Madrid is one of my favorite cities in Europe. It’s such a beautiful city! It offers so many picturesque spots. In this blog post I’ll go over my favorite Madrid Instagram spots so you know where to go for those Insta-worthy pictures. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
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Retiro Park
The Retiro Park is a large and beautiful park in the Spanish capital. It is so well thought out and there are so many things to explore here. It is the perfect spot for some iconic shots. I’ll share my top 3 photo spots, but there are plenty of other locations that are gorgeous.
Crystal Palace
Palacio de Cristal is a building made almost entirely of glass. It’s located towards the middle of El Retiro Park. It’s one of the most unique buildings I’ve ever seen and it’s the perfect place to snap some Instagram photos.
The palace is temporarily closed so you won’t be able to go in, but don’t let that discourage you. The building is gorgeous on the outside too and it’s the perfect spot for a photo shoot. Plus, since it’s made of glass you will be able to see the inside as well even though you can’t go in.
The lake
There is a picturesque lake towards the middle of the park. It is the perfect backdrop for pictures. I loved it so much! You can also rent a boat and paddle around the lake so you can capture the lake and its surroundings from different angles.
It’s a very popular spot in El Retiro, so expect a lot of people to be there. However, the lake is large, so even though there will be crowds you can find a place to take pictures.
Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez
Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez are Madrid’s secret gardens located in the center of Madrid in El Retiro Park. You can stroll through the gardens and you’ll be surrounded by majestic peacocks. How cool is that? One of the most instaworthy spots of Madrid for sure.
Plaza Mayor
The iconic Plaza Mayor used to be the center of old Madrid and it opened in 1620. It’s located in the heart of the city. It’s such a good place for pictures since it has some majestic architecture and gives off that old vibe that’s charged with so much history.
Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol is one of the most famous plazas in Madrid. I liked it more than Plaza Mayor. There are 3 places you need to check out here:
El Oso y el Madroño statue
This is the famous statue of the bear and strawberry tree that was built in the second half of the 20th century. It represents the coat of arms of Madrid. It’s a super cute statue, so a picture here is a must.
Kilometer zero plaque
Kilometer zero is the origin of all roads in Spain. There is an iconic plaque on the ground with Kilometer Zero. You can take a picture of your feet inside the plaque. It’s cheesy, but you have to to do it.
A lot of walking tour leaders bring people to take their pictures here. So be prepared to wait for your turn. I had to wait for a good 5 minutes to take this picture and I visited during the shoulder season. I assume you’ll have to wait even longer than that if you visit during the summer months.
La Mallorqina
When you’re at Puerta del Sol, make sure to get a pastry at La Mallorquina, a pastry shop that’s been around since 1894. I highly recommend you try the napolitana con crema. It’s so good! You can use the mouthwatering pastry in your pictures.
Temple of Debod
If you visit the Royal Palace and continue walking past its gardens, you will get to the Templo de Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple. You might be a little confused. Why is there an Egyptian temple in the heart of Madrid? It was a gift from the Egyptian government in 1968 for the help provided by Spain in saving the Abu Simbel temples.
Right next to Debod Temple there is a park with a beautiful view of Madrid. It’s free and you’ll be able to see the Royal Palace, plus a lot of the skyline of Madrid. Both the temple and this park are great Instagrammable places.
Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid or Palacio Real is one of my favorite palaces in the world. It used to be the official residence of the Spanish royal family. I highly recommend you book a tour so you can learn about the history of everything you’re seeing. Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours here so you have time to absorb everything.
After the tour you can take some amazing pictures for your social media outside in the courtyard.
Sabatini Gardens
After you learn everything about the history of the Royal Palace, head to the beautiful gardens of the Royal Palace. They are located on the right hand side of the palace. The gardens are well manicured and so peaceful. The perfect spot for a walk and a photoshoot.
Palacio de Cibeles
The observation deck at Palacio de Cibeles is a great place to enjoy an amazing view of Madrid. It costs 3 euros to go up but it’s totally worth it if you love a great view. You can buy tickets here.
This rooftop terrace is one of Madrid’s hidden gems. I went in the morning when they opened and there were only 3 other people there. If you go early you can have the entire place to yourself to take lots of pictures for your Instagram feed.
Gran Vía
Gran Via is the shopping avenue of Madrid, similar to Fifth Avenue in New York City. It has some amazing architecture with lots of buildings from the late 19th century. You can do some shopping, people watch and snap some pictures here. I’ll warn you that the avenue gets pretty busy during the day, but it’s still worth exploring.
Paseo de Recoletos
Paseo de Recoletos is one of the main boulevards in Madrid. It is located near Paseo del Prado. It is a wide boulevard with lots of trees.
You can also find many interesting things along it where you can snap some pictures, such as the lucky frog statue (pictured above), the statue of Christopher Columbus, and the National Library of Spain. The frog is a sign of good fortune in feng shui and the artist engraved various symbols of good luck from multiple cultures on its belly.
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