Churros dipped in thick hot chocolate open the day a few steps from Puerta del Sol. By midday the galleries of the Prado Museum hum with art lovers, and in the afternoon rowboats drift across the lake in Retiro Park. When the light turns gold, the narrow streets of La Latina fill with people hopping from bar to bar, and the night is only getting started.
Beyond the big sights, Malasaña keeps its alternative streak alive in small bars and bohemian cafés. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold but usually sunny under a deep blue sky. When your list runs dry, a Local Friend picks the next stop, maybe a terrace you would have walked straight past.
