07 March 2024

All it takes is some careful planning. We travelled as a family of 4, taking the metro directly from the airport to the city centre, which was efficient, easy and cheap. I highly recommend downloading the Moovit app to navigate public transport options. The app gives you several options of getting from A to B with live updates. There are lots of child-friendly places in Spain's capital city, named after the Arabic 'Magerit' (place of many streams). Restaurants in the city centre, including those around the famous Plaza Mayor - home of the oldest restaurant in the world "Sobrino del Botin" - welcome children. My two were truly spoilt with attention! Our favourite attraction was the Zoo Aquarium de Madrid, just a 10 minute walk from the Casa del Campo metro station. Not only did they have a selection of well-cared for animals that we haven't seen elsewhere, such as gorillas, pandas, brown bears and Iberian Lynx, but they had a hands-on section where the children could pet goats, and even feed flamingoes! There were several fantastic shows on during the day, like the flying of the exotic birds and bird of prey. You are really spoilt for choice for parks in Madrid. The most famous of these, El Retiro, has a lake in which you can hire row boats, many play areas, puppet shows on the weekend, bike hire, sculptures and jogging tracks. A beautiful perk of going in the February half-term meant that we could see the almond blossom in Quinta de los Molinos public park, next to the Suanzes metro station. Finally, no visit to Madrid would be complete without mentioning the indoor market next to the Plaza Mayor, "El Mercado de San Miguel". A great option for fussy eaters and a magical foodie wonderland for children, a stroll around here at any time of day can lead to sampling a variety of deliciuos tapas, enchiladas, oysters, chorizo, drinks and fruit cocktails. So the next time you think your holiday options are reduced with little ones, consider exploring a new city with something for everyone.