Are you curious about visiting Madrid but don´t know what awaits you? Let us give you some clues.

Follow our suggestions and enter into the real adventure that is to know and experience the culture of Madrid:

• Flamenco

The art of joining singing, dancing, tap dancing, castanets and guitar is called flamenco. It is currently one of the symbols of Spain and its origins go back to the Gypsy and Moorish cultures with Arab and Jewish influence.

Madrid is considered the capital of flamenco, is where the entire record industry works, showing flamenco to the world and where great artists of this musical area have been found.

In the Spanish capital you can watch a flamenco show any day of the week. Restaurants, cafes, bars and theater rooms: there are several places where you can listen to this musical genre, while enjoying an excellent dinner or a good glass of wine. Check out the most emblematic:

• Cardomo
• Teatro Flamenco Madrid
• Casa Patas
• Corral de La Morreria

• Madrilenian gastronomy

Among the many charms of Madrid is its delicious gastronomy, with a variety of Mediterranean dishes that you will have to try during your stay:

• Madrilenian stew: it is the most representative dish of the Spanish capital. Its main ingredient is chickpeas, accompanied by various types of meat, sausages and vegetables.

• Callos a la madrilena: is a typical winter dish made with stewed beef casings. Usually it is served in a clay pot and accompanied by chorizo and ham.

• Barquillo: is a kind of very thin wafer made with flour, sugar or honey and usually cinnamon. It is sold on the streets of Madrid, especially in festive time

• Solemn Relief of the Royal Guard and exchange of Guard at the Royal Palace of Madrid

If you have the opportunity to visit Madrid on a Wednesday or Saturday, run to the Royal Palace to get a privileged view of the Royal Guard.

The parade starts at 10 in the morning and lasts approximately 50 minutes. It is made up of about 400 people dressed rigorously (lancers, marines and military), ammunition cars and horses. To the sound of the solemn music, the Royal Guard is exchanged as in the reigns of Alfonso XII and Alfonso XIII.

The ceremony, called the Solemn Relief of the Royal Guard, takes place only on the first Wednesday of the month (except January, August and September) at noon in the Plaza de la Almeria opposite the Royal Palace in Madrid.

• Festivities of San Isidro

In May, Madrid celebrates the festivities of San Isidro: patron saint of the city and the farmers.
The festivities begin with the traditional morons parade in the center of the city. Then there are dances, concerts and several places of Madrid host activities for all tastes.

The Feria de la Cacharrería, that takes place in the Plaza of the Comendadoras, or the spectacle of light and sound, in the Park of the Retiro, are other of the references of this party.

If you decide to go to the festivities of San Isidro, follow the tradition and drink the “santo’s water” that comes from a spring attached to the San Isidro Hermitage.

Ready to “live” Madrid? After the first trip you will surely want to repeat.