Madrid/Northern Suburbs

For the purposes of this guide, districts of Chamartín, Tetuán, Fuencarral, Moncloa-Aravaca, Ciudad Lineal, Hortaleza, San Blas and Barajas are considered as the Northern Suburbs of Madrid.

Get in

Most of the metro lines visit also the this area, including  S1  S2  S4  S5  S7  S8  S9  S10 .

See

• 🌍 Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MCNM / National Museum of Natural Sciences), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2 (Metro: Gregorio Marañón, Nuevos Ministerios; Renfe Cercanias: Nuevos Ministerios), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-F 10:00-17:00, Sa Su and holidays 10:00-20:00; Sa Su in Aug 10:00-15:00. Contains a large collection of fossils and minerals, plus educational exhibits (some are described in English but many are in Spanish only). Has two parts open to visitors with separate entrances. The ticket is purchased at the main entrance and to visit the other part you need to exit from the main entrance, turn left and follow the building until you reach the second entrance. Your ticket will be checked again there so don't lose it. €7 (adults), €3.50 (students/children 4-16), free (seniors/children under 4). (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Plaza de Castilla (Plaza de Castilla  S1  S9  S10 ; bus 27). On the north side of the city and bisected by Paseo de la Castellana, this plaza is in the center of Madrid's skyscraper district. A tall obelisk sits in the center of the plaza while the Gate of Europe (Puerta de Europa) towers, two slanted towers which frame the boulevard, are situated on the north side of the plaza. Taking the #27 bus, which runs along Paseo del Prado and Paseo de la Castellana and ends at Plaza de Castilla, will take you pass several Madrid highrises. North of the Plaza is the Four Towers (Cuatro Torres), four sleek new skyscrapers which are the tallest in Spain.  
• 🌍 Parque de El Capricho (El Capricho  S5 ). Oct-Mar: Sa Su and holidays 09:00-18:30 (last admission at 18:00); Apr-Sep: Sa Su and holidays 09:00-21:00 (last admission at 20:30). One of the most beautiful parks in Madrid. Built in 1797-1839, it has a strong Romanticism influence. Declared as an Historic Garden, its lakes with swans and ducks, labyrinths, palaces, squares and fountains makes this a lovely place. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Museo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (MUNCYT / National Museum of Science and Technology), Pintor Velazquez s/n, Alcobendas (Marques de la Valdavia  S10 ), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-F 10:00-17:00, Sa Su and holidays 11:00-19:00. This is a museum dedicated to the history of science and technology, exhibiting scientific instruments and consumer products from the last few centuries. It also contains a large educational hall, explaining natural phenomena with practical hands-on exhibits (fun for children). Many exhibits are described in English and Spanish, although some sections have only a summary in English. Free. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Spanish National Research Council Headquarters (CSIC). Headquarters of the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe. Not a real touristic place, and they would probably not let you in to take a photo of the building, but this is the main filming location of the Royal Mint of Spain in the spanish Emmy winner TV show, Money Heist (La Casa De Papel). (updated Dec 2018)

Do

• 🌍 Cines Dreams, C/ de Silvano, 77 (Centro Comercial Palacio de Hielo; metro: Canillas), ☎ [phone]. This cinema is located in a shopping mall know for its ice-skating ring. It is a great place where teenagers can hang out since the mall also has restaurants, bars, and shops. 
• 🌍 Auditorio Nacional de Música (National Auditorium of Music), C/ Príncipe de Vergara, 146, ☎ [phone], [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Ticket office: M 16:00-18:00, Tu-F 10:00-17:00, Sa 11:00-13:00; closed Sa in July and the month of Aug. The main concert venue for the Spanish National Orchestra and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, as well as the main venue for touring classical artists and orchestras. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Real Madrid. Real Madrid play in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football, and are the most successful football club not only in Spain but in Europe, having been Spanish champions 32 times and European champions 13 times. Their biggest rivals are FC Barcelona, and these twice-yearly El Clásico matches sell out quickly, as does El Derbi against Atlético de Madrid . Their stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu, has a capacity of 81,000. It's one km south of Chamartin railway station and has its own Metro stop. On non-match days you can take a self-guided tour, adult €16, which includes the pitch, dressing rooms, Press Room and trophy museum. On days close to matches there is reduced access & entry price but the museum remains open. (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Atlético de Madrid. They play in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football, and are one of the most successful teams in Spain, having won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey on ten occasions. They were European Cup runners-up in 2014 and 2016 and won the UEFA Europa League in 2010 and 2012. Since 2017 their home ground is Estadio Metropolitano, capacity 67,700, also known as Wanda Metropolitano. It's 10 km east of city centre in San Blas district, with its own metro station. (updated Sep 2018)

Buy

• 🌍 El Corte Inglés Nuevos Ministerios, C/ Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, 65, ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 10:00-22:00, Su 11:00-21:00. If for some reason you will end up in the concrete jungle of Nuevos Ministerios with time to kill, there is an 8-storey sprawling El Corte Inglés for your delight just over the station. (updated Feb 2017)

Eat

Budget

• 🌍 Home Burger Bar, Paseo de la Castellana, 210, ☎ [phone]. M 13:00-17:00, Tu-Su 13:00-17:00 20:00-24:00. Other burger bars of this brand can be found in Malasaña-Chueca. (updated Feb 2017)

Mid-range

• 🌍 Bar Jaén III, Calle de Poitiers, 3 (Metro: Coslada Estadio Olimpico), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 12:30-02:00, F Sa 11:30-03:00, Su 11:30-02:00. An excellent tapas bar and restaurant. A nice place to enjoy Spanish food and lifestyle without spending too much. Being located just outside central Madrid, it's far from being a tourist trap and you can enjoy good food and true raciónes (portions). The pleasant owners are very willing to share stories about Madrid and Spain more generally. In summer time it has a superb terrace, within a stone's throw of the Olympic Stadium. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Restaurante Samm, C/ Carlos Caamaño, 3B (Metro: Pio XII), ☎ [phone], [phone]. Su-F 11:00-19:00. Best paella in Madrid, but only if you bring more than two people by order of the proprietor. Frequented mainly by locals, prepare to be stared at by the wait staff if you are from out of town. (updated Feb 2017)

Splurge

Casa Lucio

• 🌍 Casa Nemesio, Paseo de la Castellana, 260, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Daily 12:00-01:00. Seafood. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 El Telégrafo, C/ Padre Damián, 44 (500m from Bernabeu Stadium), ☎ [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Daily 12:30-00:30. Arguably the best seafood in Madrid. (updated Feb 2017)

Drink

Sleep

• 🌍 Meliá Castilla, Calle del Poeta Joan Maragall, 43,, ☎ [phone]. (updated Sep 2018)

Connect