The Making of Madrid
Your guide to Spain’s capital
Insider Tips for Visitors to Madrid
First time in the city and don’t know where to start? This info will help you get oriented.
Is Madrid Safe? A Tale of Three Cities
In the podcast this week, I discuss violence in Madrid and whether Spain’s capital is a safe city or not. Having lived in London, Tokyo, and Madrid, I’ve experienced firsthand how safety varies across major global cities. Each has its own unique challenges and cultural attitudes toward public behaviour, particularly when it comes to drinking and…
Madrid for Foodies
Madrid’s culinary scene is constantly evolving, and there’s no better guide to the city’s food than Joy, a tour guide and Instagram star who has spent years exploring its markets, restaurants, and tapas bars. I recently interviewed her for my podcast, which you can listen to below but if you’re short on time, here’s a roundup…
Retiring to Madrid for US Citizens with Marsha Scarbrough
For the latest episode of The Making of Madrid podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with writer Marsha Scarbrough, an experienced expat and correspondent for International Living magazine. Marsha was declared the “La Primera Exiliada” (the first exile) from Trump by El Mundo back in 2017 when she packed her bags and left for Madrid….
Your Complete 3-Day Madrid Itinerary
Visiting Madrid for the first time? Then this is the post for you! In it, I’ll present a three-day itinerary that’ll give you a flavour of the city and hopefully leave you coming back for more! As everyone is different, it has lots of options for you to adapt it to your needs. On day one,…
Neighbourhood Guides
Trying to work out what parts of the city to explore? These posts will guide you through Madrid’s neighbourhoods.
The Insider’s Guide to Usera: Madrid’s Cultural Melting Pot
Welcome to the second instalment of my three-part series about Usera! In the first episode, I introduced the fascinating history of Usera and touched on some gentrification challenges. Today, we’re diving into what you can actually DO in the neighbourhood. As a resident of the area, I’m thrilled to share this lesser-known side of Madrid that’s…
Midstream Madrid Itinerary: the Hidden Heart of Old Madrid
Looking to escape the crowds in Madrid’s historic center? Just steps away from Plaza Mayor lies a peaceful neighborhood nestled between two ancient hills, where Madrid’s original streams once flowed. This hidden gem offers tranquil gardens, hushed churches, and authentic local spots that most tourists never discover. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJFCdwg6Xtk&t=2s The Secret Valley Between Two Hills Madrid’s original…
Hidden Corners of Malasaña
Filled with bars, vintage clothes shops, and artisanal emporiums, Malasaña is hands down Madrid’s hippest neighbourhood. Throbbing with activity way into the wee hours, its heart is indisputably Plaza dos de Mayo. But there’s so much to see besides this: dive down any street and you’ll find the barrio full of hidden corners worth exploring. Here…
Guide to La Latina
In the heart of old Madrid and yet a world apart from the touristy mayhem surrounding the royal palace, La Latina is the perfect place to base a stay in the city. For me, the steeply sloping squares and cobbled streets of the barrio (neighbourhood) offer a tranquil retreat into historic Madrid. By contrast, the bustling…
Hidden Gems
My guide to Madrid, away from the crowds. For more on the city’s tranquil side, check out my book Quiet Madrid.
Hidden Gems: Campo del Moro
Nestled below the royal palace lies one of the city’s most beautiful and overlooked treasures: the Campo del Moro gardens. One of the destinations in my new book Quiet Madrid: A Guide to the City’s Third Spaces and Hidden Places, these stunning gardens offer both tranquility and a fascinating glimpse into the city’s medieval past. A…
Hidden Gems: Museo de Artes y Tradiciones Populares
Madrid’s Lavapiés neighborhood is home to one of the city’s most overlooked cultural treasures: the Museo de Artes y Tradiciones Populares. While this hidden gem lies off the beaten tourist track, offering a peaceful retreat from Madrid’s busier attractions, be warned that on a Sunday, you’ll find it closed when the bustling Rastro market takes over….
Madrid’s Hidden Gems: The Manzanares River, with Clare Starkie
A deeper look at the Manzanares River Visitors to Madrid often leave the Manzanares River off their itineraries in favour of the Prado, the Royal Palace and Retiro Park. That’s not to say it isn’t popular. Ever since a €4 billion rewilding project was completed in 2011, the river has become a haven for locals taking…
Madrid’s Most Underrated Attractions
Madrid is full of world-famous attractions, but if you only stick to the big hitters, you’ll miss out on some of the city’s most fascinating spots. For every overcrowded tourist trap, there’s a dusty but delightful museum waiting to be discovered. It’s a topic I tackle in my latest podcast, which you can listen to by…
Popular Madrid History Posts
A history buff’s guide to the forces that have shaped Spain’s capital.
The Bear and the Strawberry Tree
Why a bear and strawberry tree? Visitors seeking an Instagrammable picture of themselves in Madrid often head to the statue of the bear and strawberry tree in Sol. It’s an iconic symbol that appears all over the city from manhole covers to public bins, to the logo of the much-maligned Atlético de Madrid – Madrid’s other…
Why are true Madrileños called gatos?
What is a gato? Gato means cat in Spanish but in Madrid, it also refers to someone who can count their ancestry back two generations within the city. This means that both their parents and grandparents were born and raised here. While there’s a little bit of debate on whether this should be on both sides…
A History of Chocolate and Churros
Updated 10/2/2026 A crunchy deep-fried churro dipped in a gloopy cup of chocolate is one of the most decadent and divine culinary pairings in history. It’s a calorific breakfast that can be enjoyed in churrerías throughout Madrid setting any tourist up for the busy day sightseeing. Surprising then that while both churros and chocolate have a…
The Habsburg Jaw Explained: The Price of 200 Years of Royal Inbreeding
What is the Habsburg jaw? The Habsburg jaw is a severe facial deformity characterized by a protruding lower jaw (mandibular prognathism) and receding upper jaw (maxillary deficiency) that plagued Europe’s most powerful royal dynasty for generations. This distinctive feature, visible in portraits spanning two centuries, resulted from inbreeding practices designed to keep power within the Habsburg…
Watch or Listen to the Podcast
Prefer to listen to content? Then check out The Making of Madrid podcast.
Recent blog posts
Eating Gluten Free in Madrid: A Celiac’s Guide to the City
After recently developing a mild intolerance to wheat, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Madrid is an excellent destination for gluten free eating. Knowing that this was an issue that affects many travellers, I decided to sit down with a proper expert to get the low down for my podcast. Gareth Sewell is an event…
Madrid’s Hidden Black History with Kwame Ondo
The story of Black people in Spain didn’t begin with slavery, or even with Columbus, but centuries earlier. This lesser-known narrative is explored in the latest episode of the Making Madrid Podcast, where I sat down with Kwame Ondo, a tour guide, actor, and activist who has made it his mission to bring Madrid’s hidden Black…
Walking tour of Puente de Vallecas
A neighbourhood guide and self-guided itinerary for one of Madrid’s most rebellious districts. I’ve been meaning to do a proper barrio guide to Puente de Vallecas for years, but as I live in Usera, I rarely get out there. Though it’s technically adjacent, I always end up having to go into town and back out again…
Sistine Chapel of Tile Art Back from the Dead
After 20 years in hiding, Los Gabrieles’ skeletons are partying again! I have been waiting years to get inside Los Gabrieles, so when the doors finally swung open this April, after more than two decades of closure, I walked in and, embarrassingly, totally geeked out to the staff, who must be getting pretty used to this…
Journalism by Felicity Hughes
Felicity Hughes has written about Madrid for major publications, including Lonely Planet, the Guardian, the Financial Times and Time Out. Here are a few examples of her work:
Tours
Felicity Hughes can be hired as a guide to the city. Check the guided tours page to see if she’s available. Or consider getting one of her Voicemap audio guides.
Tour Reviews
