Walking Tour 2

Walking Tour 2: The Castizo Quarter (La Latina & Lavapiés)

Start: Plaza General Vara del Rey.

Finish: Calle Mesón de Paredes.

Time: 2 hours (slow pace).

Best Times: Any day.

Worst Times: No particularly bad time as rush tour traffic doesn't affect too much of this route.

This short, leisurely tour takes you across one of Madrid's oldest quarters: a warrenlike network of narrow lanes and medieval buildings that still represents the castizo (traditional) heart of Madrid. In recent years it's attracted a genuine ethnic mix, with new resident nationalities ranging from Chinese and North African to Indian and Turkish.

The tour begins at the:

1. Plaza General Vara del Rey

We start our walk just west of El Rastro at this small, intimate square named after a Spanish commander who died during the 1898 war with Cuba. The adjoining Museo de Artes Populares has examples of local arts and crafts.

Continue west to Calle Toledo and then south to the:

2. Puerta de Toledo

Originally planned to celebrate France's victory over Spain in 1808, the prominent archway at the end of Calle Toledo took 6 years to build and eventually served to commemorate the reverse: the expulsion of the French from Spain.

Turn east now though the Plaza Campillo Mundo Nuevo past the Ministerio de la Economía building and along the Ronda de Toledo to:

3. Glorieta de Embajadores

Together with Puerta de Toledo, this great roundabout forms the southern fringe of the Embajadores district where many ambassadors moved in the 15th century when a plague was spreading through Madrid. Close by is the 18th-century Fábrica de Tabaco (Tobacco Factory).

Continue west along Calle Embajadores and then turn left into Calle Mira al Sol arriving at:

4. La Corrala

Here -- in a well-preserved example of the area's once widespread typical 16th-century architecture -- is a building of windowless adjoining apartments, known as corralas, whose long continuous balconies overlook an open communal courtyard or well. This is one of the few such buildings that remain in Madrid.

Westward along narrow Calle Sombrete we come now to:

5. Plaza de Lavapiés

Named after a fountain that once adorned it, Lavapiés square is the focal point of this colorful barrio, medieval in character and multi-ethnic in atmosphere today. Arabic, Indian, Chinese, and Turkish shops and eating spots abound. Narrow lanes radiate upwards and outwards from it as they've done for centuries, but there's no trace of the fountain that once gave it its name. (Lavapiés means literally "wash feet.")

From the square take a southeasterly turn into:

6. Calle Argumosa

Known locally as the "promenade of Lavapiés," this wide, lively street leading east to the Ronda de Atocha is virtually one long row of cafes and bars with outdoor terraces in summer.

Take a Break -- La Heladería, Argumosa 7 (tel. 91-528-80-09), is a great summer place not only for ice cream and horchata, but also for coffee or something a bit stronger. Sit on the pavement terraza in the sun or under the stars and watch the world go by. The owners are very welcoming. Open April to October only; Monday to Thursday and Sunday 10am to midnight, Friday and Saturday 10am to 1am. No credit cards are accepted. Metro: Lavapiés.

Return to Lavapiés square, turn north into Calle Ave María, and then right (east) at Calle Esperanza into:

7. Calle Torrecilla del Leal

Turn left and climb up this typically narrow and atmospheric street, which unobtrusively shelters two of the best wine and tapas bars in Madrid: Aloque (20) and El Sur (12). Both are ideal spots to pop into if you're taking an evening stroll (they don't open till 8pm).

Continue to the top and turn right at Plaza Anton Martin to reach the:

8. Filmoteca Cine Doré

Located next to Anton Martín square and its adjoining well-stocked two-story food market, this mecca for movie buffs offers by far the best value in Madrid (seats are only 2.50€/$3.10!). Despite threats a couple of decades back to raze it and build a block of modern offices in its place, this small, ornate '50s monument to art managed to survive thanks to the mass protest of artists, musicians, and writers. Programs cover the most adventurous and eclectic range of original-language movies in Madrid. There are outdoor projections with a rooftop bar in summer and a small downstairs movie bookshop.

Return to Plaza Anton Martín and walk west along Calle de la Magdalena till you arrive at:

9. Plaza Tirso de Molina

Named after the prolific Golden Age playwright Tirso de Molina (the pseudonym of Fray [Brother] Gabriel Téllez, who died in 1648), this once historic but now blandly modernized square on the northern edge of Lavapiés is dominated by a statue in honor of him. Tirso was the first of many dramatists to write about the legendary romantic figure Don Juan.

At the western end of the square turn left (south) into:

10. Calle Mesón de Paredes

This long, narrow thoroughfare is one of the oldest streets in Lavapiés, leading right down to La Corrala and then continuing on to the Ronda de Valencia on the outskirts of the Old City. It's named after Simón Miguel Paredes, who ran one of the largest medieval mesónes in Madrid. Though the mesón no longer exists, we have in its place one of the city's most distinctive tabernas: the cavernlike, bullfight-oriented Antonio Sánchez.

Take a Break -- Taberna de Antonio Sánchez, Mesón de Paredes 13 (tel. 91-539-78-26), is a snug 19th-century tavern, the oldest in central Madrid, whose atmospheric features include bullfight decor, dark wood paneling, paintings by artist Ignacio Zuloaga, and a traditional zinc bar top. Here you can enjoy a glass or two of modestly priced wine together with a tasty tapa. Larger raciones are also available. Open daily from 1 to 4pm and Monday to Saturday from 8pm to midnight. Metro: Tirso de Molina.