Local tips to beat Madrid’s heat
Madrid has a thousand theaters, a thousand museums, corralas, organillos and chulapas, but come August, and no beach here, oops!. So says one of the most famous Spanish summer songs, but, don’t worry, here’s what we madrileños do to escape the heat.
Stock up on cold drinks.
While traditional food from Madrid isn’t summer friendly, here are some ideas on what to drink.
Since several centuries, Madrid’s cafes serve leche merengada, a mix of milk and egg with some drops of cinnamon and lemon. If you prefer to have it directly as an ice cream, check out the branch Palazzo near Sol or Gran Vía, for a traditional local flavor. Milky valencian staple, horchata is also popular in the capital, but its famous tigernut gives it a more bittersweet taste.
If milk is not your thing, order a granizado, a crushed ice drink offered in many flavors around shops and street joints. Ordering it with lemon taste is almost always expected.
And, of course, some alcoholic drinks are also well loved. Sangría is advertised everywhere, but most locals prefer ordering tinto de verano. The name says it itself, it’s the way to have red wine in summer (hint, with tonic). Popular young chain 100 Montaditos churns out gallons of tinto and local beer daily.
Go to a park
No need to leave the city when almost every district of Madrid counts sizable green areas in which to escape from the heat. Plenty of on site bars and illegal vendors will cater to your drinking needs, but the grass is usually always, picnic friendly.
El Buen Retiro, with its centric 1.4 km2 of greenery, lakes and small pavilions is always full of foreigners and locals alike, almost from dusk till dawn (it does close, so don’t fall asleep on the lawn!). You can row boats, listen to free concerts, watch modern art expositions, puppet shows, street dancers and pretty much, anything you want.
Also centric, Jardines de Sabatini, Campo del Moro and Parque de Debod welcome you for a quick escape from the busier areas of Madrid. The first two border the Royal Palace, and offer concerts whole summer long. The second one, higher up, offers a big panorama view of the west of the city. A 2200 year old Egyptian temple, a diplomatic gift from the 60’s, adorns this park and makes for great photo ops, specially at sunset, when its outline and that of the nearby Plaza España skyscrapers reflect on the pond.
Madrid’s Olympic quests from 2006–2011 brought in a complete re-design of the Manzanares river bank. Big sections of the motorway were buried underground and over 30,000 trees were planted to create Madrid Río, the capital’s newest and bigger green area. Under the Arganzuela bridge lays Madrid Beach (yeah, you heard right!), which is for the moment just a set of fountains. Still, you are bound to find plenty of kinds hoping around the water sprinklers, while their families watch nearby.
Take a tip from grandma… carry your fan
This one is for the ladies and might sound a bit stereotypical, but even though most places have Air Conditioning, a hand fan is a practical handbag staple, specially when sitting indoors with a crowd. Trust me, you’ll end up fanning yourself with any other paper item otherwise!
This little rule is observed all throughout Spain, but if you want a real abanico from Madrid (ditch the plastic souvenir offers!), you can do no wrong by stopping in Casa de Diego at Sol Square, on the corner with Montera Street.
Somos Casa de Diego, empresa dedicada por más de 150 años a la fabricación y venta de abanicos en Madrid y otros…casadediego.info
If everything else fails…. don’t be scared to take a break!
Truth is, in August, you’ll be hard pressed to find a madrileño out under the sun between 15h and 17h. Those who can avoid it are either home, trying to prolong their lunch at a restaurant (it’s called, sobremesa) or squeezing a little nap somewhere under the trees.
It’s ok to take a break, shops are usually open till around 21h and most streets and terraces reach their fuller point way after 18h anyways. You’ll want to stay out longer too, I promise!
