Spain Things to Do

There are two faiths in Spain: the church and football. Football is the most popular sport in the country and the Spanish excel at the game on an international level. They are current holders of the FIFA World Cup (next contested in 2014 in Brazil), and won Euro 2012, although they were defeated early in the Olympics much to everyone’s surprise.

Madrid has as rich and deep a history as any European capital, and there is a lot to see and do. But the usual tourist activities take a back seat to the absolutely electric, right-now vibe of the city. And when dinner starts around 10pm and the streets are packed until the wee hours of the morning, you can forget New York – Madrid is truly the city that never sleeps.

Here’s our insider’s guide to Madrid.

The Madrid Rio is a new urban beach, nature and recreation area on the banks of the Manzanares river, built over the old inner-ring road in the heart of the city only 1.5km from the Puerta del Sol. Take a pair of roller skates to explore this luscious park along the bicycle paths, to see various monuments from the Puerta del Rey gate to the Royal Palace and the shrine of the Virgin of El Puerto.