ALMA SUITES

Some of the greatest attractions of this neighborhood are the terraces and tapeo (going out for tapas). The streets and squares of Lavapiés offer an amazing setting for a complete tapas tour.

In addition to numerous tapas bars, it is possible to find other restaurants to savor a less spontaneous and more relaxed meal.

The culinary offer also extends to the gastromarkets of San Fernando and Antón Martín, where traditional market stalls can be found alongside gourmet proposals, concerts and dance-a-thons.

 

You can also find some traditional bodegas and taverns have survived and tell us what life was like around here 70 years ago.

There is no lack of cafeterias where you can accompany a cup of coffee with a good read or a light debate and also You can find third-generation cafés with breakfast and snacks where their owners roast the coffee bought from small producers in Central and South America themselves.​

Close to Sol and Gran Via (5´walking): Many of Spain’s and the world’s major chain stores have a presence here – Zara, H&M, Springfield, Benetton, Camper, etc. – as well as small shoe shops, fine jewellers and watch sellers and cheaper jewellery and accessories shops. Being located in the busy heart of Madrid it also has many souvenir shops, selling typical craft items, and traditional goods such as lace, mantilla shawls and fans.

In the last decade, Alma Suites´ neighbourhood has witnessed an interesting cultural development, attracting a great number of tourists. Around the Reina Sofía Museum (MNCARS) there are countless art galleries. Based on a variety of concepts and ideas, they’ve turned the neighbourhood into an emerging focus of contemporary art.  

Library-cafes, play a very important role in the new cultural renovation this neighborhood is going through. Most of them are specialized in one or another literary segment: comic books, philosophy, politics, classical literature… but what they all have in common is that they offer a delicious breakfast or snack to enjoy while you read.

Have you ever bought books by the pound? At the San Fernando Market you definitely can. The place features traditional food stalls too. 

Another option is to visit the Antón Martín Market, another of the establishments that joins in today’s tendency of gourmet markets. Stalls with fresh produce and a wide variety of multi-cultural food (Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Colombian, etc.).  

The entire city can be a huge athletics track. Really close to Alma Suites you can find some great areas to run in Madrid below.

EL RETIRO PARK (10´)

It’s one of the best places to train, especially for short- and mid-distance races. It features a 4.5km course around the perimeter and many dirt paths across the park. Paseo de Coches is a good spot for training series.

MADRID RÍO (15´)

Inaugurated in 2011, this huge park that flanks the river Manzanares for about 10km offers sports and recreational facilities for the entire family.

The flat, paved running path has distance marks on it and offers beautiful views of Madrid. For longer distances, you can take the River Manzanares Linear Park.

CASA DE CAMPO (15´)

It has a 16km perimeter of paved and dirt roads with uphill and downhill sections, all of them pretty easy to tackle. There’s a 4km area, El Bosque, for more intense training.

Madrid has a very special relationship with football. Three teams from the capital (Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano) and two based in nearby towns (Leganés and Getafe) all play in La Liga, Spain’s top division.

The capital of Spain is home to three top basketball league teams. Also, it welcomes big names in the field of international tennis and athletics, who come to compete in the Mutua Madrid Open tennis,ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament (direct subway to the facillities from Alma Suites) and the Marathon(5´walking from the exit) and San Silvestre Vallecana footrace.

Also Madrid is a city with a deeply rooted cycling tradition, the final stage of the Vuelta Ciclista a España normally finishes in Paseo de la Castellana.