As someone who considers themselves a 50/50 city girl and mountain lover, I was slightly curious when moving to Madrid about where the hiking enthusiast side of me would find a place in such a massive city. I find that when most people think of Spain, their minds tend to veer more towards flamenco, sangria, paella, medieval villages, and enchanting cities.

To my surprise, the community of Madrid is also home to a vast range of world-class hiking trails. I was excited the other week to be escaping the city for a day in the mountains of Cercedilla, but was pleasantly surprised when I saw the immense beauty that La Sierra de Guadarrama beholds.

Getting to Cercedilla

Luckily, Cercedilla is only about a one-hour drive away from Madrid and can be easily reached by train, which will drop you off right in the center of the quaint mountain town. I took a car to Cercedilla and after driving through this charming destination for a bit, found my way to the environmental office.

Stepping out of the car and getting a whiff of the crisp mountain air and pine trees was the perfect welcome into the gorgeous La Sierra de Guadarrama that surrounds Madrid. If you go up to the window at the environmental office, you will meet a guide who will provide you with plenty of information and maps on the hikes that the area boasts.

Choosing Your Hike

The guide at the environmental office explained the map that contains many different color-coded trails, informing us of how long each would take, what the difficulty level was, etc. We decided to do the orange trail and then break off to go to Puerto de la Fuenfria, one of the area’s peaks.

Once you leave the environmental office, if you simply drive about five minutes up the road, you will find a lovely restaurant with outdoor seating – perfect for a delicious and well-deserved bite after your hike! It was from this restaurant that we parked and found the trailhead for the orange trail.

The first part of this hike is definitely the most challenging, which the guide prepared us for at the environmental office. It is most definitely on the steeper side but travels through the thick forest, so although you will feel the burn, you will remain in the cool shade of the trees. The views are absolutely stunning all the way up, overlooking the towering mountain peaks. The trails are also marked very well, with the color of each trail on the trees helping you to stay on track.

After about an hour and a half of hiking through lush pines and enjoying picturesque moments, we made it to our first lookout point, Mirador Vicente Alexandre. This is a fabulous spot to admire the panoramic views, while having a snack or taking a water break. We found many boulders with Spanish quotes and poems carved on them, which added to the incredible atmosphere.

Puerto de la Fuenfria

After spending about 20 minutes at Mirador Vicente Alexandre, we continued on our hike. The rest of the trail that we took to reach the Puerto de la Fuenfria was a gorgeous dirt road, rather than a typical forest trail that was the first half of the hike. “Dirt road” may not sound like something “gorgeous,” but there were barely any people there and horses roaming free with breathtaking views constantly in the background.

After hiking this road and enjoying the mountain views for about another hour and a half, we arrived at the peak. The views were wonderful, just as they were through the entire hike and there is an old fountain that we sat by to eat lunch.

There is an old Roman-built cobblestone road that you will hike down when you leave, which was a different but just as beautiful way than hiking up.

We arrived back at the restaurant, where our car was parked. Here, you can enjoy a nice meal to refuel after the 10-mile hike before driving back to the city.

Explore Madrid’s Many Mountains!

After experiencing my first Madrid hike, I can confidently say that living in this vibrant city does not come at the expense of a world-class hike whenever your heart desires. La Sierra de Guadarrama is just one of many fantastic mountain destinations for you to enjoy an escape from the city. Explore the many other natural wonders that surround Madrid, such as Cotos Forest, Abedular Canencia, La Pedriza, and so much more.

By Haley Grant

Also read:

• How to get to Cercedilla

• Madrid’s 10 most beautiful surrounding towns (and how to get there)

Believe it or not, Madrid has some pretty fantastic shopping malls, with giant cinemas, mini-golf courses and even indoor ski slopes. And Ikea. If it’s raining out (or simply too hot to stay outside), don’t hesitate to check out one of our favourite shopping centres!

1. Centro Comercial Príncipe Pío

Principe Pio is one of my favorite malls in Madrid because it’s located right in the city center. I love it because you can spend the whole day here, shopping, eating and ending the day with a good movie. Among the many shops you can find here are Zara, Massimo Dutti, Mango, Oysho, Pull & Bear, Zara Home, etc. Restaurants: Vips, Burger King, MacDonald’s, Wok Wok, etc

Opening hours 

• Monday to Saturday: From 10 to 22:00 
• Sunday: 11 to 22:00

How to get there

• Metro lines: 6, 10 or “ramal” (from Opera), Línea 6 – Circular
• Cercanías lines: C1, C7, C10 
• Bus lines: 25, 39, 41, 46, 75, 138, Circular 1, Circular 

2. La Gavia

La Gavia is one of the greatest shopping centres in Spain and even in Europe, where you can find everything you want under the sun. Some of the most popular stores are IKEA, Primark, Zara, Massimo Duti, FNAC, etc.

How to get there?

• Bus lines: 142 and 145
• Metro line: Las suertes 

OPENING HOURS

• SHOPS: *Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00 hours * On Sundays and holidays from February to November the center opens at 11:00
• RESTAURANTS: Sunday through Thursday from 10:00 to 01:00 hours. Fridays, Saturdays and on public holidays from 10:00 to 03:00
• IKEA: Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00 hours. The restaurant is open from 09:30 to 21:30

3. La Vaguada

La Vaguada is a large shopping mall located in Barrio del Pilar. It’s big enough to offer several shops and restaurants, but small enough so you won’t get lost and you can spend a quiet afternoon. 

How to get there?

• Bus lines: 42 , 49 , 67,83 , 124, 126 , 127, 128 , 132, 133 , 134, 135, 137 , 147 , N18 , N19
• Metro lines: 9 (Barrio del Pilar Herrera Oria) & 7 ( Peñagrande )

OPENING HOURS

• Shopping area: Monday through Saturday: 10:00 h to 22:00h; Sundays and holidays: 11:00 h to 21:00 h
• Dining and entertainment area: Monday through Thursday: 10:00 h to 01:00 h; Friday and Saturday: 10:00 to 02:00 h Sunday: 10:00 h to 01:00 h

4. Madrid Xanadú

Xanadu is one of the best malls I have ever visited. They have everything you want, even a ski slope. In addition to clothing stores and restaurants, here you’ll find tons of fun activities like bowling, mini golf, a ski slope, and much more!

OPENING HOURS

• Shops: Monday through Sunday from 10 to 22h
• Entertainment and dining area: From Sunday to Thursday from 10 to 01h Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 03h

How to get there?

• Bus: From Príncipe Pío:528, 534, 539, 541, 545, 546, 547 y 548

5. Centro Comercial Plaza Norte 2

Another huge mall located outside the center, Plaza Norte has tons of shops, restaurants, cinemas, you name it.

Opening hours

• Shopping area: Monday through Sunday from 10 to 22h 
• Entertainment and dining area: Sunday through Thursday from 10 to 01:30h; Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 03h

How to get there

• Buses: 171 and 156 (from Plaza de Castilla)
• Nearest metro: Reyes Católicos (Line 10)

6. Centro Comercial Plenilúnio

Plenilúnio is also situated in the outskirts, it has more than 180 shops, in addition to numerous restaurants, as many cinemas.

Opening hours

• Shops: Monday to Saturday, from 10 to 22h; on Sundays and public holidays from 12 to 21h
• Restaurants: Sunday to Thursday from 10 to 01 h; on Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 03h 

How to get there

• Bus: From Avenida de America: 221, 222, 223, 224, 224A, 226, 227, 228, 229, 281, 282, 283 and 284 from Ciudad Lineal: EMT no. 77

7. Centro Comercial Parquesur

In addition to the usual, here you’ll find an Apple store outside the city centre.

OPENING HOURS

• Monday to sunday From 10 to 22:00h
• Restaurants: Friday and Saturday From 10 to 2.  Sunday from 10 to 1.

How to get there?

• By bus: 432,481,483,485,488,497
• Nearest metro: Line 12. El Carrascal

8. Islazul

OPENING HOURS

• Commercial area: Monday through Sunday from 10 to 22h 
• Entertainment and dining area: Sunday to Thursday from 10 to 01h; Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 03h

How to get there:

• By Bus: 35 and 118. 5 minuts from the shopping center: 108, 155, 480, 484 and 485
• Nearest metro: Line 11: La peseta, San Francisco and Carabanchel Alto Stations.

Pictures: Hola, Un Buen día, El país, flickr, AbsoluteMadrid, Dolce City, Urbanity

In 2013, biologists Guillermo and Laura – Spain’s newest generation of olive farmers – took over the family business and embarked on an innovative mission: to connect the local countryside with the city of Madrid and make farming a sustainable way of life once again.

How it all started:

Over a century ago, in a small town in the region of Toledo, Guillermo’s great grandfather planted his first grove of around 200 olive trees, and between the evenly spaced olive saplings grew rows of sun-drenched grapevines.

A hundred odd years later, only the footprints of the old vines are visible, but the olive trees have grown beautifully gnarled and twisted, with silver miniature leaves and shiny hard fruit, ready for the annual harvest of some of the tastiest organic extra virgin olive oil in Spain.

The centenarian olive trees

Guillermo and Laura’s story:

Olive farming has been in both of their families for generations, inspiring them to study biology at university, which is where they met. From early on, they drew sketches on scraps of paper illustrating grand ambitions to re-bond our booming capital with its rural backyard, enthusiastically telling anyone who will listen about the genius that is the organic farming ecosystem (it’s genius).

By mid 2014, their dream had gathered enough steam for them to quit their jobs and make Proyecto Los Aires their life, and for being in the midst of an economic depression, it’s incredible how much they’ve already achieved.

The tour:

On Saturday, we headed out to their stunning olive grove in Arcicóllar, about an hour south of Madrid. When we arrived, we met up with our fellow tour buddies and set off on our educational meander through the olive trees.

Guillermo and Laura led us around their oldest plot and explained the process of creating olive oil: from planting and harvesting to filtering and bottling. Their scientific angle on the entire practice is fascinating, but I won’t say any more – the oohs and aahs are all part of the fun!

The walking tour begins

Taking a closer look at the trees

After the walking tour (and tanning opportunity), we sat down at a shaded table nestled idyllically among the centenarian trees. It was time for the tasting. This involved professionally sampling several olive oils in little blue glass cups, and learning how to tell the difference between generic supermarket oil and top-quality organic oil such as theirs.

And then came the food and wine. Through local connections and friends and family, Guillermo and Laura brought together a plethora of Iberian foodie gems for us to eat. A mercado on a table came to mind, and our tour companions’ similarly delighted reactions included lots of “mmm”s and “oh my God”s and jokey squabbles over who liked the pumpkin morcilla most. We chatted, talking about Guillermo and Laura’s endeavours as well as our own, then gratefully accepted Guillermo’s offer of a top-up of wine to accompany our final wander through the trees (and take a few grove-selfies). Finally, we had the opportunity to buy some of the delicious products we tasted that day.

The tasting (and eating and drinking)

The quaintest little market stall in the world

After an eye-opening and mouth-watering experience, we said our goodbyes to the lovely Guillermo and Laura and hopped on the bus back to Madrid, desperate to get the word out to you!

The project explained:

Proyecto Los Aires aims to promote local agriculture by running educational tours & tastings on their farm and forging a direct link between urban consumers and the rural economy. Their oil (Los Aires Extra Virgin Olive Oil) can be found in gourmet shops such as Oleoteca Murúa at Mercado San Antón. Guillermo and Laura also regularly sell their oil in markets across Madrid such as Mercado de Motores, Mercado Central de Diseño, Nómada Market and Gastro Market. Next time you’re there, go and say hello!

Los Aires olive groves

How to get there:

The meeting point for the tour is the bus stop in the town of Arcicóllar (see location here). Regular buses (see timetable here) will get you there from Madrid’s Méndez Alvaro bus station in just over an hour. If you’re driving, it takes around 50 minutes from central Madrid.

Details & Contact Info:

Tours run year-round on any day of the week or weekend and must be booked at least 48 hours in advance.

Facebook & Web

The website is in English and Spanish! For more information about the tour, pricing, and to book, click here.

Renting Cars

You can find all the major car rental companies in Madrid, such as Avis and Hertz. Unless you’re picking up the car right from the airport, my advice is to go to Atocha train station because all the companies have offices there, so you can go in, ask for the best deals and pick up the car right then and there. Of course you can also book online at all these places.

Here are the top 5 car rental companies in Madrid (based on popularity) and links to their Madrid webs:

1. Hertz
2. Europcar
3. Sixt
4. Pepecar.com 
5. Avis

Carsharing, Carpooling or Car Clubs (whichever way you call it)

In the last few years, a new way of travelling has appeared: carpooling is the 21st Century version of hitch-hiking.  Online car-sharing platforms allow drivers and carless travellers to get in touch, travel together, share expenses and keep each other company during the ride. Drivers post where and when they are going and how much money you’ll need to pay. If it suits your travel plans, you just contact them! Easy as pie. So if you want to go to Alicante or even Lisbon, you’re bound to find someone who’s already heading that way and is offering an extra seat in their car. Many websites offer this service, but Bla Bla Car is the most common in Spain and it’s very easy to use. Also, if you’re a woman travelling alone, there’s the option to seek other women drivers.

Here is a quick guide on how to use it:

Step 1# go to blablacar.es (or any other if you wish!)

Step 2# Get a user.

• You only need your facebook account or email address and a cell phone number.
• They will send you an email and cellphone text message which you will use (both of them) to confirm your account

Step 3# Select your departure city and destination.

Step 4# Select your driver. A women’s section is available, if you aren’t comfortable enough.

Step 5# Pay for your trip through the website. The carpooling company will send a code which you’ll have to give the driver once you get to your destination.

If you can’t make it, they offer a cancellation policy:

• More than 24 hours cancellation, you get your money back
• Less than 24 hours cancellation, you get 50% of your money back
• You don’t show up, you get nothing!

Here are some links to different websites that work in Spain

• Carpooling
• Amovens

Check out more posts on getting around Madrid here:

1. Getting around Madrid by train: inner-city commuter train (Cercanías) & high-speed train (AVE)

2. Madrid’s easy metro system

3. How to get your abono (monthly travel pass)

4. How to get to Madrid’s beautiful surrounding towns

The most convenient way to travel in Spain is by train. The country has been investing in train infrastructure for many years now and as a result, we have one of the largest train and high-speed train systems in the world. Spain’s high-speed train, called the AVE, travels long distances across the country, while Madrid’s suburban train, called the Cercanías, covers medium distances.

Thanks to the AVE, you can get to cities like Barcelona, Valencia or Alicante in just a couple of hours. Unlike flying into the country’s airports, the AVE picks you up and drops you off in train stations located right in the city center. And thanks to the Cercanías, you can cross the city in a matter of minutes and visit Madrid’s surrounding towns in no time. Plus the Cercanías is connected to Madrid’s underground metro system.

Here’s all the info on Madrid’s train services: 

1. Suburban train services or Cercanias

The suburban train system — Cercanías — goes across the city connecting the main stations of Madrid with other cities near the capital. The service runs from 5am or 6am (depending on the line) until 12am. Cercanias has 10 different lines and some of them are connected to the normal metro system, which is really good because you can combine them to make your trip even faster. Before I start talking about the price, let me remind you that Madrid’s pubic transportation is divided into zones (A, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, E1 and E2). Zone A includes Madrid’s city-center while E2 takes you all the way to cities like Guadalajara or Toledo.

There are three different types of tickets that you can use on the suburban train system.

1. A single trip costs 1,65€ (one/two zones) – 5,40€ (Seven zones).
2. You can also buy a 10-journey train ticket and its price can also vary depending on how many zones you’ll buy it for (9,85€ for 1/2 zones to 37,75€ 7 zones).
3. Finally, you can also use your monthly travel card (abono).

• Full map

Mapa de Cercanias by Renfe

• Full fares (official English website)
• Schedules (Link to Cercanias website)

2. High speed train or AVE

AVE Atocha by Guias-viajar.com

AVE is the Spanish high-speed-train system. These trains get you to some of the biggest cities in Spain in just few hours or less. Although prices aren’t cheap, there are some ways to get them cheaper: the most advisable is to take 4 seats (a table). That way you’ll save 40-50%. Also, it’s good to remember that train stations are in the city center, so you won’t spend money and time getting to and from the airport.

Renfe, Spain’s train company, has an App for IPhone and Android called Renfe Ticket

• Check prices and buy your tickets (AVE website in English)
• Renfe Official Website

Red española alta velocidad by Wikipedia

A few years ago, I was running late to work as usual and I got into my boca de metro (metro entrance) only to realize the metro had closed for no reason. I kept walking to the next metro stop, and it was closed too! “Yes! I have an excuse for being late to tell my boss,” thought the Spaniard in me. Then, I realized that something big was going on — the city’s public transport workers had gone on strike.

For three days, the city looked like a scene from a Hitchcock movie. People were either waiting in lines to take the bus or walking long distances to work. To sum up,  chaos reigned over the city. Finally, the transport union and City Hall came to an agreement and the citizens got back the most valued form of public transport in Madrid — the metro!!

Madrid’s first metro line was opened by the former King Alfonso XIII on October 17th, 1917. Today, under Felipe VI’s reign, El Metro de Madrid covers more than 300km and 12 lines (plus line “R” and the “light rail”) and it is the most used form of transport in Spain.

Here’s all you need to know about tickets, prices and zones!

metro by metromadrid.es

If you’re in Madrid for a few days, there are three types of metro tickets to choose from:

1. Tourist travel pass for 8,40€, one day: unlimited rides for metro, bus and regional train system (Cercanías). Before you buy one, remember that the city center is not that big and you can walk almost everywhere.

2. Metrobús, 10-trip ticket for 12,20€: access to all metro lines and buses.

3. Single trip ticket for 1,50€ (first 5 stops + 0,10€ every next stop, max 2€).

Our advice: if you’re only here for a few days, you should buy this last option.

If you are planning on staying a bit longer, you might consider getting a monthly travel card, called an abono, in which case you’ll pay 54,60€ per month  for unlimited access to metro, bus and cercanías. For further information about this ticket, check out this article: How to get your abono.

•  Schedule: the metro opens everyday of the year from 6am to 1:30am
• Metro Map

• Metro fares. Notice that Madrid is divided into different areas (A, B1, B2, etc). Regardless of price per ticket, getting your tickets and monthly pass require the same process explained above. 

Official Madrid transport website (All fares)

1. Abono turístico.

*by Tarifas red de transportes

2. Abono residentes.

*by Tarifas red de transportes

3. Metrobus and singles trip tickets.

(*) Routes up to 5 stations or less: 1.50 €.

Routes of 6 to 9 stations: 0.10€ extra per station.
Routes of 10 stations or more: 2.00€.
In the vending machines inside all metro stations, you pick a destination on the touch screen and it will automatically calculate the number of stations and price for the shortest route possible.

(**) Valid for the Metro Network of Madrid Region, TFM and Light Rail.

(***) Valid for 10 journeys with a SINGLE transfer EMT + EMT in a maximum of 60 minutes starting from the first validation.

*by Tarifas red de transportes

For more info on travelling in Spain, check out these posts:

• Travelling by train in Spain

• How to get to Madrid’s beautiful surrounding towns 

• How to get your Abono (Madrid’s monthly metro pass)

• Travelling by car in Madrid: renting cars, carpooling & carsharing

• An overview of Madrid’s central neighborhoods

Barajas International Airport has been recently renamed after Spain’s first democratically-elected president, Adolfo Suárez. The airport is absolutely enormous, covering two different metro stops. Its 4 terminals are spacious and spread out, which is why they’re connected by train and bus services inside the airport itself. Luckily, Madrid’s airport isn’t located far from the city center and there are plenty of ways to get there.

Here are the 6 main ways to get to Madrid’s Barajas (Adolfo Suárez) Airport:

1. Metro: Línea 8

The airport has two metro stops: the first stop is dedicated to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 (T1, T2 and T3) and the second stop is dedicated solely to Terminal 4 (T4). Take line 8 (the pink line) from Nuevos Ministerios and you will be there in about 15 minutes, depending on if you get off at the first or second stop (just a few minutes difference). To enter or leave Barajas airport by metro, you will have to buy a single ride ticket (around 1,50€ depending on destination) as well as an extra airport supplement of 3€ (bought at the machines). In total you’ll pay around 5€. However, if you have an abono de transporte (monthly travel pass), the fee is waived! Remember that the metro closes from 1:30-6am, so if you have a flight at that time, you can take our next and favorite option, the 24/7 airport express bus that costs the same price.

2. Airport Express Bus:

from esmadrid.com

For just 5€, you can hop on an incredibly convenient Airport Express Bus from the city center! During the day, from 6am-11:30pm, it leaves from Atocha, and makes stops at Plaza de Cibeles (next to the Palacio de Cibeles building) and O’Donnell (at the intersection with Doctor Esquerdo). At night, the bus leaves from Cibeles and continues to stop at O’Donnell (all night long). The express bus goes to terminals 1,2 & 4. The journey takes around 40 minutes and runs every 15 minutes during the day, and every 35 minutes at night (you pay the 5€ on the bus in cash). Here’s the bus schedule.

3. Cercanías: Línea C1

from mapamadrid.net

For 2.55€, you can take the Cercanías train line 1 — Línea C1 — to Terminal 4 (it doesn’t go to the other terminals, but there is a free bus service within the airport that goes to all terminals). The C1 comes around every 30 minutes and can be picked up at the following main stations: Chamartín, Nuevos Ministerios, Atocha, Méndez Álvaro, and Príncipe Pío, plus a few more.

4. Taxi

A taxi-ride to and from the airport to anywhere in the center of Madrid costs a flat rate of 30€. For no extra fee, you can pick up a taxi at the indicated taxi lines that you’ll find throughout the airport and city center. You can also download the free app MyTaxi so you can have a taxi pick you up from your home at a certain time for the same set price.

5. Public City Bus

You can pick up the 200 bus at Ave. de América for 1,50€. Here’s the 200 bus schedule and stops, which runs from 5am-11pm, every 10-20 minutes depending on the time of day.

6. Private Airport Shuttle Bus

With Aerocity, a 24/7 airport bus shuttle service, you can hire a van to pick you up from your house and drop you off directly at the airport. This service is good for groups, and especially if your flight is at an odd hour (i.e. late night/early morning) or if you have a lot of luggage. It usually costs around 10€ per person, but you can put your address here and get a quote.

Not only is Madrid a great walking city, but it also has a fantastic public transportation system. The city offers public buses, metro, and regional trains (Cercanías), which are all fast, reliable, and surprisingly clean. 

If you plan on using public transportation, we highly recommend getting an “abono” or monthly travel card for unlimited trips. The “Metro de Madrid App” is also helpful when it comes to figuring out how to get from one metro stop to another.

What is the Madrid metro card?

The abono, or monthly card, gives you full access to all forms of Madrid public transportation for 30 days. The price depends on your age and what zone of the city you want access to. The “normal” card is for ages 26-64 and covers Zone A (city center), for the price of 54,60€ per month. The “youth” card, which is ages 26 and under, is priced at 20€ for all zones  (see below for more details).

What do I need?

These are the documents you will need to get your metro card:

• Application document
• A standard passport sized photo (which you can get at the photo booths in most metro stations, including Sol)
• An original copy of either your, EU ID, Spanish residency card, or passport

Once you have prepared these three things, you have two options depending if you are a first-time Madrid metro card applicant or not.

If this is NOT your first time applying for the metro card:

• You can easily complete the process online.
• After entering your form of identification, click on the Iniciar solicitud on-line button.
• Then, all you have to do is upload a copy of all three required files and once your application has been received, your card will be sent to your address in 7 days.

If you are a first-time applicant:

• Make an appointment online by clicking the Pedir cita previa button after entering the form of identification you will be bringing to the in-person appointment.
• Then pick a metro office near you, date, and time.
• On the day of your appointment, bring the three required documents and your metro card will be given to you by the time you’re finished.

Oficina de atención by espormadrid.es

Which zones do I choose?

If you are new to the province of Madrid, you’re probably unfamiliar with the different zones. When applying for your card, pick the zones that you might need to travel to by public transportation. The price will vary depending on which zones you want to include. Remember, if you are applying for the “youth” card, all zones are included for 20€ every 30 days.

If you’re not sure what zones you might need, take a look at this map and see if there are any areas you might need access to. Zone A is the standard zone that will give you full access to the city center. But if you think you will need to be traveling outside of zone A frequently, then it might be worth adding another zone to your card. If you’re unsure of which cities are in which zones, check out the map below.

Hopefully this post cleared up any confusion on how to get your Madrid metro card. Now that you have a better understanding of the process, go get that abono and start exploring Madrid!

Madrid’s public bike stations had been lonely for weeks, but yesterday morning we woke up to see the much-awaited electric bikes finally parked in their slots! So here’s a look at all you need to know about getting tickets, finding stations and participating in Madrid’s rising bike scene.

Although far from being comparable to Amsterdam, Madrid is in the midst of a fast transition towards becoming biker-friendly. In recent years, bike lanes have appeared on main streets such as calle Alcalá and calle Mayor. Community biking groups and blogs such as En Bici Por Madrid, Ecomovilidad and Ciclosfera encourage city biking culture in Madrid by providing info on the best cycling routes, workshops and how to lock up your bike properly. Bici Crítica organizes a free meet-up on the last Thursday of every month at 8pm, when cyclists gather at Plaza de Cibeles for a pleasant ride around the city. Now the new electric city bikes should be another fun way to explore, get through traffic, and tackle those relentless hills!

What’s BiciMAD?

BiciMAD is an initiative launched by Madrid’s Ayuntamiento (City Hall) to provide affordable, public rental of electric-powered bikes, allowing city-dwellers to move around Madrid on eco-friendly wheels 24/7. Electric-powered means there’s a small engine that helps you pedal, especially when starting off or going up hills. The engine automatically shuts off when you reach a speed of 16km/hr. The first phase of the initiative consists of 1,580 bikes and 123 stations, in the following neighborhoods: Center, Retiro, Salamanca, Arganzuela and Moncloa.

Important links:

• BiciMAD’s web and facebook
• Madrid city’s official info on BiciMAD
• Google map of all the electric bike stations
• Interactive map of Madrid for bikers, including calmest streets and bike paths

How does it work?

All transactions–registration, payment, getting and charging your card, bike pick-up & drop-off, and reporting of problems–can be carried out at each bike station, where you will find a machine (tótem) with instructions in English and Spanish. What’s more, you’ll be able to check availability and routes on your mobile device: IOS, Android and Windows P, and download a handy app.

How much does it cost?

Price depends on if you buy an annual pass (abonado) or not (no abonado). 

For abonados, you will have to pay 25€/year and only 15€/year if you already have the monthly abono transporte (public train and bus pass), plus an additional cost per ride of 0,50€-0,60€ (see all rates above). For no abonados, also called usuarios ocasionales, rides up to an hour cost 2€-4€.

All rates include insurance. Sanctions are established for abuse or misuse.

How do you sign up & get your card? 

Whether you’re an annual user or an occasional user, you still need to sign up. Here are the steps:

1. Sign up to get your code:

• Online
• At any station’s totem
• By phoning 010
• In person at Línea Madrid offices

2. With the code, pick up your card (tarjeta) and charge it at the station

*As an annual user (abono anual), you’re automatically part of the public bicycle club of Madrid (Club de la Bicicleta Pública de Madrid), a virtual forum for other biking fans to find out about events, workshops and exchange info.

How do you use it?

• Once you’re signed up and put money on your card at the station, you’re ready to start riding.
• To pick up the bike, there should be a Green light indicating that the bike is available. Swipe/hold your card close to the light until you hear a beep. Then gently remove the bike from its slot.
• To drop off the bike, there should be a red light at the slot meaning it’s empty. Push the bike in until the light turns green, hear a beep and voilá! Just make sure that the bike is stationed well by pulling at it slightly.
• If it’s blue, that means that the spot has been reserved by another user.
• If there’s no light, it means that it’s disconnected and you can’t use it.

What happens if you return a bike and the station is full?

• Check in so you don’t get penalized, and then you will be given 10 more minutes to go to the next station.

*We’ll be updating this post as the new initiative sets in… stay tuned!

And if you’re looking to take these city bikes out for a spin, check out: 4 Best City Biking Routes in Madrid