Madrid in review
If ever there was a city for the night owl, the Spanish capital is it. Having suffered under the repressive regime of General Franco, who reportedly believed the only people on the streets after midnight should be those cleaning them, the local Madrilenos unleashed one almighty party when the old man died in 1975. Some would say the party has never ended.
Most of Madrid's restaurants don't even open until eight or nine at night. Plaza Santa Ana, in the old city centre, is the perfect place to kick-off with a late dinner, followed by a visit to one of more of the many pubs, bars and jazz cafes within close walking distance. Then it's time to dance the night away whether it's techno, jazz, rock, samba, or sevillanas (a form of flamenco modified for the discotheque).
Unlike other tourist destinations, here it's the locals who embrace the city's nightlife most passionately and who, themselves, are really the main attraction. Visitors who plan to follow their lead would do well to cut short their days of sightseeing to sneak back to their Madrid hotels for a siesta.
- From our editor T. Ireland – Sydney