Madrid Travel Guide: The Best Things to Do in Europe’s LGBTQ+ Capital
Madrid wasn’t originally at the top of our Spain bucket list. The main reason we planned the trip was to see our favorite NFL team, the Miami Dolphins, play the first-ever NFL game in Madrid. But what we didn’t expect was to completely fall in love with the city. We had been to Spain before, but we never been to the capital city of Madrid. A lot of people told us Madrid is just ‘okay’ in terms of European cities. But after spending a week there, we can confidently say they were very wrong.
Madrid has delicious food, epic nightlife, great shopping, and is an amazing city to just walk around and explore. We spent about a week exploring Madrid and honestly would go back in a heartbeat.
Where to Stay in Madrid
We stayed at the amazing UMusic Hotel in the center of the city. The hotel itself was not only gorgeous, but also in walking distance to nearly everything we wanted to do and see in Madrid. The UMusic hotel also has live perfomances every night in their theater (while we were there it was Cabaret). We didn’t get the chance to see any, but we think it’s a must-do especially if you are staying at the hotel!
On our last night we checked into the Ocean Drive Madrid which we also really loved. It was in a different neighborhood of the city, but still close to a tons of great restaurants and sights.
Find other hotels in Madrid here on Expedia!
How to get around Madrid
We pretty much walked everywhere because the city is very accessible by walking! But to get to/from the airport, and anything we wanted to see a little outside the city we used Uber or Bolt. You can also use the Metro as well, but since we pretty much walked everywhere we didn’t feel like we needed it.
Best things to do in Madrid
Shopping near Gran Via
El Retiro Park
Royal Palace of Madrid
San Lorenzo de Escorial Monastery
Walk around Retiro Park - think of it like Madrid’s Central Park! It’s a big park in the center of the city and it’s a great place to explore, rent a boat, but also relax.
Visit the Royal Palace of Madrid - it’s the largest royal palace in Western Europe, with more than 3,000 rooms! The Spanish Royal Family no longer lives there today, but it is still used for important celebrations. Make sure to book your ticket to visit in advance as it’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city!
Go shopping on Gran Via - the popular shopping street in the city! The shopping in Madrid is amazing — they have great stores and really cool local brands. Make sure to not miss out on the little side streets for some gems as well. Our favorite stores in Madrid were EME Studios, Scuffers, Cold Culture, Nude Project, Mucho Vintage, and Pompeii — but you can’t go wrong. And obviously make sure you hit up a Zara since the brand is from Spain!
Check out Museo Reina Sofia - one of Madrid art museums that focuses on modern and contemporary art. One of Picasso’s most famous paintings, Guernica, can be seen here as well as art from Salvador Dali and Joan Miro.
Day trip to San Lorenzo de Escorial - about an hour outside if the city located in the mountains is the beautiful city of San Lorenzo de Escorial which was built by King Philip II in 1563. Even though it was raining when we went, we still adored the city. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site as well. Make sure to visit the El Escorial Monastery which is is a royal site that includes a monastery, library, basilica, and a royal tomb where many Spanish Kings are buried.
Find other activities & tours in Madrid here on Expedia!
Where to Eat & Drink in Madrid (Vegan)
Delish Vegan Donuts
Bucolico Cafe
Syra Coffee
Oveja Negra Vegana
B13 Bar - all vegan tapas
Oveja Negra Vegana
Delish Vegan Doughnuts
Honest Greens
Bucolico Cafe
Syra Coffee
Dale Cafe
Restaurante Vegetariano Artemisa
Maestro Churrero - they have vegan chocolate for dipping!
The LGBTQ+ Scene in Madrid
Madrid (and Spain in general) is one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities, not only in Europe but worldwide. They say Madrid is the queer capital of Europe, and the neighborhood Chueca has been the queer hub in Madrid since around the 1980s. It’s known as one of the most vibrant LGBTQ+ districts in Europe. Here you can find bars, nightclubs, queer boutiques, and cafés. Chueca is also the heart of the Madrid Pride celebrations, which is the biggest pride in Europe with over 2 million people attending. Spain also always ranks in the top 10 for best countries for LGBTQ+ people.
The Chueca metro station is also all rainbow, and there are tons of Pride flags, trans flags, and rainbow artwork all around the neighborhood. Chueca is definitely one of our favorite LGBTQ+ districts in the world and we felt so safe as a lesbian couple being not only in that neighborhood, but all over the city.
If you want to see everything we go up to in Madrid (including the NFL game!) make sure to watch our Madrid YouTube vlog below!
As always, all opinions are honest and our own. Some links on this post are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.