Madrid offers a wide range of possibilities for all who love shopping. Shopping centres, shops on every corner, businesses giving a new lease of life to streets that were neglected just a few years ago… There is a myriad of shopping opportunities all around the city. A leisurely stroll around the different areas of Madrid, pausing to enjoy the marvellous shop window displays, takes you into a world teeming with possibilities for all tastes and budgets.

The shopping opportunities extend throughout the entire region, where many towns and villages offer visitors a taste of bygone times and the chance to buy local arts and crafts: handmade in family-run workshops.

Street markets, art galleries, craft workshops and antique shops stand side-by-side with high-tech retailers, international companies with headquarters in the main regional capitals, exclusive shops, cutting-edge businesses and spectacular modern complexes that combine shopping and leisure.

The capital offers distinct areas: El Rastro, Barrio de Salamanca, Gran Vía... Shopping in any of the city’s districts is more than a necessity, it is a truly pleasurable experience.

AVANT-GARDE

Situated between the districts of Chueca and Malasaña, in the very heart of the city, lies a shopping area dominated by the streets of Calle Fuencarral and Calle Hortaleza, a paradise for the more alternative consumers as well as the most wealthy. Just a few years ago, no one could have imagined that this now fashionable part of Madrid would become the fastest growing shopping area in the city. There are shops of all kinds to suit all tastes. You can find everything from second-hand clothes to personalised handbags.

Originality and the avant-garde come together in the shop windows of what has become known as the SOHO of Madrid, the main focal point of modern Spain. There is an incredibly lively atmosphere during the day, especially around the junction of Calle Fuencarral and Calle Hortaleza, where small shops offerthe latest trends, each with its own unique personality.

Special mention should be made of Fuencarral Market, created as an alternative to traditional shopping centres. The interior is teeming with colour and psychedelia, a veritable maze of passages lined with shops of all kinds, some run by craftsmen and designers.

DESIGN

Surrounded by the famous squares known as Plaza Colón, Plaza Chueca and Plaza Santa Bárbara, lies one of the city's fastest-growing shopping areas. Its most notable streets are Calle Piamonte and Calle Argensola.

Home decor establishments and designer boutiques that shun the more dominant international brands can be found along the "Milla de Oro" (Golden Mile). Young fashion designers, unique ornament shops, art galleries and undiscovered talents are the area's main attraction for all those who adore shopping.

The fashion boutiques are simply teeming with exclusive and highly original items. You can find everything from evening gowns to casual wear, along with all manner of accessories. An incredible, unique experience is assured for all those who explore the many fascinating and undiscovered shops of Madrid.

CRAFTS

One of the region's most characteristic shopping zones is located around the area known as the centre of the peninsular: Puerta del Sol Square. This square is home to KP 0 (Kilometre Point 0). It is the starting point for many roads, along with the city's most traditional shopping streets: Arenal, Carretas, Mayor, Carmen and Preciados.

Opening up an establishment in the heart of Madrid can be an arduous task. This is one of the reasons why so many traditional businesses can be found here. Family businesses that retain their traditional décor and take us back to bygone times.

They employ craft production methods passed down from generation to generation, offering us a diverse range of highly typical products that are so seldom to be found in today's modern shops, such as guitars, capes, religious items, hats, berets and esparto grass sandals. Such establishments help to preserve the traditional atmosphere of Madrid.

PRINCESA

The street known as Calle de la Princesa is one of the best known shopping areas in Madrid, as well as the main thoroughfare of the Argüelles neighbourhood. The street runs from Plaza España to Plaza de la Moncloa and is lined on both sides by a large number of businesses and shops, along with many cafés, ideal for a relaxing break.

Department stores, shoe shops, Spanish fashion outlets and accessory stores are just some of the countless possibilities on offer along this ever-popular street, where you can also find restaurants, cinemas, clubs, pubs and discos.

Apart from shopping, this busy street also gives you the chance to admire some of Madrid's most famous buildings, such as Liria Palace, home to the Duchess of Alba on her visits to the capital, and the Cerralbo Museum, situated in nearby Calle Ventura Rodríguez

PRECIADOS

The shopping area that encompasses the streets Calle Preciados (which leads from Calle Callao to Puerta del Sol), Calle Carmen and several smaller, perpendicular streets, is a pedestrian-only zone. Together with Gran Vía, it is one of the busiest areas of the city and always bustling with people when the shops are open.

High-street fashion outlets, shoe shops, department stores - one of which is aimed solely at leisure and culture - and traditional establishments entice visitors to this lively part of the city, where you can also enjoy mime artists and street performers.

This bustling area, which is very close to the famous Puerta del Sol Square, is even more spectacular during the Christmas period, when it becomes one of the most popular areas for Christmas shopping for both visitors and locals alike. Shoppers flock to see the fabulous Christmas lights and decorations that adorn the entire length of the street.

GOYA

Situated in the select area known as Barrio de Salamanca, Calle Goya is one of Madrid's main shopping streets. This emblematic street is home to literally hundreds of shops and exudes a unique, exclusive ambience, a veritable showcase of luxury for those who can afford it.

Boutiques, jewellers and elite shopping centres stand amongst the more commonplace high-street fashion outlets aimed at younger shoppers, endowing the area with a high-class, yet casual, atmosphere.

Such features make Calle Goya the perfect middle ground between the exclusiveness of the "Milla de Oro" (Golden Mile), comprised of Calle Ortega, Calle Gasset and Calle Serrano, and the more conventional ambience of such streets as Calle Princesa and Calle Preciados.