No-cost activities to do in Madrid this spring

Spring is one of the best seasons to enjoy the city of Madrid and its no-cost activities

Spring weather is perfect: still not too hot with receding low temperatures. All flowers and trees are in bloom, making up a colourful and vivid picture. In this perfect environment, there are many no-cost activities to do at this time of the year.

These are some of our favourite no-cost activities to do this spring in Madrid.

Play a visit to El Retiro gardens

El Retiro is one of Madrid’s largest favourite parks. During the spring, the park is particularly beautiful thanks to its many blossoming flowers and trees. Some of the usual activities carried out by Madrid’s residents and visitors include strolling along the gardens, sitting down on the grass with a picnic lunch, or hiring one of the lake boats. The Palacio de Cristal is also open, with impressive art exhibitions.

Explore the neighbourhood of Malasaña

Malasaña is one of Madrid’s busiest neighbourhoods, famous for its avant-garde and bohemian atmosphere and lively streets, cafés and shops. During the spring, the streets are even more alive thanks to open-air cafés and restaurants where you can take in the scenery with food or a drink. Another possibility to get to know Malasaña better is to examine its street art, finding and visiting its murals, graffiti and paintings.

Visit San Miguel market

Mercado de San Miguel is a gourmet hub right in the city centre. Here, you may find a wide range of local and regional foods, such as wine, cheese, meat and seafood. During the spring, the market is full of visitors who are attracted to its busy atmosphere and wish to try some of the exquisite items for sale.

Although unprocessed food is the number one item sold, prepared dishes are also available, to eat in or to take away.

Discover Templo de Debod

As we indicated in earlier posts, Templo de Debod is one of Madrid’s most unique monuments. It is an ancient Egyptian temple that was relocated to Madrid and rebuilt from scratch. During the spring, it offers impressive views of the temple and its surroundings. One of the most popular no-cost activities is to visit its adjoining park, to sit on the grass and wind down in the sun.

Live music in Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor is an emblematic site, not only in Madrid but in Spain as a whole. Known for its Baroque buildings and bustling atmosphere, during the spring the square is full of street musicians and artists who put on a cost-free show for passers-by. It also has many cafés and restaurants where you can try one of Madrid’s most well-known dishes: a fried squid baguette (bocadillo de calamares).

Beyond these no-cost activities, Madrid has many more possibilities open to enjoy the spring outdoors.

You can take a stroll through La Latina neighbourhood, visit the Casa de Campo park, enjoy the free concerts arranged in Plaza de Oriente or spend a pleasant afternoon in Juan Carlos I gardens… these are just an example of the hundreds of no-cost activities available in Madrid this spring.

Testa tip: not forget one of our favourite pastimes: to take advantage of the good weather to enjoy the community gardens in our buildings. One can take a walk, read or just relax… there are so many things to do we don’t know where to begin, everything seems worth doing.

Get to know our homes and community gardens and make the most of the spring.