Self-Guided El Centro Walk, Madrid

Get a feel for the local vibe of Spain's capital and appreciate discovering a city on your feet—and by interacting with the residents! This walk is ideal for art and architecture lovers and foodies who want nothing more than to eat as the locals do.

You'll take to Madrid's El Centro streets in the morning and explore the neighborhoods of Lavapiés and La Latina (Madrid's oldest), as well as touch on Austrias and Sol. You'll only cover about 4.4 miles (7 km) of ground, but with a minimum of 19 stops, two of which are food-related, this route can take 3-5 hours, so be sure to don comfortable footwear and clothing. 

The self-guided route kicks off your morning in the historic neighborhood of La Latina in Madrid's Centro, the capital's buzzy heart. You'll follow the winding streets to pick up an order of churros con chocolate (donut-like pastry with a hot cup of thick Swiss chocolate) from a no-frills local institution. Then you're off to practice your Spanish as you peruse original and replicated renowned paintings by Spanish artists, like a Velázquez reproduction of "Las Meninas."

Following your feet south, you'll enter into Lavapiés. Here, you'll come across impressive street art, from colorful graffiti murals to hidden-in-plain-sight pixelated pieces, before you look inside a former 18th-century church-turned-library that blends original architecture with modern additions to offer something unique. Next, appreciate the murals on the walls of a 200-year-old tobacco factory, another testament to Madrid's thriving artistic scene. Finishing up the first half of the route, you'll make your way back into La Latina for a quick stop into Madrid's oldest bodega to purchase wine recommended by the proprietor.

Not too far west, you'll stroll through a small garden to take in the city views of west Madrid and the grandeur that is the next stop, one of the city's more prominent historical landmarks. If interested, you can pay about €5 to check out the religious frescoes, including one masterfully painted by Francisco Goya himself. 

You're now on to the second leg of the route with just over 2.5 miles (4 km) to go. You'll cut through one historic plaza to arrive at a cozy café to snack on authentic eats before entering another, pausing to admire a leaning Mudéjar-style bell tower, a secret garden, and an old Moorish plaza from the 13th century, complete with a whimsical sculpture and a former palace. You'll then work your way northwest to enter the Austrias neighborhood. Here, you'll follow a series of steps and paths down to see the city's oldest stone coat of arms and back up at a moderate incline to see a 1,000-year-old wall followed by a section of neo-classical gardens of the famous Campo del Moro.

The walk ends at the edge of the Puerta del Sol neighborhood with a visit to a family-run talavera shop. Stepping inside, you can freely wander its four rooms of wall-to-wall colorfully patterned ceramics by Spanish artisans. You'll likely arrive here around 1 pm (before the 2 pm siesta closing) to meet the owner and pick up a souvenir or, at the very least, walk away with an appreciation of the rich Spanish pottery heritage.