Five activities to do by yourself in Madrid
Travelling solo can be both refreshing and daunting, especially if you are not sure on what to do. I have found that when I travel alone, I often get through most of the things I want to see quite quickly. I started to book tours to allow me to meet other people. Not only this, but tours usually take up a few hours of your time and can be a great way to learn new things about the city you are in. Whilst I was in Madrid, I did struggle to get everything I wanted to do in. I know that sometimes people often wonder what they can do alone. In my opinion, most things can be done alone, you just have to not care. Here are several activities to do by yourself in Madrid.
1) Visit Sol
Sol is the main centre of Madrid where everything is happening. A lot of free walking tours happen from here and usually begin in the morning (around 11am). If you don’t want to do a tour, you can easily spend your time walking the streets, looking at the shops and trying the food. It doesn’t take long walking around the centre, but most of the main attractions are located near here, so it is a good place to begin.
2) Try the famous Chocolate and Churros from CHOCOLATERÍA SAN GINÉS
Chocolateria san gines is a famous shop in Madrid where thousands of tourists visit daily to try the churros and chocolate. When I went, there were a few shops with the same name due to the number of people that visit. Many people spend time queuing to try the food here. The place is quite fast pace. You start off ordering your food and are given a ticket. Once you have a ticket, you give the ticket to the chef and find a seat. Once you have finished your meal, you usually have to leave quite quickly due to the amount of people trying to also find seats. It can be overwhelming for some, but also very tasty.
3) Watch the sunset at Temple of Debod
If the weather is nice, head to the Temple of Debod to watch the sunset. A lot of people gather here and I felt very safe doing this alone. When I went, I saw a lot of people by themselves and the area is quite crowded. It is a beautiful spot, but be sure to get there an hour or so before the sun actually sets because it gets quite busy. Sometimes there are musicians playing music too which is quite nice to set the mood.
4) Visit the Palace and Cathedral
The palace is another great place to visit and very popular amongst tourists. You can definitely spend a few hours wandering around here. You can pre-book the tickets online if you want to plan your visit rather than deciding on the day.
5) Watch a flamenco show
If you are looking for something to do in the evening, I would recommend booking a flamenco show. I booked one with https://www.getyourguide.co.uk/. I spent around 20 euros and got a free drink for a 1-hour show. This was something I would not have usually done and I felt very comfortable doing this alone. The atmosphere was very nice and the dancers were very talented.
If you keep an open mind then there are lots of things you can do solo whilst in Madrid. As a female solo-traveller, I felt quite safe, even at night. The streets are usually quite busy, but as always, just be aware of your surroundings.
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