until 21:00 Monday to Saturday; for illustration, Panta Rhei on Hernán Cortés. The old San Ginés bookshop near Sol now sells mostly souvenirs, and Moyano breaks from 13:30 to 16:30.

6min readRead →
Things to do in Las Rozas, Madrid, beyond the outlet villageVillages

Things to do in Las Rozas, Madrid, beyond the outlet village

Things to do in Las Rozas beyond the outlet: a free park with a lake and a play plane, a 1.9 km trail past old bunkers, an indoor climbing wall open until 21:00 on Sunday and an indoor skydiving tunnel from age 4. Bus 629 from Moncloa takes 20 to 40 minutes for 3 euros, but at weekends it only runs every 50 minutes, and the last one back leaves its Pinar de Las Rozas terminus at 22:55.

6min readRead →
Things to do in Majadahonda, Madrid, on a weekend tripVillages

Things to do in Majadahonda, Madrid, on a weekend trip

Things to do in Majadahonda, and which day suits your plan: there is no market on Sunday, the GREFA wildlife visit has to be booked by phone, with small groups per guide, and if you come by bus, the last one back on Saturday night leaves at 23:30 and ends at Princesa rather than Moncloa. From Friday to Sunday evening, the fountain at Gran Plaza 2 puts on light and sound shows.

7min readRead →
Black Friday in Madrid 2026, opening hours and where to shopCulture

Black Friday in Madrid 2026, opening hours and where to shop

Black Friday in Madrid falls on Friday 27 November 2026, and shops may open all weekend, Sunday included. Head to the Preciados and Callao area for electronics, take bus 625, 628 or 629 from Moncloa to Las Rozas Village for luxury outlet brands, and if you live outside the EU, ask for the tax-free form at the till, not afterwards. The Village is open until 22:00 on Saturday.

8min readRead →
Shopping in Madrid, the best areas and what to buy whereCulture

Shopping in Madrid, the best areas and what to buy where

Shopping in Madrid splits by street rather than by mall: high-street chains around Sol and Preciados, designer labels on Serrano, young brands on Fuencarral, vintage in Malasaña and Spanish-made gifts in Chueca and Las Letras. Most big stores open on Sunday, many small ones do not, and some independents close at lunchtime on Saturday. Non-EU residents can claim VAT back with no minimum spend.

8min readRead →
Vintage shops in Madrid, Malasaña streets and Sunday hoursCulture

Vintage shops in Madrid, Malasaña streets and Sunday hours

Vintage shops in Madrid cluster on Calle Velarde in Malasaña, four of them within a few doorways, and sell by the item: about 20 euros for a party dress, 22.95 euros for a black printed Kappa T-shirt. On Sunday, La Mona Checa is closed but Humana Vintage opens 10:00 to 21:00, and the antique dealers by the Rastro open only in the morning. Bring your measurements, not your label size.

7min readRead →
What to buy in Madrid, souvenirs that fit your bagCulture

What to buy in Madrid, souvenirs that fit your bag

What to buy in Madrid, from 2.70 euro sweets to 360 euro capes, and when to buy it: Casa Hernanz shuts at 14:00 on Saturday, Seseña at 14:30, and neither publishes Sunday hours, while the Real Madrid store on Gran Vía opens every day until 21:00. Convent sweets come from El Jardín del Convento, open Tuesday to Sunday, and a 187.5 ml vermouth bottle must go in the hold.

7min readRead →
How to get to Alcalá de Henares from Madrid and the airportVillages

How to get to Alcalá de Henares from Madrid and the airport

How do you get to Alcalá de Henares from Madrid? Take a Cercanías train from Atocha, with no change and a train every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays, paying by contactless card at the gates. From the airport, bus 824 leaves Terminal 2. Two traps catch visitors: there is no direct train from Sol, and the station called Alcalá de Henares-Universidad is on the science campus, not in the old town.

5min readRead →
Alcalá de Henares with kids Madrid, free museums and theatreVillages

Alcalá de Henares with kids Madrid, free museums and theatre

Is Alcalá de Henares worth a day trip with kids? Both museums in the old town are free, including the regional archaeology museum with its sabre-toothed cat show and a new Visigoths exhibition built around a life-size church. Family shows at the 17th-century Corral de Comedias cost 10 euros a seat. Plan around Sunday closing times and avoid Mondays, when both museums shut.

5min readRead →
Set lunch in Alcalá de Henares Madrid, prices and terracesGastronomy

Set lunch in Alcalá de Henares Madrid, prices and terraces

Looking for a set lunch in Alcalá de Henares? Twelve places in and around the old town publish a weekday menú del día, from 14.50 euros at Francesco's to 18.50 euros at the Casino, nearly all with a starter, a main, a drink and dessert or coffee. The catch is the terrace, which adds 10 percent at six of them, and the holiday rule: most do not serve the menu on public holidays.

4min readRead →