My wife and our 19 and 21 year old sons are spending 5 days in Madrid and would like advice on which neighborhood is best. We have read that La Latina, Anton Martin, or Embajadores are best neighborhoods. We want to enjoy the food and culture of Madrid, as much as possible. Also, would like recommendations on hotels, inns, etc. We would consider large family room to keep costs down.
Thanks!
Posted by
Chicago
8049 posts
I don't know how helpful this is since I have experience only of La Latina where we spent 5 nights in a Spain Select apartment a couple of years ago. We were on the street Cava Alta which parallels a great tapas street Cava Baja. It was also an easy walk to the palaces and a long walk to the museums -- we took the train over and walked back. It is an easy stroll to the Plaza Major. You can see another wonderful thing in the neighborhood here:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/easter-egg-in-madrid-basilica-san-francisco-el-grande/
I don't know if it is better than the other locations you mentioned but we liked it a lot and would return there for a future trip. We only had one day for the Prado and wish we had allocated two. We did a lot of wandering away from tourist areas finding little outdoor cafes for a drink and a tapa or two. There were several good restaurants nearby and many more within blocks.
I highly recommend Spain Select as an apartment agency -- it was the third apartment on the trip (and we had one hotel in Ronda) The first apartment in Seville was grim, the hotel had a fabulous view but tiny double bed, the second apartment in Granada had a fabulous view of the Alhambra but a double bed about 42 inches wide. I prioritized view over bed and my husband was getting a little annoyed by the time we got to Madrid -- the apartment we had there was wonderful -- from the little balcony for breakfast looking over the rooftops to the very nice queen bed and cushy towels. Saved the marriage. We would definitely rent from them again and with a family of 4, a two bedroom apartment would probably be lovely. Just having a kitchen makes travel so much more enjoyable if only for snacks and breakfast.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
For five nights definitely seek out an apartment.
Look in the area bounded by La Latina, Lavapies, Anton Martin metro stops, Plaza Sta Ana and Plaza Mayor.
Handy for the sights but also near some great bars and restaurants.