Travel Guide | Photo Gallery | Airfare & Hotels in Madrid | Contact Us | Home _

For the first-time visitor, the face of Spain can be compared to that of an ornate clock, with noteworthy points on the perimeter, and Madrid—the heart of the movement—in the center. Starting at XII, you have Santander, with a history going back to the Cantabrians and a might that reflected the power of ancient Rome.

Moving east, there is San Sebastian at the edges of the Pyrenees, like a jewel couched in green velvet facing the wind-tossed Bay of Biscay. Then you go down to mountainous Pamplona, the pulsebeat of Navarra, where each year, at the Feria de San Fermin, brave souls still expose themselves to the "running of the bulls." The hands sweep through the throbbing tourist sectors of the Costa Brava to burgeoning Barcelona, pride of Catalonia, which boasts the cathedral and room where Queen Isabella celebrated Columbus's triumphant return from the Americas.

Next comes the gaiety of Valencia with its fallas and the ever-present smell of citrus groves and roses. Granada and the fabulous Alhambra strike VI, probably one of the most rewarding points in the passage of your time abroad. There's the slow and easy sunlit Costa del Sol for lazing, golf, and aquatic sports—not to mention the continuous nighttime activities for which the area is famous. Then it's into Andalusia and sun-baked Seville with its Moorish antecedents, neighboring Cordoba standing in the shimmering heat, and up to lovely Salamanca; to the rugged Atlantic fjords of Vigo, Pontevedra, and Arosa; to land's end, jewel-like La Coruna; and finally to the stately antique grace of Santiago, where so many pilgrimages have culminated.

Madrid Spain Travel Guide Photo Gallery Advertise Here LukeTravels.com Home Contact Us 

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. Its economic, political, and cultural importance mark it as one of the major cities of the world. Residents are called Madrileños. The city is located on the river Manzanares in the center of the country, between the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. Due to its economic output, standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial center of the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies, as well as the headquarters of three of the world's 100 largest companies. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political center of Spain. The current mayor is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, of the conservative Partido Popular.

As the capital of Spain, Madrid is a city of great cultural and political importance. While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighborhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the huge Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro park, founded in 1631; the imposing 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; an archaeological museum of international reputation; and three superb art museums: Prado Museum, which hosts one of the finest art collections in the world, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.

he population of the city was 3.5 million (December 2005), while the estimated urban area population was 5.5 million. The entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area (urban area and suburbs) is calculated to be 5.84 million. The city spans a total of 607km² (234 sq mi).

Following the restoration of democracy in 1975 and Spain's integration into the European Union, Madrid has played an increasing role in European finances, marking the city as one of the most important European metropolises.

Most travelers to Spain visit Madrid, if for no other reason than that their flight lands there. A better reason is to spend time in the Museo del Prado http://museoprado.mcu.es/, which will take your breath away—by itself the Prado repays a trip to Spain. And Madrid, capital of the country for the last 400 years and seat of the kings of Spain, houses national museums in buildings that only a monarch could produce, along with grand fountains and vistas.

Originally called Majerit by the Moors, a name that twisted off Spanish tongues as "Madrid," the city was founded as a Moorish fort to guard the northern approach to Toledo. The Spanish captured the fort in 1083, discovering a statue of the Virgin Mary in a granary (al mudin in Arabic) during the process. Since that time the patron saint of the city has been the Virgin of Almudina.

Although by no means a major town, Madrid's Virgin gave kings reason to visit from time to time. In the 14th century, Pedro the Cruel constructed Madrid's first castle on the site of the original Moorish fort. In the 15th century, Ferdinand and Isabella built a monastery, San Jerónimo el Real, and the following century Carlos V, their grandson, reconstructed Pedro's castle palatially.

In 1561 Carlos's son, Felipe II, decreed Madrid the permanent capital of Spain—Real Madrid (Royal Madrid). With the arrival of a king and his government came tens of thousands of functionaries requiring massive public buildings to house them. Most of those original government structures, however, including the palace, burned in cataclysmic fires during the 17th century. The present palace sits on the ashes of the original and dates from the middle of the 18th century.

Madrid's population exploded from 20,000 to 175,000 in its first 100 years as Spain's capital, raising it to the fifth largest city in Europe. Most of the city's grand structures, including the Prado, were erected in a late 18th-century building spurt during the peaceful reign of Carlos III, a monarch who earned the title "King-Mayor" for his sustained efforts to raise Madrid to the standards of other European capitals. Historically and architecturally, Madrid is Europe's newest capital.

Today 4 million people spread over miles of concrete suburbs. The original core of the city—the focus of virtually all a tourist's interest—remains relatively untouched by growth, however. Most sights are an easy walk from this center, but since Madrid's original civil engineers never planned for a city of such numbers, traffic can make traveling longer distances a problem. An efficient subway system and inexpensive taxis, however, mean that driving is never necessary.

The Puerta del Sol is the midpoint of a line, with the Museo del Prado in El Retiro park at its eastern end, and the Palacio Real at its western end. A mile and a quarter separates these monuments from each other, and between them lie most of the city's important sights. Along this line is the Plaza Mayor, Madrid's Ciudad Antigua, and the convents of Descalzas Reales and Encarnación. Even the Sunday-morning flea market, El Rastro, is located only a few blocks south. Less than a mile due north of the Prado, the Museo Arqueológico Nacional displays the treasures of Spain's early history amid the Barrio Salamanca's elegant shops. Including the museum and its surrounding shops, the sights between those two landmarks can abundantly fill most visitors' schedules.

Special thanks to WikiTravel and its authors

Madrid Spain Travel Guide Photo Gallery Advertise Here LukeTravels.com Home Contact Us

Total Area: 504,750 square kilometers (194,885 square miles)

Capital: Madrid

Population: approx. 3.23 million as of 2012 (click here for Madrid's population table)

Ethnic Composition: 72 percent Spanish; 16 percent Catalan; 8 percent Galician; 2 percent Basque; 2 percent other

Official Language: Castilian Spanish

Religion: 97 percent Roman Catholic; 3 percent other, including Protestant, Muslim, and Jewish

Government: a parliamentary monarchy; the head of state is the monarch, a hereditary title; the prime minister, appointed by the monarch, is head of government; the Legislature is bicameral—the Congress of Deputies has 350 members and the Senate has 255 members. Voting age is 18.

Madrid: The population of Madrid has experienced increase ever since the city became the national capital. This demographic boom was notorious in the 20th century due to domestic and international immigration. However, the city experienced a growth slump during the 1970s. This phenomenon, which also affected Barcelona, was caused mainly by the growth of satellite suburbs at the expense of the downtown.

A new immigration wave has allowed Madrid not only to recover its old numbers, but to reach new historical heights. According to census data, the population of the city grew by 271,856 between 2001 and 2005.

As the capital city of Spain, the city has attracted many immigrants from around the world. While less than 85% of the inhabitants are Spaniards of different backgrounds and ethnicities, there are many recent immigrants who come from Latin America, Europe, Asia, North Africa and West Africa.

The largest immigrant groups include: Ecuadorian: 83,967, Moroccan: 51,300, Chinese: 48,973, Colombian: 37,218 and Peruvian: 32,791. There are also important communities of Guinean, Romanian and Filipino people.

Special thanks to WikiTravel and its authors

Madrid Spain Travel Guide Photo Gallery Advertise Here LukeTravels.com Home Contact Us

Passport/Visa Requirements

These requirements are subject to change. Check with the embassy or consulate in your home country before you depart.

U.S. citizens:
A valid passport and a return ticket are required for stays of up to 90 days.

Australian and New Zealand citizens:
For visits of up to 90 days, Australians need both a valid passport, a visa, and a return ticket, whereas New Zealand citizens need only a valid passport and a return ticket.

Canadian citizens:
A valid passport and a return ticket are required for stays of up to 90 days.

EU citizens:
A national identity card only is required by most citizens of most EU countries for visits of up to 90 days. Citizens of Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Portugal, however, require current passports or passports expired less than 5 years; citizens of Germany, Ireland, and the UK with valid passports or passports expired less than 1 year.

Japanese citizens:
A valid passport and a return ticket are required for stays of up to 90 days.

Others:
Nationals of Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, Netherland Antilles and Switzerland need either a valid national identity card for entry or a passport expired less than 5 years.

Note: A Schengen visa issued by an embassy or consulate of either Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, or Spain allows the holder to travel freely in all of these countries for up to 90 days.

Citizens of countries not listed in the categories above should contact the Spanish embassy or consulate in their home country for details about entry requirements.

Phone Code

The international telephone access code is 34. Telephone codes for specific cities and their surrounding areas are as follows: Madrid 91, Alicante 96, Balearic Islands 971, Barcelona 93, Benidorm 96, Bilbao 94, Granada 958, Las Palmas 928, Málaga and Torremolinos 95, Santander 942, Seville 95, Tenerife 922, and Valencia 96. Omit the 9 if calling from abroad.

To place an outgoing international call, dial 07, plus the relevant country code and number. To reach an international operator, dial 9198 for calls inside Europe, and 098 for calls outside of Europe. To reach a local operator, dial 009, and for directory assistance, dial 003.

Time Zone

Spain is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich mean time (GMT), or 1 hour ahead of London, 6 hours ahead of New York and Montréal, 2 hours behind Moscow, 6 hours behind Beijing, and 8 hours behind Sydney. Daylight saving time is in effect from late March to late September, during which time the country is two hours ahead of GMT.

Business Hours

Banks are open 9 AM–1:30 or 2 PM Monday–Friday. Stores are generally open from 9 or 10 AM to 1 PM and again from 4:30 to 7:30 PM, Monday through Saturday. Department stores remain open all day. Nearly all stores are closed on Sunday.

Holidays

Banks and most businesses close on the following public holidays: New Year's Day (1 January), Epiphany (6 January), Good Friday and Easter Monday (March or April; dates vary), Labor Day (1 May), Assumption (15 August), National Day (12 October), All Saints' Day (1 November), Constitution Day (6 December), Immaculate Conception (8 December), and Christmas Day (25 December).

Weather

Spain's climate is extremely variable, but in general the north tends to be temperate, while the south is hot and dry. Summers are hot in many places, especially Madrid and Seville, where temperatures often stay in the high 20s C (80s F) or shoot into the mid-30s C (90s F); drought conditions are common. Summers along the Atlantic coast are a bit cooler (low 20s C/70s F). During the winter, Madrid gets as cold as 1° C (34° F), and at mountain resorts the temperatures dip even lower. In contrast, the southern Mediterranean coast has a subtropical climate. Málaga, for instance, in the extreme south, has an average winter temperature of 14° C (57° F). 

Money

The basic unit of currency is the The Euro. Banks, hotels, travel agencies, and exchange bureaus (câmbios) are all good places to exchange money, but it's wise to shop around for the best rate and lowest commission.

Credit cards are accepted by many businesses, but not by all. It's a good idea to ask the merchant about credit card acceptance before trying to make your purchase. Most traveler's checks and Eurocheques are widely accepted.

Tipping

Tipping is common in Spain, but not at all mandatory. In restaurants, for example, a service charge is added to the bill, but it customary to round up the bill as a tip, or, if the service is exceptional, to leave as much as 10 percent. In cafés and bars, loose change is fine for a tip. Hotels also add a service charge, but a tip for the person who cleans the room and one for the porter is customary. If a taxi driver gives good service, loose change or 5 to 10 percent of the meter fare is a common tip, and parking lot attendants and coat-check staff usually receive a few pesetas as a tip.

Customs

The following items may be imported, duty-free, by travelers from Europe and the Mediterranean countries of Asia and Africa: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco (double this amount of tobacco for citizens of other countries); 1 liter of alcohol over 22 percent volume or 2 liters of alcohol not exceeding 22 percent volume; 2 liters of wine; 250 milliliters eau de toilette and 50 grams of perfume; gifts to the value of P5000. The import allowances for travelers arriving from EU countries with duty-paid goods are slightly higher. Note: Although there are no legal limits on tobacco and alcoholic items, visitors bringing in such goods may need to prove that the items are for personal use.

Taxes

A value-added tax (VAT), known as IVA for Impuesto sobre el valor añadido, of approximately 16 percent is included in the price of most goods and services (33 percent for luxury goods). Citizens of non-EU countries who spend at least P15,000 at one store are eligible for a partial refund of the VAT once they remove the goods from the EU. Ask the merchant for forms and further details.

Measurements

The metric system is standard throughout the country.

Electricity

Current is 220 volts, 50 Hz. Plug configuration is two round pins. Visitors from abroad who wish to operate personal small electronic items, should consider bringing plug adapters and a transformer.

Driving

Roads throughout Spain are generally well maintained, and a set of four-lane highways (autopistas) connects major cities. Some roads require tolls. Visitors from North America may find fuel prices to be quite high.

Drivers from non-EU countries are "required" to carry an international driving permit (we weren't asked for any sort of a permit when we rented our car -- go figure), as well as a valid driver's license from their home country, accompanied by a translation into Spanish. Drivers from EU countries must carry an EU driver's license. The minimum age for renting a car is 21. Traffic drives on the right.

Madrid Spain Travel Guide Photo Gallery Advertise Here LukeTravels.com Home Contact Us