Shopping in Madrid

Shopping in Madrid
Visitors to Madrid have no trouble finding traditional Spanish crafts, such as ceramics, guitars, and leather goods, alongside contemporary furniture and decorative items, chic clothing, shoes, and beautifully designed jewelry.

Shopkeepers, like all other Madrileños, shape their hours around the demands of the climate, so most shops will close for a siesta between 1:30 and 4:30pm. Most major stores are open Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 8pm. In general, shops are closed on Sundays.

Where to Shop
The Salamanca District should be the first stop for those seeking designer and exclusive creations. In this elegant neighbourhood, you’ll find tasteful interior decorators, lovingly designed furniture, fur and jewelry shops and several department stores.

Head to Calle Serrano for brands such as Purificación García, Roberto Verino, Ermenegildo Zegna, Loewe, Carolina Herrera, Manolo Blahnik, Cartier, and Yves Saint Laurent. You’ll find Prada on Goya Street, with more choice on Jorge Juan St. On Calle Ortega y Gasset, you’ll find the likes of Chanel, Versace, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Dolce e Gabbana and Hugo Boss, as well as creations by the Spanish designer Adolfo Domínguez.

Antiques lovers should head for the Carrera de San Jerónimo, home to Madrid's densest concentration of antiques dealers. Those with an eye for interesting and unusual décor will find much to their liking on Calle del Prado, Calle de las Huertas, and Plaza de las Cortés.

Built in the Art Nouveau-Art Deco era as a showcase for the city's best shops, hotels, and restaurants, the Gran Vía’s faded glamour is still much treasured by most Madrileños. The bookstores here are among the best in the city, and are complemented by outlets for fashion, shoes, jewelry, furs, and handcrafted accessories from all regions of Spain. You can find more jewellers and silversmiths on Calle de Zaragoza. Booklovers should also investigate Cuesta de Moyano, an outdoor book market near Museo del Prado.

The Chueca and Fuencarral Street area, once lost to urban decay, has been revitalised by Madrid’s gay community to become the most avant-garde part of Madrid. It’s home to the Mercado de Fuencarral, known especially for its post-punk boutique fashions and is very popular with younger Madrileños.

Though they may appear scruffier at first, shops in Calle Mayor & Calle del Arenal will appeal to collectors, as they are home to numerous dealers in coins, stamps and military paraphernalia. Philatelists and numismatists have more choice every weekend under the arcades of the Plaza Mayor, which also feature exhibitions of oil paintings and lithographs. Another attraction for informal shopping is El Rastro, the biggest flea market in Spain, which takes place every Sunday morning.