See the best places to shop in Madrid and add these streets, stores and shopping malls to your itinerary around the city!
I never thought of Spain as a good destination for shopping in Europe.
However, after moving to Portugal, I realized that the neighboring country offers many attractions for those who want to take a cultural trip, and also take the opportunity to do a little shopping.
Firstly, it is a cheap destination compared to others like France and London. Product prices can even be fixed within the European Union, but the price of accommodation and restaurants certainly cannot.
Hotels in Spain are much cheaper, and it's easy to find restaurants with dishes made for less than €10 per person (even less if you're content with a few tapas main course).
Therefore, those who want to save money on their trip to spend on shopping have an excellent destination option in Spain. And in Madrid, the capital, is where you will find several famous stores and shopping opportunities.
In this post, I show you where to shop in Madrid, with tips on the best stores, streets, malls and brands.
Where to shop in Madrid – Best streets, malls and stores
Normally, in this type of “Where to shop in…” I start by indicating a shopping center. In Madrid, however, the best places to shop are outdoors. These are extremely famous streets and are usually included in any itinerary for anyone visiting the city for the first time.
Gran Vía
Gran Vía is probably the closest Spain has to a Times Square. With the exception of the neon lights, the atmosphere is very similar, with countless stores everywhere, and a crowd of people that makes you wonder if Worldwide decided to travel to Madrid.
There you will find stores like Zara, Uniqlo, H&M, Bershka, Pull&Bear, Primor, Adidas, Oysho, Sketchers and, most importantly, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) Primark you will see in your life. The store is huge, with three floors of every type of product you can imagine, from men's, women's and children's clothing, to accessories, shoes and home decor. It’s worth a visit, even if just to see the building from the inside!
If part of the group is impatient for shopping, my recommendation is to leave them at Montaditos, close to McDonalds. It's a Spanish tapas restaurant in Seville, and a pint of beer costs just €1,50.
Salamanca
On Calles Serrano and Claudio Coello you will find the main luxury stores and high-end of the city, such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, lululemon, & Other Stories, Longchamp, Dior, Hermés, Tiffany & Co., COS and derivatives.
It is a wonderful place to stroll, as the neighborhood is very pleasant, and along the shops you can also find numerous restaurants to take a break for lunch or dinner. At the end of Calle Serrano is also Puerta de Alcalá, and the entrance to El Retiro park.
It's very easy to fit the neighborhood into any itinerary, especially on days spent in the park or even on the day you visit the Museo del Prado.
Fuencarral Street
Very close to Gran Vía is Calle Fuencarral, which could be just another street full of shops that I could mention in passing. However, I made a point of adding it to the post, because on this street, close to the Tribunal metro station, you will find countless incredible second-hand stores.
If you like thrift stores, you can't miss Flamingos Vintage Kilo, where you pay by weight, not by pieces, Retro City, Templo Susu, Columbus... You can't go wrong, because any street you enter in the region will have several stores of this type.
El Rastro Fair
With more than 1000 vendors participating, the El Rastro fair is one of the largest street fairs in the country, taking place every Sunday and public holiday. To get there, just get off at La Latina metro station around nine in the morning, and get ready to explore. The fair runs until three in the afternoon.
There you can find everything, from clothes and accessories to paintings, home decor, stationery, old toys, comics and magazines, toys, antiques, shoes, old electronics, and whatever else you can imagine.
I think it's the second biggest street fair I've ever been to, second only to Tristan Narvaja in Montevideo.
Prince Pius
If you prefer traditional shopping malls, don't worry as they are easy to find in Madrid. Príncipe Pío is probably the most convenient to get to, as it is close to the Royal Palace and Plaza de España.
It's a very ordinary shopping mall with some popular stores, such as Mango, Stradivarius, Bershka, Rituals, Sfera, Springfield, The Body Shop, Levi's and Calzedonia. It also has a food court with popular restaurants such as McDonald's, KFC, La Tagliatella and 100 Montaditos.
If you want to visit a larger shopping mall, you can take line 1 to Las Suertes station and visit the mall La Gavia. The selection of stores is a little bigger there!
El Corte Ingles
O El Corte Ingles is the largest Spanish department store. Here you will find several floors of high-quality, name brands, such as Maje, Max Mara Weekend, Jimmy Choo, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, among others.
It's also an excellent place to buy beauty products or perfumes, with brands that aren't easy to find in stores like Sephora or even Primor. If you shop a lot in the United States, this store would be the equivalent of a Macy's or Nordstrom.
There are numerous El Corte Inglés locations throughout the country's capital, but the one you'll probably visit is the one in Callao, near Gran Vía. If you want to eat something different, it's also worth taking a look at the store's food court, which usually has slightly more sophisticated and cool restaurants.
Primor
And speaking of beauty and perfume purchases, I already mentioned the Primor twice here in the post, but it deserves a separate section. I discovered the store for the first time when I went to Malaga, and what caught my attention the most were the prices – everything was very cheap!
In stores spread across the city you will find brands such as Moroccanoil, L'Oreal, Kerastase, Olaplex, Maybelline, essence, Catrice, NYX, Revlon, The Ordinary, La Roche-Posay, Clinique and even Korean cosmetics. In addition to facial masks, bronzers, makeup brushes, cosmetics... It's a delight for those who like to shop for cosmetics, without a doubt one of the best stores to shop in Madrid.
My impression is that there is one on every corner, and you can find a Primor on Gran Vía, Calle Fuencarral and even near Puerta del Sol.
Spanish brands to buy in Madrid
In addition to several international brands, in Madrid you will also find fantastic Spanish brands, with incredible products. Here are some of them:
- Loewe: A luxury brand not so well known by Brazilians, but of excellent quality. It sells everything from bags and shoes to clothes and perfumes, and the pieces are true works of art. At the moment, the most famous bag is the Puzzle, with its super modern and unique design.
- Bimba and Lola: An explosion of colors, prints and textures that define Bimba y Lola's unique personality. Fun and colorful accessories like bags, shoes, coats and hats. This store has a super characteristic style, and it's easy to identify the pieces from afar.
- Unequal: For those looking for quality clothes with a unique design, Desigual is a great choice. The pieces have vibrant colors, striking prints and super fun textures. It's a brand that you either love or hate, and it's easy to know how you feel about it by looking at the window.
- Oysho: One of my favorites, which makes everything from gym clothes, lingerie and loungewear. The fabrics are delicious, the colors are super elegant and I love the cuts and prices, which are even low for what the brand delivers. I have a sweatshirt set that I wear all the time and love. Bikinis are also beautiful, but in my experience they are not made for those with breasts.
- Mango: Zara's cousin with elegant and affordable pieces. Mango offers a wide range of looks for every occasion, from work to a Friday night party. I really like the pieces but you need to know how to choose the fabrics well to see what's worth it. The winter coats are excellent and there are several made from wool instead of acrylic.
- Massimo Dutti: Sophistication and quality define Massimo Dutti. The brand offers classic and timeless clothing for men and women who appreciate good taste and elegance. It's like impeccable yet affordable tailoring.
Shopping itinerary around Madrid
Honestly, it's very easy to fit the main places to shop in Madrid into an itinerary. Especially because, most of the time, they are already part of the attractions of some day.
When visiting the city center and passing through Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and by Royal Palace of Madrid, you will inevitably end up in Gran Vía, with all its stores. I suggest leaving this part until the end, and only purchasing after visiting all the tourist attractions. Because just the three-story Primark will take up a good few hours of your time.
On the day you visit the park Retirement and Museo del Prado, you can easily fit a pass into the Serrano Street and surrounding areas, with luxury stores and famous brands. In this case, I suggest doing the shopping first and stopping for lunch in the area, as I find museums more tiring than shopping. But, logistically, it doesn't matter if you have a park and a museum first or later.
Overall, I would say that these two stops are more than enough for you to be able to do some excellent shopping in Madrid without having to go too far off the beaten track. If you have an extra day, it is worth visiting the region of Fuencarral Street and its second-hand stores. Nearby is the Mercado de San Ildefonso, a great stop for a beer or some tapas.
If your extra day is a Sunday, however, you may prefer to visit the fair El Trace. Go early, as the fair only opens between nine in the morning and three in the afternoon.
Here on the blog there is a complete itinerary for those who are visiting Madrid for the first time!
How tax free works in Spain
European Union countries have a system of tax-free for tourists. This means that when you make purchases, you can receive a refund for taxes paid, since you don't live there.
Many stores participate in this program, so it is excellent for saving on your purchases. And the best thing is that it is very easy to participate in Madrid:
- When shopping at participating stores, when paying, ask for the document relating to the tax-free In box. The staff will write down some details about you and your purchase, and give you a reference number.
- When arriving at the airport to leave the European Union, before boarding, stop by a kiosk tax-free and validate your purchases. These kiosks are available at Madrid airport.
- After that, in the boarding area, go to the kiosk of the company responsible for your refund. The name will be written on the documents you validated at the kiosk.
- Most refunds are made instantly, and you go home with the money!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several places to shop in Madrid. The good thing is that they are super well located, close to tourist attractions and easy to fit into any traditional itinerary around the Spanish capital.
And you, have you visited Madrid? Did you manage to do some shopping? Tell me in the comments!