La Latina, Madrid
Photo: Juan Antonio Segal / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Neighbourhood guide

La Latina

Sunday market and tapas

La Latina is the old neighbourhood south of Plaza Mayor, known for El Rastro and its tapas streets. Calle de Toledo and Calle de la Cava Baja hold most of its old shops and taverns.

El Rastro runs on Sundays and holidays from 09:00 to 15:00 around Plaza de Cascorro, and the shops around it are open all week. San Francisco el Grande has the largest dome in Spain, and the Colegiata de San Isidro holds the tomb of the city's patron saint. The Vistillas gardens look over the Manzanares valley and the Casa de Campo.

On Calle de Toledo, Casa Hernanz has sold espadrilles and rope since 1845, Calzados Lobo has sold footwear since 1897 and Caramelos Paco makes sweets. Desperate Literature on Calle de la Cava Baja buys and sells second-hand books.

Calle de la Cava Baja has Posada de la Villa, which began as Madrid's only flour mill and became the Court's first inn in 1642, and Casa Lucas, open since 1997. Casa Paco on Plaza de Puerta Cerrada dates from 1870.

Getting there

La Latina (L5) is the Metro stop the tourism board lists for the Mercado de la Cebada.

21 places
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What to see

Come on a Sunday morning for El Rastro, then walk down to San Francisco el Grande. It costs 6 euros to enter and is free on Thursdays.

Where to eat and drink

La Musa Latina on Costanilla de San Andrés and Café del Monaguillo are both open all day. Taberna Almería on Calle de las Aguas is a small bar for the aperitif.

Nearby neighbourhoods

Palacio and Ópera, Madrid Palacio and Ópera Royal Palace, cathedral and the Habsburg streets 28 places · under 1 km away Lavapiés, Madrid Lavapiés Markets, cinema and cultural centres 9 places · under 1 km away Sol and Centro, Madrid Sol and Centro Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía 41 places · under 1 km away Huertas and Barrio de las Letras, Madrid Huertas and Barrio de las Letras Cervantes, Lope and flamenco 19 places · under 1 km away

The best of La Latina

El Rastro
Best market El Rastro Sundays and holidays 09:00 to 15:00.
Best view Vistillas Gardens Viewpoint Free, over the Manzanares valley.
Best espadrilles Casa Hernanz Open since 1845 on Calle de Toledo.

Things to do in La Latina

Museum · Free San Isidro Museum, the Origins of Madrid A city museum on Plaza de San Andrés, set in the house where Madrid's patron saint lived. It covers the history of Madrid from prehistory to the establishment of the court.
The Puerta de Toledo triumphal arch against a blue sky
Landmark · Free Puerta de Toledo A triumphal arch between La Latina and Embajadores, built to mark the arrival of Ferdinand VII in Madrid. It replaced earlier gates from the 16th century.
Church · Free Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidro A church on Calle de Toledo that served as Madrid's provisional cathedral from 1885 until the Almudena was finished. The tomb of San Isidro, the city's patron saint, lies at its high altar.
The dome of San Andrés church rising above the rooftops of La Latina
Church · Free San Andrés Church One of the oldest parishes in Madrid, on Plaza de San Andrés in La Latina. Legend says Saint Isidore the Labourer worshipped here.
The domes of the San Francisco el Grande Basilica above a garden
Church · € San Francisco el Grande Basilica A neoclassical basilica near La Latina with paintings by Goya and Zurbarán. Its dome is the largest in Spain and the fourth largest in Europe, per the tourism board.
The brick Mudéjar tower of San Pedro el Viejo church against the sky
Church · Free San Pedro el Viejo Church One of the oldest churches in Madrid, cited in the city charter of 1202. The present building comes from many alterations and has been a listed cultural asset since 1979.
Viewpoint · Free Vistillas Gardens Viewpoint A small wooded park on Calle de la Morería named for its views over the Manzanares valley and the Casa de Campo. In good weather its terraces fill up.
Clipped hedges and a fountain in the Príncipe de Anglona Gardens
Park · Free Príncipe de Anglona Gardens A small garden made around 1750, one of the few noble gardens of the 18th century left in Madrid. It was once for the palace residents and is now open to all.
Old books stacked on the pavement at El Rastro market
Market · Free El Rastro Madrid's open-air flea market on Plaza de Cascorro and the streets around it, held on Sundays and holidays. The surrounding shops are open every day of the week.
The Mercado de la Cebada building with a colourful mural along its roofline
Market · € Mercado de la Cebada A market on Plaza de la Cebada, opened in 1875 and one of the largest food markets in Madrid.
Shopping · €€ Calzados Lobo One of the oldest espadrille and shoe shops in Madrid, founded by the Lobo family in La Latina in 1897. It sells espadrilles, regional footwear and dance shoes.
Shopping · € Caramelos Paco A small sweet shop on Calle de Toledo that began as a grocery run by Francisco Moreno Redondo. It specialised in candies and sweets made in the back room.
Shopping · € Casa Hernanz A shop on Calle de Toledo founded in 1845 by Toribio Hernanz. It has specialised in rope, nets and the espadrilles it is best known for.
Shopping · € Desperate Literature A bookshop on Calle de la Cava Baja that buys and sells books, with a focus on international literature and a large stock of second-hand titles in English.
Shopping · € Espartería Juan Sánchez A craft shop in La Latina selling traditional Spanish goods made of esparto grass. It has traded since 1927, first on Calle de la Cava Baja.
Food · €€ Casa Lucas A small tavern opened in 1997 on Calle de la Cava Baja serving creative pinchos, tapas and market-based dishes in a rustic room.
Food · €€€ Casa Paco A tavern on Plaza de Puerta Cerrada founded in 1870 as a place for wine, cards and dominoes. Francisco Morales, known as Paco, refounded and refitted it in 1933.
Food · € La Musa Latina A restaurant of the La Musa group on Costanilla de San Andrés, beside Plaza de la Paja, serving gourmet dishes as tapas and raciones.
Food · €€€ Posada de la Villa A restaurant on Calle de la Cava Baja in a building that began as the only flour mill in Madrid. In 1642 it became the first inn of the Court.
Food · € Taberna Almería A small bar on Calle de las Aguas in La Latina, a classic for the aperitif. Its tostas and cured meats, especially lacón, stand out.
Cafe · € Café del Monaguillo A cafe in a busy part of La Latina on Plaza de la Cruz Verde. In summer it has a terrace on the corner of Calle del Rollo and Calle de la Villa.

From the blog

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