2 Days in Madrid: Spain Solo Travel
I visited Madrid, Spain, from July 7 - 9, 2025.
Madrid was absolutely beautiful.
Yes, it was scorching hot. Yes, I walked till I dropped. Yes, I was solo (as always). But there's something about Madrid, this peaceful heritage capital in the centre of Spain. There's a permeant grace that lives in its architecture, its quiet streets, and the "slow living" the locals live by.
I really didn't know what to expect with the city. My main destination was Vienna, Austria, for the ImPulsTanz International Dance Festival, and Spain just happened to be cheap(er) to fly into from Canada.
That said, I'll never waste a connection if I can help it, and I turned my trip into another extended vacation encompassing Madrid, Barcelona, Vienna, and Prague.
I was also interested in another flaming hot locality: flamenco dance. Madrid is famous for it.
Beyond the typical attractions, there are other very worthwhile (and unexpected) things you should do while in La Capital.
Here are my recommendations for making a moment out of Madrid.
Get an eye exam
I'm serious.
I wouldn't blame you for not expecting this to be the first thing on my list. I didn't expect to be checking my eyes out either, but it so happened that I was years overdue for a new prescription, and luckily the general optician's is very affordable in Madrid.
Compared to even the cheapest Costco exam in Toronto at 85+ CAD, 40 EUR (64 CAD) was a steal! This just goes to show how you can use travel to your advantage in everyday necessities, not just adventure.
I walked into General Optica along Calle de Preciados, a popular pedestrian street for shopping and dining, and was out within an hour. The optician spoke fluent enough English and led me upstairs in the tiniest elevator I've ever been in to the second-floor lab.
An eye exam in Madrid involves some additional tests I've never encountered in Toronto before. I was glad of the attention to detail.
As a parting gift, the optician even threw in a free bottle of lipid eye drops.
The final prescription was printed in Spanish, so it did take some Google Translating to actually use it back in Canada, but the optician had explained the important details beforehand.
Just make sure they also measure your pupillary distance (PD). My optician didn't include this, so I had to go to another glasses store in Vienna for this measurement (you can't buy glasses without this number!).
For the dancers, shop at Maty
Maty is a large flagship dancewear store near Calle de Preciados that stocks everything from ballet and character shoes to full-out flamenco skirts and gowns. It's dancer heaven, especially if you're looking for something special like flamenco hair accessories.
Buy a Uniqlo Shoulder Bag
Again, I'm very serious.
Of course, it would be cheapest to buy anything Uniqlo from their home country of Japan, but Europe's not a bad option for shopping thanks to a nifty tactic called the tax refund.
Foreigners get a tax refund through Global Blue or similar affiliated companies when they leave their last point of exit in Europe. I recommend being at the airport at least an hour early to process this at the tax claims window, because the lines can get tediously long.
That said, the viral Uniqlo Shoulder Bag works wonders for travel due to its deceptively large storage capacity, weightlessness (really, it weighs like nothing), and portability (just fold it flat when there's nothing inside).
Plus, even though the CAD-to-Euro conversion rate clamps my wallet shut like nothing else, the price of the shoulder bag in Madrid was actually slightly cheaper than in Toronto.
Take advantage of this by also getting your bag embroidered. Uniqlo offers this add-on service that typically takes a day to complete. I chose a lovely pink sakura flower from the design booklet. In an instant, my bag turned from off-the-shelf to custom treasure.
Once I had the bag, I finally understood why everyone keeps raving about it. It can fit a 500mL water bottle, a book, everything – and still look amazing in photos.
Stock up on socks at Barefoot You
As a foot health fanatic, there's nothing like discovering a store that really gets foot anatomy right.
Barefoot You is a Spanish footwear chain that constructs anatomical barefoot shoes (straight toe, wide toe box, flat heel height) and socks. Of all the barefoot stores I've tried so far, their Belenka crew socks are the best – comfy cotton and a unique wide design to fit all five toes without squishing them together.
If you're not a fan of wearing tabi socks (where the big toe is physically separated from the other toes), Barefoot You is for you. (They also have tabi socks if you are a fan.)
As a dancer, it's even more important that you wear shoes and socks that engage and strengthen muscles, not deform and weaken them.
I can't attest to their actual shoes (yet), but the good thing is they're also partners with Global Blue. Hello, tax refund!
Watch a flamenco dance show
What's Madrid without flamenco?
Along the streets and throughout the city, you might notice flamenco stores selling dresses, heels, and those beautiful fans.
Madrid's thousands of years of history and tradition have lent itself to preserving this famous local dance style, flamenco, known as the "dance of the soul."
It's passion. It's fire. It's rhythm.
There's a reason flamenco has enchanted and entranced so many dancers in Spain and beyond. There are a physicality and an emotional tuning to it unlike any other dance form out there.
A quick search on Google will give you more than enough options to check out (or just ask your hotel/hostel staff), but I recommend buying tickets in advance for the most popular shows.
I went to FLAMENCO Las Tablas, a small, intimate theatre near the popular Viewpoint Temple of Debod that allows dining while watching (some flamenco shows forbid eating, since it takes away from the mindfulness of watching the dance).
The neat thing about flamenco is that, intricate as it is, it's adaptable to quite literally any size stage and almost any environment, making it accessible for dancers and audiences alike.
The dancers were extremely passionate. Flamenco definitely belongs to that group of dances where facial expressions are just as important as bodily awareness. Without face and form, the entire dance is lost.
A small group of musicians accompanied them live.
Watch the sunset at the Royal Palace's Ledge Viewpoint
The touristy destination to watch the sunset is at Viewpoint Temple of Debod, but on my way there that first night, I'm so glad I got distracted by the Royal Palace and Catedral de Santa MarÃa la Real de la Almudena. There, the view is much better, in my opinion.
There's less people, less guardrails, more of the actual landscape. And, you don't have to climb up endless stairs and terrain to get to the lookout, unlike with Viewpoint Temple of Debod.
There are also often buskers and musicians playing live in the courtyard between the two buildings, so you can enjoy a great view and lively music all in one go.
The Cathedral and the Royal Palace.
Soon after the sun sets, a guard will close the ledge.
Make your way to the rear side of the Catedral at the intersection of Calle de Bailén and Calle Mayor for a beautiful lit-up night view of the building. A group of tourists walking by me literally gasped out loud when they saw it.
Experience the dusk at Viewpoint Temple of Debod
Purely optional if you've already seen the sunset at the Royal Palace's Ledge Viewpoint, but the park the Temple of Debod is located in is large and serves as a peaceful place for a cat nap if you're feeling tired from a day out exploring.
Not that I fell asleep for an hour on a park bench...
Watching the sunset isn't as great here, in my opinion, but the nearby view looking toward the Catedral de Santa MarÃa la Real de la Almudena definitely is. Once dusk hits, the sky turns cotton candy shades of pink, blue, and lavender.
The sky was so beautiful, it was unbelievable.
I unassumingly made friends with two girls who were having a mini photoshoot for themselves. I asked them to please take my photo, and it turned into a session of giggles, encouragement, and life discussions around dance and art.
Stroll along Gran VÃa and Calle de Alcalá for shopping and sights
Gran VÃa is known as the "Spanish Broadway," and here you'll find the affluent shops, theatres, and fashionable dining options. Everything is very pristine; let me just say that Madrid really likes its bright white colour palette, at least in the city centre.
Speaking of Broadway, The Lion King was running in Spanish at Teatro Lope de Vega. If you're ever in the mood to see how a show operates in a different language, this theatre's a great bet.
You'll also notice a multitude of street hawkers selling bags and purses, reflecting some of the broader economic dynamics of Madrid today.
Merging east into C. de Alcalá, you'll walk by neoclassical, Baroque, Gothic, and Modernismo (amongst other influences) historic buildings that will astound you with their architectural design. It's obvious the city takes pride in preserving its heritage.
Biblioteca Banco de España
Palacio de Cibeles
Further along, you'll find El Retiro Park, a sprawling 125-hectare green space with a massive pond in the centre. Groups of rickshaw pullers stand guard at the entrance, and, honestly, you might need to employ one.
Getting to Estanque Grande del Retiro (the central pond) was manageable. Getting out of the park was torture, especially in Madrid's blistering high-heat summer.
On the other hand, the west exit is relatively close to Barefoot You, so you can pick up some fresh socks and a better pair of walking shoes on the way home.
Enjoy the local food
No trip to Madrid is complete without trying some of the local specialties and wine – or even just independent cafes.
The markets ("mercado") are a big part of local life, and they range from quiet ones on the outskirts of the city centre...
Mercado de Cebada.
...to bustling tourist-heavy ones like Mercado de San Miguel. Some of them are food-only while others offer a mix of food, clothing, drinks, and crafts.
Mercado de San Miguel - a prime spot in the tourist-dense area.
I also had a lovely brunch at Carmencita Brunch La Latina my first day, though – beware – mealtimes are busy, and you'll likely have to wait a while.
And for local savourings, I hopped into a little hole in the wall called Valdemeso off the major shopping area near Gran VÃa. It's part bar, part cafeteria, part restaurant – so casual that you might have to wave your hands and do a little dance to get the staff to notice you at the door. For the affordable prices, the dance is worth it.
They have a good selection of traditional tapas as well as a selection of local vino (wine). Even the paella had an appetizer-size version, so you don't have to worry about ordering too much for one.
The callos, recommended by the waiter, had me questioning my decisions a bit, but, hey – there's nothing like a taste test in a foreign country. Callos is a stew generally formed of ox feet, ox tripe, chorizo, and a tomato-based sauce; go for it if you're feeling adventurous.
Accommodation: OK Hostel Madrid
OK Hostel Madrid's biggest value lies in its location. Just off the corner of one of the main streets of Madrid, it's literally a 5-10 minute walk from Plaza Mayor (the largest plaza in Madrid) and 20 minutes from Gran VÃa.
The buffet breakfast has a good choice of options, and the staff were all very friendly in my experience. If you stay in the dining area after breakfast (like I did working on my laptop), sometimes they'll even offer you the leftover biscuits and pastries for free!
At the front desk, they also have maps ready with every major attraction listed, as well as coupons for select performances and events.
OK Hostel Madrid - a friendly hostel along a quiet side street.
Finally, just remember to live and laugh! For all its grandiosity, Madrid has an easygoing, almost lazy vibe that will resonate with anyone traveling for rest and recuperation.
From flaming hot flamenco dance to a burning bright sunset, these are the enchantments that made a moment out of Madrid for me.
Till next time, dear Madrid.
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