Try the local speciality here: Bocadillo de Calamares, a delicious calamari sandwich.
Just a few blocks from the Puerta del Sol, this square was built in the early 17th century under the reign of Philip III, whose equestrian statue stands at the centre. It is overlooked largely by three-storey residential buildings, with 237 balconies facing the plaza.
It is a grand and symmetrical space, with a distinguished surround of arcaded porticoes. The municipal Casa de la Panadería - supposedly named after the bakery that it replaced - dominates the north side, with painted façades and flanked by a pair of angular towers.
Today the plaza is primarily a popular tourist attraction, but in its time it has been used for bullfighting, markets, football matches, public executions and even autos da fé: the tribunals, tortures and burnings of supposed heretics during the years of the Spanish Inquisition.
Beneath its porticoes a number of traditional shops and eateries can be found; despite their rather steep prices, they make a great stop for some people-watching, and you can drink local wines as you drink in some history.
Join the fastest growing community of professional tour guides.
Use our easy to integrate toolset to include Tours & Attractions in your customer journey.