What to do in Madrid when it’s raining? You can still have fun in Madrid on rainy days. There are many interesting suggestions for exploring this cosmopolitan city when it’s raining and keeping yourself dry in pleasant places that are worth visiting or revisiting: cultural centres, fairs, exhibitions, etc.
No matter how well you think you know Madrid, don’t be afraid to go out with an umbrella or a rain jacket and boots on rainy days to discover great and fun places that offer the best indoor entertainment, even to let off steam and tire out the kids.
We at Génova 5 suggest some ideas, as well as a route through the best patisseries, bars and cafés where you can taste the delicious calamari sandwiches, the wonderful coffees, marvellous wines or a vermouth tasting. They are all great plans to enjoy Madrid in the rain.
Culinary plans
A nice chocolate with churros to start off a rainy, grey day is sure to lift your spirits and warm you up. In Chocolatería San Ginés, one of the most famous in Madrid and mentioned in the play “Luces de Bohemia” by Valle-Inclán, you can enjoy one of the most traditional and popular breakfasts.
When it’s time for vermouth or wine and to get the taste buds going, it’s worth taking a tapas tour of Madrid’s markets. Here you can savour traditional, vegetarian or international gourmet cuisine, and admire their architecture, which is considered an Asset of Cultural Interest.
Some of the most iconic ones are:
- Mercado de San Miguel with a good atmosphere of Madrid de los Austrias and a wide range of gastronomic proposals of the country;
- Mercado de San Antón with a heterogeneous gastronomy, where you can taste small portions of Spanish sushi, cod, salted, canned and smoked fish, which are authentic delicacies, or portions of international gourmet cuisine. Located in Chueca, and introduced by Galdós in “Fortunata y Jacinta”, in this 1945 building, later remodelled and reopened in 2011, you can enjoy views of the capital’s skyline from the terrace of La Cocina de San Antón.
- There is also another surprising space in Chueca that stands out for its interior design: El Huerto de Lucas, a garden suspended from the ceiling, colourful pots on all the walls and a great contrast present in the different food stalls.
All this makes it a good place to take shelter from the rain and the chance to taste the best delicacies, as well as being able to buy a wide range of organic and vegan products (vegetables, fruit, meat, homemade sweets, cosmetics, …).
What to do in Madrid when it’s raining: Cultural plans
There are exhibitions and shows in Madrid’s main galleries, cultural centres and museums for art lovers, which are perfect for rainy days.
You can take a morning or afternoon tour of the Golden Triangle of Art: the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum allow you to learn about and admire the history of art, from Renaissance, Impressionism, to Modernist and Contemporary.
Other interesting options are the private collection of the Cerralbo Museum, or the Sorolla Museum and the Lázaro Galdiano Museum where you can admire treasures of silverware, jewellery and works by famous painters.
You’ll have a great time at the Wax Museum trying to identify well-known characters, from kings and children to sportsmen and singers.
You can go to the most original bookshops in Madrid to sit down and have a drink while you enjoy the adventures in the pages of their books or take part in colloquiums and conferences, and even wine tastings, such as the one offered by “Tipos Infames” in Malasaña.
In Chueca, the Librería Antonio Machado is a meeting place for concerts, exhibitions, meetings and colloquiums, or the Librería Pérez Galdós, where you can find true treasures of antiquity.
For lovers of the seventh art, the Ocho y Medio bookshop with more than 15,000 books on the subject of cinema, film merchandising and a small, cosy space for having a coffee.
A play, comedy, musical, monologue or cinema can be a good way to escape from the rain and have fun. In this cosmopolitan city there are plenty of establishments with a good billboard to find something to your liking even on these unpleasant days.
Other plans for rainy days in Madrid
Madrid has an outstanding variety of places where you can do fun activities that allow you to enjoy and unleash adrenaline as a couple, with friends or with your family.
Virtual reality centres, to have adventures, for all tastes and audiences, and leisure centres that house an infinite number of indoor entertainment: bowling, climbing, diving, target shooting, zip lines, trampolines, slides, mats, mazes, … A whole jungle of activities to have fun and have a snack in the cafeterias of these recreational spaces.
Do not forget that our flats will always be at the perfect temperature to keep you warm after a rainy day in Madrid
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