Madrid, 2026



In 2026, I had the idea that I wanted to walk a portion of the Camino de Santiago. I decided on walking the last 100 km from Vigo to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Since I had never been to Madrid, I thought it would be a good idea to fly to Madrid, spend a couple of days there, take the train to Vigo, then take the train back to Madrid after the Camino and fly back.

I arrived in Madrid on September 15. I bought a transport ticket at the airport metro station and loaded it with 1 journey. I took the metro to the station closest to my hotel, and walked to my hotel, which was right in the town center. After checking in, I walked to Puerta del Sol. This square has a clock tower. The Km Zero plaque is in front of the clock tower, and is the geographical center of Spain, and the starting point of all major roads. It also has a statue of King Charles III, the La Mallorquina statue close to Calle Arenal, the statue of the bear and strawberry tree, and the giant Tia Pepe neon sign. I then walked to Plaza Cibeles, with the fountain in the middle and flanked by Palacio de Cibeles, Banko de Espana, and Palacio de Linares. I saw the Puerta del Alcala, an arch. I then walked into El Retiro Park, where I saw the Monument to King Alfonso XII, the Palacio de Velazquez, and the Crystal Palace. I tried to find the Mercado de San Miguel, a food hall, to have dinner, but I did not find it.

The next day, September 16, I walked to Plaza de Oriente with the monument of Phillip IV and sculptures of 20 Spanish Kings. This square is surrounded by the Royal Palace or Palacio de Oriente, the Royal Theatre or Teatro Real, and the Royal Monastery of Incarnation. I had bought advance tickets for the Royal Palace, and I had time before my entry slot, so I walked to the Almudena Cathedral. I saw an entry door with tickets for 8 Euros, that allowed entry to the cupola and to the Cathedral. I bought these tickets and went up to the cupola, and then into the Cathedral. I did not realize that you could enter the Cathedral with a small donation. After seeing the Cathedral, I went inside the Royal Palace, where I saw the State Rooms and the Armory.

I then walked to Plaza Mayor, This square has 9 gates, with 9 entry/exit, with the statue of Phillip III in the center. I found the Mercado de San Miguel, a food hall with a lot of food options. I had lunch there. After lunch, I walked to Plaza de la Villa, with the House and Tower of Lujanes, Casa de la Villa (town hall), and the Casa de Cisneros. In the middle of the square is a statue of Don Alvaro de Bazan stepping on Turkish flag. I then walked back to Plaza de Cibeles and saw the Prado Museum. I did not go inside it. Next to it, is San Jeronimo el Real church or Los Jeronimos. It didn’t seem to be open. I then walked to Plaza de Espana. This has 2 famous buildings, Torre de Madrid and Edificio Espana. From there, I walked to the Templo de Debod. I think entry tickets are free, but they have to be reserved ahead of time. I was not able to go inside.

My niece’s daughter is studying in Madrid. I had made arrangements to have dinner with her, and we met up at the Gran Via metro station. We went to a restaurant close by, where I had a Sangria. We shared a dish of baked Sea Food Paella, which was delicious. The rice was not burnt, but was crispy. The next morning, September 17, I took the train to Vigo, and started my Camino on September 18. After the Camino, I took the train from Santiago de Compostela back to Madrid on September 24, and flew back on September 25.