Marli Ferreira

This winter of 2023, Madrid will celebrate the 9th edition of Inverfest, with more than 100 shows. These are poetic evenings and concerts, among other shows.
At the festival, which takes place from January 6 to February 5, many Spanish artists will present their new albums or begin their tours this year.
Some of the options that you will find in its various venues (www.inverfest.com/sedes) are:
– Music of various musical genres: from indie or pop to flamenco, in case you want to get to know the Spanish musical culture. You will surely like one of the 120 concerts that will be offered.
You can see more here: www.inverfest.com/cartel-festival/

– Inververso poetry cycle, with a mixture of poems, music and lyrics, since personalities from literature will be presented.
Look at this link to find out more: www.inverfest.com/eventos/categoria/poesia/

– Polar Conversations, which is a series of films and documentaries that you cannot miss. There will be movie nights, DJs and live music and conversations with the stars of some films, which will make you enjoy the cinema in a very special way.

– New rockers is another live music cycle for parents to enjoy with their children

Now you know that in Madrid the cold is also synonymous with fun. You have many options to enjoy.
We leave you the link of the site so you can see all the details of the festival: www.inverfest.com

Summer time is approaching on this side of the hemisphere and Madrid has endless opportunities. It is the Spanish capital that offers everything for all tastes. In this list we will tell you about events to enjoy the heat and good weather.

Outdoor Concerts in Retiro

The Parque del Buen Retiro is a special place in the middle of Madrid, with its groves and walkways full of attractions.
Every summer the park is filled with music thanks to its open-air concerts that take place on Sundays, at noon until September.
Enter through the Hernani gate at the O’Donnell street entrance and reach the Bandstand of Music. There are always posters announcing the concerts.The rest is up to you: sit in an available chair or on the lawn and enjoy the music. This is the link to the concerts for your convenience.

Book Fair

If you like reading, you can’t miss the Book Fair, where you can buy books you are interested in, discover new genres and chat with their authors. The fair begins on May 27 and takes place in the Retiro Park, where there will be almost 400 booths, many activities and more than 3,600 authors willing to sign. There will be 16 days in which the Fair will be open from Monday to Friday, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., while the weekend will remain open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
More information can be found on the fair website: www.ferialibromadrid.com

Photo Spain

Photo España is the most important photography event in the country. The best national and international photographers pass through there. If you like photography, you can’t miss it. Best of all, you can visit the show throughout the summer.
This year is special because the meeting celebrates its 25th anniversary. There will be a triple program with special emphasis on documentary photography. The meetings start on May 30 in places such as the Royal Palace of Madrid, the Mapfre Foundation, the Círculo de Bellas Artes or Casa de América. So that you don’t miss any events and have the ability to get your ticket, we leave you the complete agenda that the festival site has: www.phe.es

Ice Palace

The Ice Palace is a center that contains an ice rink where you can ice skate. Believe it or not, it is a place that is only 15 minutes from the center of Madrid, near Barajas.
In addition to practicing this sport, you can visit the other facilities of the shopping center, since there are numerous shops and restaurants nearby. It is ideal way to spend a summer afternoon.
If you want to know more, we leave you their website with all the available information: www.palaciodehielo.com

Go Karts

If you are someone who likes the adrenaline that speed produces, then go karting is a good option for you to spend a fun afternoon. Madrid has many circuits for you to choose the one you like the most.
We leave you a list of some tracks and their links so you can see details:
– Karting by Carlos Sainz (www.kartcsainz.com/)
– Karting Club Los Santos (www.kartingclublossantos.com)
– Formula Zero Karting (www.formulacero.com/)
– Karting Angel Burgueño (www.kartingangelburgueno.com/)
– Jarama Race (www.jarama.org/)

Europe Park

Parque Europa is located outside Madrid city, in Torrejón de Ardóz. It is an unusual park, as it has representations of European monuments and a fragment of the Berlin Wall. We leave you their website so you can learn more details and you can buy your ticket online.
parqueeuropa.ayto-torrejon.es/

Madrid swimming pools
You already know that there is no summer without water to cool off. That’s why you can’t miss the pools spread throughout the city of Madrid. In 2022 they open on May 22 and will remain open until September 11. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. To access them, Madrid City Council has an app. From it you can make reservations in one of the two previous shifts.
Prices are as follows:
Children under 5 years: free
Children (from 5 to 14 years old): 1.35 euros.
Young (from 15 to 26 years old): 1.80 euros.
Adult (from 27 to 64 years old: 2.25 euros.
Older (from 65 years): 0.70 euros.
For their part, the swimming pools of the Community of Madrid (Canal de Isabel II Sports Facility, Puerta de Hierro Sports Park, M 86 Sports Center and San Vicente de Paúl Sports Facilities) open from June 11 until the first week of September.
Tickets can be reserved at www.gestiona.madrid.org/

Pubs
If you want to drink and eat while you get to know the city, a good option is the pubs of l Madrid. The options are endless and for all tastes. Here is the link of Tourism of Madrid in which the City Council proposes a map so that you can choose the area you prefer.
www.esmadrid.com/zonas-de-marcha-en-madrid

Canela Car

If you are not afraid of heights and you like new experiences, you cannot skip
a ride on the Madrid Cable Car, located in the heart of Casa de Campo.
It covers a distance of 2,457 meters at a height of 40 meters, so the views are unmissable. In the following link we leave you the schedules and rates so that you can plan your visit:
www.teleferico.emtmadrid.es

Without a doubt, this post would never end if we put everything there is to do in Madrid, because the options are endless ranging from visiting markets, going to the theater and even visiting nearby towns. However, we hope that this selection will be useful to you.

Moving around the capital of Spain is very easy, and since all corners of the city are very well connected, it is fast and efficient to use Madrid’s public transport. The interesting thing is that you can do so very cheaply. The public transport network includes mobility by bus, train, metro and light rail, with the latter perhaps being the most widely used of the three. You can access all of them with a single access card (Public Transport Card or TTP) by paying a subscription that you can use as many times as you want for 30 days.

But how to access this benefit? If you are 26 years of age or younger, there is a Youth Pass provided by the Community of Madrid, which costs only 20 euros per month and allows you to travel to all areas. To obtain the card with the subscription you can make an appointment in advance at one of the offices available in the city and manage it there or request it online.

How to manage the card in person:

To manage the card in an office, you must request an appointment in the following link:

https://www.crtm.es/atencion-al-cliente/gestiones/oficinas-de-gestion.aspx

On the agreed date you must go to the office where you have registered where you must present yourself with the following documentation:

– Your DNI, NIE, passport or residence permit
– A recent passport-sized color photograph, although if you process it at a management office, the photograph will be taken on the spot
– Card application
– The cost of the card is 4 euros the first time

It is very important that you do not forget any documents, otherwise you will have to get a new appointment.

How to get your card online:

But you can also request the card online on the official website of the Community of Madrid. This is the access link:

http://www.tarjetatransportepublico.es/

There you should:
– Indicate your DNI, NIE or passport number
– Upload a passport-size color photo
– Pay the price of the card (4 euros)

The good thing is that you will receive the card at the address you have indicated, but it will take between 7 and 15 days. Once you have it in your hand, you can recharge it every month in:

– Automatic machines installed in the Madrid Metro, Light Rail and Cercanías Stations
– Information points of the Transport Interchanges
– Tobacco shops and other authorized points of sale
– Transport Card App, which you can download at the following link: https://www.crtm.es/atencion-al-cliente/area-de-descargas/apps/app-tarjeta-transporte.aspx

Remember that only you can use the compost. If you lend it to others, you could be penalized with fines. You know, you can travel in the city of Madrid cheaply and as many times as you want with the transport pass.

In the following map you can see the areas covered by the transport service with the Youth Pass.

If you like Madrid, you will like it even more at Christmas. A month beforehand, on November 25, the city will light up to await the end of the year festivities.

This is the special lighting that the Madrid City Council has for 232 locations in the city, an unpredictable spectacle. Surely you have already seen the decorations that have been arranged in emblematic places such as Preciados, Montera, Gran Vía or Jorge Juan, which will be lit at 7.30 pm as every year.

The entire lighting operation has cost about 3.6 million euros and is a way to promote commerce, hotels, restaurants and tourism in the city, as well as being a way to send a message of encouragement and hope to Madrilenians and visitors after more than a year and a half of very complicated life due to the pandemic, in accordance to the City Council.
Below is a video of the opening of 2020.