Thee lively, lovely Spanish capital
When conjuring up an image of Madrid, envisage a beating heart placed squarely at the country’s centre. The Spanish capital is bursting with life and passion and through its well planned streets course Madrilenos, the city’s inhabitants who really know how to live.
Madrid’s forceful energy has lead it to be the country’s largest city and a centre of industry, but don’t be misguided into thinking that you’ll be entering a concrete jungle. Madrid has the highest number of trees per inhabitant of any European city and reportedly you are never more than a 15-minute walk away from a green area. Even the central railway station, Atocha, is home to a 4,000 square metre indoor garden with more than 500 species of plant life and ponds through which turtles and goldfish swim.
The nerve centre of the city is the Puerta del Sol which is the starting point for the numbering of all city streets and all the country’s highways. Madrid is a throughly modern city with excellent infrastructure, and although very little of the city’s actual medieval and renaissance architecture still exist, it has managed to preserve the historic look and feel its neighbourhoods.
Madrid is a powerhouse of culture, and no trip here could miss a tour of the the Golden Triangle of Art, encompassing the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Music is also an important feature and the city marches to the beat of flamenco, jazz and live music of all kinds. And don’t forget that Madrid serves some of the most delicious tapas on offer. It’s really rather unsurprising that Madrid is the most visited city in Spain.
Highlights
Visit the Royal Palace of Madrid, a grandiose residence showcasing opulent rooms and stunning gardens
See the 19th-century National Library
Tour the ‘Golden Triangle of Art’ including the world renowned Prado Museum featuring works by Goya, Velázquez and El Greco
Explore vibrant tapas bars in La Latina or Mercado de San Miguel for a taste of Spain’s culinary delights
Experience passionate performances of Spain’s traditional dance in intimate venues at a flamenco show
Melania Siriu
Senior Travel Designer
Madrid is where history and modern elegance meet – every corner brims with culture, art and culinary excellence.
Melania Siriu
Senior Travel Designer
Luxury accommodation in Madrid
Why book with Jacada?
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your specific interests, tastes and preferences, providing helpful tips and honest advice based on first-hand knowledge of the destination.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant travel concierges are hand-picked to provide a genuine experience, bringing your destination to life with care and passion.
Responsible travel
Our luxury trips are designed with responsible travel principles that prioritise travel experiences that are both good for you and good for the planet.
Trip inspiration
Where to go
Andalusia
Andalusia possesses the most-varied terrain in all of Spain and boasts both a Mediterranean and an Atlantic coastline.
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Barcelona caters to every type of traveller, from honeymooners and beach lovers to art aficionados, foodies and culture hunters.
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Sophisticated, cosmopolitan, and vibrant, Bilbao is the modern face of the Basques.
Discover moreCatalonia and the Costa Brava
Along Catalonia’s rugged coast, the Costa Brava, secluded beaches are punctuated by fishing towns.
Discover moreDuero Valley Wine Region
With more than 300 wineries, there’s no chance of going thirsty. Each and every winemaker is immensely proud of their product and have their own secrets.
Discover moreGranada
Granada is as famous for its beautiful gardens and charming narrow streets as for its tavern-style nightlife and Flamenco-skilled gypsy artists.
Discover moreLa Rioja Wine Region
Tucked away between the Basque Country, Navarre and Castilla y Leon, northern La Rioja may be small, but it’s full of spirit.
Discover moreMalaga and the Costa del Sol
Malaga is best known for the Costa del Sol, a stretch of sandy coastline punctuated by Marbella and Puerto Banus Marina, as well as sleepier fishing villages.
Discover moreMallorca
Beloved by Chopin, George Sand, Joan Miro, and other such luminaries, the largest of the Balearic Islands is nothing short of inspiring.
Discover moreSan Sebastian
The sophisticated and shimmering city of San Sebastian in the north has quickly become the Spanish city of choice for those in the know.
Discover moreSantiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is one of the country’s most culturally and historically significant cities.
Discover moreSeville
Seville has resurrected itself as the capital and largest city of Andalusia, full of Spanish grandeur.
Discover moreMeet your Europe team
When to visit
The winters are cold and the summers hot, but with plenty of museums and galleries, Madrid makes a great year-round destination.
Avoid the crowds
May, October
Almond blossom
February - March
Fiestas de San Isidro
May
Plan your trip to Madrid
Whatever you want from your adventure in Madrid, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.
It was truly wonderful. This was one of the best trips we have ever taken. Further, working with Jacada made all the difference in the world! Every detail was carefully considered based on our “wishes and wants” for our trip to Spain and Portugal! Melania and Alice were amazing and we can’t tell you how grateful we are for their…
Alice Cosso and Meg Simpson helped us with our trip to Spain. We toured Barcelona, Majorca, Seville, and Madrid. We are a family of four with two teenagers who were seeing Spain for the first time. We relied upon Meg and Alice to help us with tours,flights,hotels, excursions. We accomplished so much in two weeks. I can’t imagine doing it…
Dan Rhodes, my travel agent was, was extremely smart and perceptive. He put together the perfect itinerary. The local agency, Made for Spain and Portugal was also terrific. I can’t praise Dan enough. I have seldom met anyone so amazing at listening and then working with your guidance to put together the trip of a lifetime. I have a lot…
Andulsia April 2023 From the first contact to the last day the trip was smooth and seamless. Our Agent Dan our concierge Alice and our very knowledgable guides and hosts made the trip so very enjoyable. Everything Jacada had arranged for us was exactly the kind of thing we were interested in. The Alhambra, Ubada/Beaza, Cordoba, Ronda, Jerez and one…
Great service, very knowledgeable guides, great locations and super transport
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