Here we go again with a new post of Madrid’s neighborhoods. After discovering Malasaña, today we will see what goes on in La Latina.
La Latina is not a neighborhood exactly… let’s say it’s an area that has kept the name traditionally, but it’s not a neighborhood, it has parts of some neighborhoods in the city center. We could say La Latina is basically everything within calle Segovia and calle Toledo, and it goes up to Puerta de Toledo, pretty close to Madrid Rio.
It’s really well known due to all the bars and nice vibe the “neighborhood” has. Oh! And of course, we need to talk about El Rastro. But let’s go step by step, we will tell you everything about it!
M&Ms (Monuments and Museums!)
There are not much museums around, but we can totally talk about churches, such as the Colegiata de San Isidro –who is the patron saint of Madrid– or the iglesia de San Pedro el Viejo, also known as iglesia de la Vírgen de la Paloma. Fun fact: “las fiestas de la Vírgen de la Paloma” are such a thing in La Latina, it’s the Street party of the neighborhood –well, not neighborhood, you know what I mean– and it happens on the 15th of August (well, we like to eat, drink and the street life –especially in summer– so it lasts around 4-5 days up to the 15th). On the 15th, the Vírgen de la Paloma statue, which is in the iglesia de San Pedro el Viejo, goes in procession through La Latina streets.
Also, if you’re taking a stroll along La Latina, you can stop by the Mercado de la Cebada, one of the coolest spots in the area (Instapic assured) and also see the Puerta de Toledo monument. If you feel like you want to walk more, go to Madrid Rio! It’s close to La Latina, is a really nice park and it has the Matadero de Madrid inside, a space for contemporary creations that holds expositions, projects, art, etc.
Matadero de Madrid at night
Starving?
If you can take advantage of the nice weather, you cannot miss the terraces around this area. You will find many: near Plaza de los Carros, in Mercado de la Cebada, in Plaza de la Paja, etc. You can also take a stroll through the streets Cava Alta and Cava Baja, you will find many places to eat. We can recommend you Mad Café for amazing burgers, and also La Buha for great Spanish omelettes with a twist. You can also try Mediterranean food in the neighborhood, for example, in Cbada, or go exotic: what about eating Russian food in Rasputin?
At night
There are also many options for nightlife: Cava Alta and Cava Baja will get you covered! You can give it a try to the rooftop of El Viajero, a nice terrace! There are many theatres also in the area, so that could be a good alternative.
If you want to go big or go home, in La Latina you will find the nightclub Shoko.
Let’s go shopping
Well, this one is easy: there are several shops in the area, like all the mountain-specialized stores located in calle Ribera de Curtidores, BUT you should go to El Rastro, the huge street market that takes place every Sunday. All the streets within the yellow line will have stands:
As seen on Instagram
You’ve seen them on Instagram, you just didn’t know it was La Latina!
#MercadodeLaCebada Instapicture ©@living_in_zaradise
#ElRastro Instapicture ©@madrid_vintage
#xmasmarket at Mercado de la Cebada! Instapicture ©@madrinkmarket
#LaLatinaMadrid Instapicture ©@julia_ffm