Madrid tourist map: zones, districts and pages to read

There is no single big map to memorise for Madrid, but there is a simple logic: the historic centre fits in a rectangle you can cross on foot, and each major sight has its district. This guide splits the city into zones, says what you find in each, the distances between them and the page of this site to open for each one. It does not replace a digital map; it helps you choose where to start.

How to read Madrid: a compact centre

View over the Retiro and the Prado

The tourist heart lies between the Royal Palace to the west, the Retiro to the east, the Gran Vía to the north and Atocha and Lavapiés to the south. The Puerta del Sol is its symbolic centre; from there the Plaza Mayor is a few minutes' walk, the Royal Palace about a quarter of an hour, the Prado a little more. Many sights can be reached on foot: the metro is mostly for covering distances to outlying districts (see transport in Madrid).

The zones to know

Zone	What you find	Where to start
Habsburg Madrid and Puerta del Sol	Plaza Mayor, San Miguel market, Puerta del Sol	Plaza Mayor
Royal Madrid	Royal Palace, Almudena cathedral, gardens	Royal Palace
Paseo del Arte	Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofía	Prado
Retiro and Salamanca	Park, Puerta de Alcalá, boutiques	Retiro
La Latina and Lavapiés	Tapas, Rastro, neighbourhood life	La Latina
Malasaña and Chueca	Bars, boutiques, cafés	Malasaña
Gran Vía and Plaza de España	Theatres, department stores	Gran Vía
Madrid Río, Casa de Campo	Walks, parks, cycling	Madrid Río

Distances to know

Puerta del Sol to Plaza Mayor: about 5 minutes on foot.
Plaza Mayor to the Royal Palace: about 10 minutes.
Puerta del Sol to the Prado: about 20 minutes, or a few metro stops.
Prado to the Puerta de Alcalá and the Retiro: about 10 to 15 minutes.
Puerta del Sol to Chueca or Malasaña: about 10 to 15 minutes.

These are orders of magnitude: the city goes up and down, and central streets are longer than they look.

Three ways to split your days

By era. Habsburgs (Plaza Mayor, Sol), Bourbons (Royal Palace, Cibeles), then museums. Details in royal Madrid.
By theme. Museums in the Paseo del Arte, parks in the most beautiful parks, nightlife districts in Madrid at night.
By length of stay. For 1, 3 or 4 days see what to do in one day, 3 days and 4 days.

Where to eat by zone

Meals are not found in the same places everywhere: see where to eat near the Retiro, where to eat near the Prado and where to eat in Madrid.

Finding your way on the spot

The city's tourist offices generally hand out a free paper map; the city council app and digital maps work well with a local SIM card or an eSIM. Take visible landmarks: Puerta del Sol, Gran Vía, Royal Palace, Cibeles, Atocha. The Retiro is the big green space to the east.