Local people & culture in trip to Spain and Portugal

Local people & culture in trip to Spain and Portugal, Travel guide to Spain & Portugal, Spain & Portugal tourism & vacations, Spain Portugal travel itinerary, Discover Spain: Madrid to Barcelona

It’s easy to feel like a local in Madrid. If you go to the same place twice here, you’ll be greeted like an old friend.

The city’s streets are alive, but it hasn’t yet been slammed by mass tourism. There are plenty of mom-and-pop stores to be found, and a new generation of artists and artisans has emerged. It’s also closely connected: In five short subway stops, you can be transported from the swankiest of districts to working-class neighborhoods.

Throughout the city, you’ll find young people enjoying a drink or a bite to eat at a sidewalk cafe, a child with her two mothers playing with her friends from around the globe, or an elderly man on his way home from the market, sitting on a bench and exchanging gossip with other locals. Rather than as a busy world capital, Madrid can better be described as a collection of villages, united by the prospect of progress, the joy of day-to-day interactions and its big, blue sky.

Barrio de las Letras
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This neighborhood, once home to great authors such as Miguel de Cervantes, is aptly named the Literary Quarter. Quiet by day, it comes to life at night, bolstered by its proximity to Madrid’s historical center and the city’s most important museums. Lose yourself in the narrow streets and discover its wide and distinctive offerings: poetry written directly on the pavement, terrace bars and restaurants, majestic doorways, stunning balconies, after-hours clubs and a convent for cloistered nuns. Find this neighborhood.

Conde Duque
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This residential area has preserved its old charm well. You’ll find artisan bakeries, a co-op of Spanish cheese producers, clothing stores promoting independent international designers, an active cultural center, and squares packed with outdoor tables where you can enjoy a glass of wine. While not a neighborhood unto itself (it’s part of the Universidad district), Conde Duque is the common moniker for the area within the triangle formed by San Bernardo, Princesa and Alberto Aguilera streets. Look for one of the many affordable Airbnb options. Find this neighborhood.