The city’s trendiest flea market is celebrating its 50th edition this weekend at Museo del Ferrocarril. You’ll find independent designer stands set up along the museum’s train platforms, and best of all, food stalls and music outside.
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.
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
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.
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!
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
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.
Tours run year-round on any day of the week or weekend and must be booked at least 48 hours in advance.
The website is in English and Spanish! For more information about the tour, pricing, and to book, click here.
Madrid’s navideño spirit is as bright and festive as in any other European capital. Rows of lights down Paseo de la Castellana, chocolate con churros on New Year’s Day, the Three Kings’ parade… But before all that, there are the Christmas markets setting up all over the city and stocking their stalls with handcrafted wares, jewelry, gourmet delicacies and unique gift ideas from independent designers. Here are some of the best Christmas markets to mark in your calendars and flock to when you start your holiday shopping:
image from el club express
image from La Vermutería
For the curious and nosy ones out there, an excuse to peek into a beautiful Madrileño home seems too good to be true. After the success of last year’s pop-up market, ‘The Apartment’, this year brings ‘The Hovse‘ – one house, three floors, and 80 designers selling one-of-a-kind creations. There’s also a bar on the top floor run by pop-up La Vermuteria – a great excuse for those who aren’t into shopping but want to tag along anyway. Now open until 24 December.
Calle General Arrando 40
Check out our events page for more details.
Hosted in the old train museum, ‘Museo de Ferrocarril’, this market takes place in between old tracks and steam engines. Vintage clothing, a live band, artisanal products and trendy crowds are all to be found. The next and last running weekend for this market is the 20-21 December.
Paseo de las Delicias 61
Also check out our full post on Mercado de Motores
There is something of a recent trend in transforming train stations into markets. Nomada is a great place to find original creations and craftsmanship from emerging designers, alongside DIY workshops; all below the glass ceiling of Madrid’s Chamartin train station. Pull out the sweater Grandma gave you last year and join in on National Ugly Christmas Sweater day for the market’s funniest Christmas edition, which only lasts for a few days. 12-14 December.
Attic of Estacion de Chamartin, Calle Agustín de Foxa
Check out our events page for more details.
A tiny market in comparison to the rest, but a great place to hunt for gifts you won’t find anywhere else. From hand-made bags printed with the map of the world to note books bound in Japanese origami paper, this Malasaña market is not one to miss when shopping for that quirky, special friend. Throughout December.
Calle San Andres 8
image from Ciento y Pico
Now in its fifth year, Ciento y Pico unites over 30 small, local brands under one roof to sell their handmade crafts, original jewelry, vintage goods, or home decor worthy of any hipster’s haven. 18 – 21 December
Calle Velarde 14
One of Madrid’s most established city-guide blogs is branching out into retail and hosting its own Christmas pop-up. With the name ‘Diferente Market’ we can only imagine that it will be stocked full of curious knick-knacks and unusual gift items. It will run over two weekends: 11-14 December and 18-21 December.
Calle San Vicente Ferrer 33
The pop-up gallery, 1001 Atmosphera, is holding three high-end Christmas Market editions. The first Le Marché de Noël will be held this weekend 27-30 November in honor of Black Friday! Among over 90 participating vendors, you’ll find designer handbags, shoes, accessories and more from brands such as Eme-Ele, Letter&U and Molé Molé, as well as gourmet food stalls from the likes of Ma Petite Creperie, BorchCakes and El Rincón del Pirineo. Don’t worry if you can’t make it out this weekend, because the market will return for two weekends in Decmeber: 11-14 December and 18-21 December.
Calle General Pardiñas, 50
Image from Blog Es Madrid
One of the oldest and most well-known Christmas markets in the Spanish capital, we couldn’t forgo mentioning it. Wooden huts take over Madrid’s most prominent square for a month to sell Christmas decorations, live trees, costumes and the elaborate Spanish nativity scenes. Worth a stroll through the crowds, even if it’s just for a bit of contagious holiday buzz. 28 November – 31 December
Plaza Mayor
Also known as the “Christmas Card Market” this mercadillo is best known for, what else, its elaborate Christmas cards, among other handicrafts. Traditional “casetas” are set up throughout the square to mimic a medieval town and there’s also a bar serving not-so-traditional, crowd-pleasing mojitos. 28 November – 6 January
Plaza Jacinto Benavente
This “Feria Dulces de Navidad” sets up shop in front of the Royal Opera House and sells sweet Spanish delicacies. Turrón lovers rejoice! Right next to it is also an ice rink, which opens every holiday season with a view of the Royal Palace. 28 November – 6 January
Plaza de Oriente
Toot toot! Old trains mixed with vintage clothes and hot dogs.
Once a month, El Mercado de Motores (meaning the Engine Market) takes over an old train museum in downtown Madrid for a unique flea market experience. Independent collectors and designers set up vintage stands right alongside Madrid’s old trains, creating a mix of 20th century charm with cluttered treasure madness.
As you walk along the platform, amidst the stands you’ll find handmade leather shoes, vintage jewellery, funkily upholstered arm chairs, quirky lamp shades, and much more. The market started out as a community-led effort to popularize second-hand goods. Now it sells everything from current designer items, chic furniture, rare art and even retro pieces, plus it also offers tons of outstanding food, a happening outdoor space, and free live music.
One of the other highlights of the market is its outdoor ambience. On a sunny day, it’s such a nice place to eat outside with friends and family. Sample from all types of food stalls, some selling regional Spanish dishes such as paella and fabada (Asturian white bean stew), others selling sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs, and find a place to sit. Here’s when you should start to linger and enjoy the ambience, listening to live music as it spontaneously comes on.
My friends always get the hamburgers or hot dogs, as is tradition at an outdoor market. But I love the bocadillos de jamón serrano with a glass of red wine in a plastic cup. That’s my favorite outdoor treat.
After eating through fideau (a traditional noodle dish from Valencia) and finishing your beer or Asturian cider, feel free to move on to the cocktails. Don’t hold back.
And grab a gelato on your way out, or hop on a new bike!
Mercado de Motores gets packed to the brim, as it caters to whole families and hipsters alike. So I highly recommend going on off hours, such as 11am or right after lunch, around 4pm. Or just be prepared for a huge crowd.
Mercado de Motores:
Where: Paseo de las delicias, 61
Metro: Delicias
When: one weekend (Sat & Sun) per month, check out their Facebook page
Hours: 11:00-22:00
