Like any modern metropolis, Madrid has
several shopping centres or malls to choose from, dotted about the city.
But Madrid is also a historical city, and small family-run shops selling
traditional goods are still to be seen.
The
ABC Serrano Centre, the Mercado de Fuencarral, the
Moda Shopping
mall, La Vaguada,
Plaza Norte 2, and the
Principe Pio shopping centre
are just a few of the large shopping malls, joined by such new additions as Islazul,
Madrid Xanadu, Las Rozas Village and Plenilunium.
The central area
around Gran Via,
Plaza Mayor
and the
Puerta de Sol is home to many large department stores such as El
Corte Ingles, FNAC and international clothes stores such as Zara, H&M
and Mango.
This major shopping district extends towards
Plaza de
España and Princesa street.
However, Madrid is also home to many charming and family-run shops,
selling every speciality imaginable from food to antiques. Many of these
are described in our section on
traditional and charming establishments in Madrid.
The more upmarket Salamanca
neighbourhood, based around the streets of Serrano, Velazquez and Goya,
is the place to go for the top designer boutiques and more expensive
stores.
For more avant-garde tastes, areas such as
Chueca, Fuencarral and the
Rastro Flea Market
are excellent choices.
Whatever you wish to buy, Madrid has everything
under the sun!
