11 Things to Do in Madrid at Christmas

Whatever time of the year you visit, Madrid's many attractions are sure to keep you entertained at all times. However, there are some periods when the capital is transformed and is, if possible, even more interesting. One of those times is Christmas, when the whole city dresses up to celebrate the festive season.

During the festive season, Madrid looks even more beautiful and its atmosphere becomes unique. If you have never visited at this time of year, I recommend you book a ticket. The decorations, trees and lights will take your breath away.

What better time to visit the Warner Park in Madrid than Christmas, a key date in the calendar of this amusement park whose decorations will leave you speechless. During your visit you can enjoy no less than 34 attractions, as well as live shows.

And best of all, you'll be able to go through the Wild West, ride the roller coasters or explore its themed areas: Cartoon Village, DC Super Heroes World, Movie World Studios, Old West Territory and Hollywood Boulevard. Don't hesitate, dare to ride the world's tallest drop tower - a fun and spectacular experience!

If you've been to Madrid in December, you'll see how the Plaza Mayor is full of stalls. It's well worth a visit to buy figurines for the nativity scene, costume masks, trees, moss, mistletoe, hats and much more. It opens at the same time as the Christmas lights switch-on - usually at the end of November - and operates from 10.30am to 9pm (Sunday to Thursday) and from 10am to 10pm (Friday, Saturday and the eve of public holidays).

This market is a Madrid landmark. As early as the 17th century, sellers of animals, fruit, vegetables and Christmas decorations gathered in the nearby Plaza de Santa Cruz. Some 200 years later, the city council began to regulate the sale of licenses and the merchants moved to the current space.

For a 100% Madrilenian experience, you can snack on a city classic: bocadillo de calamares (squid sandwich). Near Plaza Mayor you can opt for La Ideal ( Calle Botoneras 4), Bar Postas (Calle Postas 13) and La Campana (Calle Botoneras 6).

In the last month of the year, Madrid becomes even brighter. The Christmas lights embellish the streets and fortunately there is a way to see them in comfort: Naviluz, the bus that takes you to the most emblematic spots in the capital. You can also opt to book the typical tourist bus tour, although the route has a different purpose: you will be able to enjoy most of the streets and their lights.

The tour takes place in an open-top double-decker bus and the journey takes between 40 and 50 minutes. In just under an hour, the vehicle passes through the following areas:

• Calle Serrano.
• Calle Velázquez.
• Plaza de la Independencia.
• Calle and Puerta de Alcalá.
• Plaza Cibeles.
• Gran Vía.
• Calle de los Reyes.
• Maestro Guerrero Street.
• Plaza España.
• Paseo de Recoletos.

To warm you up, there's nothing better than a good plate of cocido. The origins of this dish are shrouded in mystery, although it is believed to derive from cholent, a traditional dish of the Ashkenazi Jews. What is certain is that the recipe was very common among the less well-off classes as its slow cooking was also useful for heating houses.

In Madrid, you can find it in countless bars and taverns, often on a specific day of the week. In the centre, Lhardy is a recommended option. Opened in 1839 by the French chef Emilio Huguenin, it was the first restaurant to offer separate tables and a fixed-price menu. The establishment retains its elegant nineteenth-century décor (Carrera de San Jerónimo 8).

Other options are Casa Carola (Calle de Padilla 54), Malacatín (Calle la Ruda 5) and La Gran Tasca (Calle Santa Engracia 161). Book in advance!

In December, the snow begins to cover the forests and ski slopes of Madrid's sierra, so what better time to spend a day in nature?

Although the capital does not have facilities like those in the Alps or the Pyrenees, there is no shortage of options when it comes to skiing. When the first cold weather arrives, locals flock to Navacerrada, a ski and snowboard resort in the Sierra de Guadarrama.

Getting here is very easy. You can book an excursion to the Sierra de Guadarrama, or if you choose Navacerrada and have your own car or a hire car, just take the A6 motorway to Collado Villalba and then take the M601 Madrid - Segovia road to the town. Alternatively, you can take a train from Chamartín Station to Cercedilla and, once there, get on the Cotos train to Puerto de Navacerrada.

Between December and the beginning of January, going to Madrid's Parque de Atracciones is a magical experience as it opens the Christmas season. At this time of year, you can enjoy activities for children, meetings with Father Christmas and the Three Wise Men, shows, carols and much more.

The programme changes from year to year, but there is one thing that always remains the same: the spectacular Christmas decorations. To get there, just take the metro and get off at the Batán stop (line 10).

What would Christmas be without a beautiful nativity scene? Fortunately, as Christmas approaches, the main churches and public spaces in Madrid are filled with statuettes of shepherds, Holy Families and the Three Wise Men. The list below brings together the options I like best:

• Belén Napolitano, a classic in the capital. Every year, if you visit the Royal Palace in Madrid at this time of year, you will see that it hosts a historic nativity scene, the origin of which is due to Charles III who, before becoming King of Spain, ruled over Naples and Sicily. It is located in the Salón de Alabarderos( Calle de Bailén s/n).
• Nativity scene in the Church of San Ginés, an unknown gem. During the Christmas season, the church located in Calle Arenal hides in its façade the most beautiful Baroque nativity scene in the capital. Its life-size figures are a real gem (Calle Arenal 13).
• Nativity Scene of the Real Casa de Correos. It has more than 150 figures and the theme changes from year to year. Due to its central location, it is one of the most visited in the city (Puerta del Sol).
• Nativity Scene of the Convento de las Carboneras, the nativity scene from Ecuador. The spread of Christian customs in Latin America gave rise to nativity scenes with features and costumes typical of the overseas colonies. Specifically, this nativity scene was made in Quito and, after a long journey, arrived in Madrid at the end of the 16th century (Calle de Puñonrostro, 2).
• Nativity Scene of the Monastery of the Descalzas Reales. It reproduces the first Christmas celebrated by Saint Francis of Assisi in the cave of Greccio ( Plaza de las Descalzas s/n).
• Municipal Nativity Scene, a splendid outdoor nativity scene. It recreates a traditional landscape embellished with moss, stones and figures moulded by artists such as Olot, Almansa and José Luis Mayo (Plaza de la Villa).

Using the same way to get to the Prado Museum, as it is just a few metres away, you will be able to enjoy another unmissable attraction: Naturaleza Encendida. This event is a newcomer in Madrid - the first edition was held in 2019 - but it has quickly become a Christmas classic.

It is a themed exhibition that lights up the Real Jardín Botánico with LEDs and projectors. In the first year, the Madrid park became a fairy forest while in 2021 it paid homage to the maritime expeditions of Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano. I recommend you book in advance, tickets are flying!

The Three Kings arrive in Madrid on 5 January. Each neighbourhood has its own parade, although the most beautiful is the one that starts in Nuevos Ministerios and ends in Plaza de Cibeles.

Melchor, Gaspar, Baltasar descend the Paseo de la Castellana accompanied by the traditional throwing of sweets from the floats. At the end of the route, fireworks light up the Palacio de Cibeles.

If you are travelling to Madrid with children, I recommend you choose a good spot. Once you are in one place, it won't be easy to move away from it. To have a better view, some parents bring a stool or a small ladder, but I imagine you don't feel like bringing one during your holidays. To avoid this, you can arrive a little earlier and take a place near the railings or move a little further away to see them from the stands. For more information, I recommend you check the official tourism website of Madrid.

If you are travelling with your children, you can't miss Cortylandia, the most famous Christmas show in the city. The back façade of the Corte Inglés department store on Calle Preciados is transformed into a big screen with lights, music and moving figures. The theme is different each time and the shows are repeated throughout the day. It usually opens at the end of November and dismantles after 7 January.

Although it may not look like it, Cortylandia is a historic landmark in the capital. The first stage was set up in 1979 and represented the African savannah. A locomotive from the Parque de Atracciones was used for its staging.

The owners of the shopping centre decided to create the show with a double purpose: to ennoble the access to Maestro Victoria Street and at the same time create a new attraction. A few years later, Cortylandia is still an essential Christmas attraction.

Skating under a big fir tree immediately takes us back to American films. The rink under New York's Rockefeller Center is part of our imagination, but you don't have to cross the pond to glide across the ice. Here are the best rinks in Madrid:

• Plaza España, a 450 m2 rink next to the Gran Vía and at the foot of the Edificio España. This space has been completely remodelled following the winning project of a popular poll. From the square, pedestrian paths lead to the Temple of Debod and the Almudena Cathedral. Between the end of November and the beginning of January, it is open from 10:00 to 22:00.
• Matadero, the cultural space on the banks of the Manzanares. Underneath the warehouses converted into exhibition centres, there is a 600 m2 circuit. The ticket gives you access to the track for half an hour and includes skate and glove rental (Plaza de Legazpi 8).
• Palacio de Cibeles, one of the most popular. During the Christmas season, the Galería de Cristal of the emblematic modernist building hosts an indoor rink. You will skate under a very suggestive glass vault (Calle Montalbán 1).
• Reina Sofía, to round off a day of sightseeing. After admiring the best works of art in the museum, you can stretch your legs on the circuit in Plaza Juan Goytisolo.
• Madrid Dreams, the city's Olympic rink. If skating is your passion, it's worth a trip away from the centre. It is located in a shopping centre in the district of Hortaleza. For more info, I recommend you check the official website (Calle Silvano 77).
• Plaza Colón, the space that pays homage to the world champion skater Javier Fernández. The rink is 40 metres long and 20 metres wide and next to it you'll find a DJ set, a merry-go-round and Christmas markets. 10% of the proceeds go to Down España, an association that facilitates the inclusion of people with Down's Syndrome.

In December, many Spaniards travel to Madrid before Christmas. They mainly come to the capital to go shopping, enjoy a city break, visit friends and family or see the main attractions that Madrid has to offer. As a result, this is one of the busiest times of the year.

Due to the high number of tourists, the streets of the centre are closed to traffic. You can walk freely from the Royal Palace to Plaza de Cibeles.

Despite the crowds, this is a highly recommended option. In the last month of the year, lights illuminate the streets, trees appear in the squares and chestnut sellers set up shop in the main corners of the centre. At Christmas, the atmosphere is simply magical.

You can also take advantage of the occasion to go shopping. The capital has an endless number of shops and just a few kilometres away you'll find a luxury outlet: Las Rozas Village.