Unique romantic getaways

A boat ride across the pond in El Retiro Park may sound great, but there are lots of more innovative things to do in Madrid. A different stay in the Spanish capital with your significant other.

Vintage getaway

If yours is old-fashioned love, Madrid offers the most varied options to enjoy a romance like those of days gone by… You can start by moving around the city on a Vespa, visit some of our century-old stores or have something to eat or drink in bars or restaurants with centuries of history, and if you feel like a look towards the past with renewed airs, you can  visit the new Café Comercial, or  sign up for a plan with one of the best views of  the city, the Hotel Indigo terrace alongside the Gran Vía.

The dinner and movie plan is a classic. For a surprising twist, try the largest drive-in cinema in Europe. For old times’ sake, have a drink in one of the iconic bars of the La Movida movement, such as Penta or La Vía Láctea. And to have something to remember your love by, get a tattoo at True Love Tatoo, a parlour run by El Bara, one of the most popular old-school tattoo artists in the city.

And if you love all things retro, head to the Teatro Real opera house, which is also home to the restaurant Papagena offering impressive views of the Plaza de Oriente and the Royal Palace; the National Archaeological Museum, which has been renovated recently; or the lesser-known yet equally amazing National Museum of Anthropology. You can also stop off at the Mirador de la Cornisa Viewpoint at the Royal Palace to take a beautiful photo of the stunning views over Campo del Moro Park and Casa de Campo Park.

And what better way to spend the afternoon than strolling through one of the many charming street markets scattered around the city, home to traders and producers of all kinds.

Getaway for geeks

If you’ve met via social media or thanks to the algorithm of an app, you could be interested in what Madrid has for techies.

Bus stops in the EMT network are equipped with NFC and QR technology, so you can use your smartphones to know when the next bus is coming. More modern ways of getting around include Segway Tours and the e-bike rental system, bicimad. For more exclusive transportation, check the Tesla rental apps available. You can also tour the city on an electric scooter that allows you to get around in a comfortable, fast, and sustainable way.

Another option is to visit MAD (Madrid Digital Arts) Immersive Experience Centre, a new space located in Matadero Madrid, a revolutionary centre for digital cultural development, unique in Spain and Europe. A creative space that experiments with immersion based on audiovisual projections, augmented reality, virtual reality, and holography to create a new relationship between art and society.

Tech lovers will find interesting tourist attractions in Madrid. Telefónica Foundation hosts multidisciplinary cultural activities dealing with technology and culture in the twenty-first century. Also, there’s an Apple Store in the beating heart of the city, Puerta del Sol. It’s one of the largest in Europe – a real temple for acolytes of this brand. La N@ve, in the popular district of Villaverde, is a fascinating innovation and entrepreneurship centre. If you like it, you can get official T-shirts with illustrations of the industrial building.

For tech hotels in Madrid, try the NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding. Although it’s best known for housing DiverXO, Dabiz Muñoz’s restaurant isn’t the only thing it has to offer. For instance, there’s a giant dome covered by a 300m² LED screen. And there are also the Mood Rooms: smart rooms that change according to guests’ mood.

Another recommendation is to visit the Museum of Illusions Madrid, an original museum of tours, both social and entertaining, that go into the world of optical illusions. It has holograms, tricks and games about vision, perception, the human brain and science. And you can't miss a visit to the Museum of Happiness, where you can enjoy an immersive experience in which you can discover everything about happiness.

And for a drink there is Meltdown Madrid, a bar designed for gamers where you can play on computers while enjoying a good drink. The WAH Madrid event is an original dinner and a show to enjoy with your partner. It is a special experience organised each year for Valentine's Day.

Getaway for freaks

If you’re into role playing, Z movies or non-mainstream manga, your trip to Madrid should include a visit to La Caja del Terror, a place where magic and drama join forces for a horrifying experience. The escape room and the escape cluedo are particularly spooky. If you are looking for more inspiration to choose an escape game, keep reading these special contents. You cannot miss the Wax Museum or the Parque de Atracciones amusement park and its Walking Dead Experience either.

Murders in Madrid is a private guided tour of places where the city’s most infamous crimes took place. For the charm of graveyards, go to La Almudena or San Isidro. The latter even offers guided tours.

Another option is to visit the Marquis of Linares Palace, headquarters of Casa de América, which organises a night-time visit as if it were the 19th century, with characters from the period as hosts who will reveal the palace's most hidden and mysterious secrets. Furthermore, legend has it that the Marquises of Linares and their daughter Raimunda had a stormy existence and their ghosts wander around the family palace amidst complaints and cries.

For a romantic gift, try El Jardín del Ángel, a flower shop housed in an ancient cemetery. And for a drink, there’s a bunch of peculiar bars: Medias Puri, a storefront nightclub (the façade is a haberdasher’s). Another good option is to visit Replay Outlet Cafe, a place where you can play board games accompanied by a good coffee and your favorite food.

For a night out of the ordinary, stay at the Cat’s Hostel, where all kinds of paranormal activity takes place.

A few kilometres from the centre of Madrid is Virtual Recall, a centre for virtual reality activities that uses the latest technology in the sector and action, terror, children's, family or educational themes.

For its part, the Juguetrónica shop, located in the ABC Serrano Shopping Centre, has The Robot Museum which focuses on the exciting world of entertainment robots. An opportunity to learn about the past, present and future of robotics from an enjoyable and stimulating point of view.

In the neighbourhood of La Latina you will find Rockade Madrid, a new venue with arcade games and vintage pinball machines, where you can also enjoy tacos, hot dogs, and burgers.

For those who are most  nostalgic, there is the NEXT LEVEL Arcade Bar  with a retro atmosphere in the centre of Madrid with arcade games, a nostalgic ambience and music from the past and the present. The bar has two establishments in the city, one in Callao and the other in Argüelles.

Getaway and fitness

So you’ve met at the spinning class and you prefer calorie-counting wristbands to jewellery? Madrid is the perfect city for you too.

You’ll find spas, wellness centres and gyms in many hotels in town, featuring state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. At the Radisson RED Madrid, however, they’re one step ahead: they have personal trainers for their guests and organise running tours of the city. Some of the best hotels in the city have well-equipped gyms to keep you in shape during your trip, such as Hotel Riu Plaza España, Thompson Madrid, The Madrid EDITION and Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid, which also have a spa and fitness area.

For a shopping spree, head for the six-storey store of El Corte Inglés specialising in sports gear in Puerta del Sol, or just find your favourite brand’s store in town: Nike, New Balance, Decathlon… you name it.

Do not miss a visit to one of the city’s temples of sport, such as the Bernabéu Tour where you can discover the refurbishments to the stadium with its embracing, unique and avant-garde image or the Cívitas Metropolitano Tour. And for a romantic but healthy meal, try the growing number of green restaurants and grocery shops in town like Honest Greens, Rawcoco, Kiki Market or Café Run Run Run.