Madrid for first-time visitors

Walking routes and clear decisions from someone who lives here.
No tourist traps, no itinerary noise.

Read The Guide

Start with a full day, or with the decision you're stuck on.

01The criteria

Madrid with purpose.
Without rushing or improvising.

Logical routes

Designed to walk, not to tick boxes.

Local criteria

What's worth your time, what isn't, and why.

Zero tourist traps

Opening hours, queues, neighborhoods and common mistakes. No filter.

02Where to start

Three pieces to start with

One full morning, one decision, one calm day.

Almudena Cathedral with Plaza de la Armería in front, Madrid.

Walking route

How to spend your first morning in Madrid

A clear first morning through San Ginés, Teatro Real, Plaza de Oriente and Almudena Cathedral, walked in the right order.

Palacio Real seen frontally from the gardens of Plaza de Oriente, Madrid

Decision piece

Madrid historic center without tourist traps

A local way to read Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and the old center: what's worth your time and what to skip.

Monumento a Alfonso XII seen from across the Estanque Grande, with rowing boats on the water, in Parque del Retiro, Madrid.

Cultural day

Retiro and Prado: a calm first-visit day

A full but manageable day around Parque del Retiro and Museo del Prado, with clear limits on how much to take in.

See everything in The Guide →

03Who writes this

Written and walked from Madrid

Cárcamo is written by me, Alfredo. I've lived in Madrid all my life, and what I keep here is only what's worth your time: logical routes, useful context, less noise.

I'm not here to show you everything. I'm here to save you the bad decisions.