Plaza Mayor

The origins of the Plaza go back to 1577 when Philip II asked Juan de Herrera, a renowned Classical architect, to discuss a plan to remodel the busy and chaotic area of the old Plaza del Arrabal.

It's the classic Madrid Plaza , gorgeous but with a history that makes it more interesting. Haven't eaten anything in the plaza , not sure if tourist traps. Mercado San Miguel is close by for good eats!

If you take the exit at the corner behind the horse to the right it will take you to the oldest restaurant in the world opened 1725 and operating until today

Overrun with trinket salespeople squeaking on their clown noise makers they try so hard to sell. If you can ignore them then neat to see the slice of life here. Also - it’s close to everything!

Plaza Mayor (Main Square) is rectangular in shape, measuring 129×94 m (423 ft × 308 ft) and is surrounded by three-story residential buildings having 237 balconies facing the Plaza . Remember camera !

Beautiful square with nice cafes and restaurants ✨great architecture ????

Some black people around the statue seek tourists like you to get some € by handing you a 'gifts ' like African wooden bracelet. They could be violent if you don't 'pay' even if the Polícia are on site

You must not miss this when you're in Madrid. A magnificent rectangular square at the city center (near Puerta del Sol), this is where you can see the statue of the equestrian statue of Philip III.

One of the highlights of madrid, a must visit when in town .

Beautiful at day and night .. Stunning architecture with a lot of restaurants to enjoy ..  

Lovely historic square with a great atmosphere. Nice place for a beer or tapas . Bit pricey . Very touristy . But love it

Spacious , authentic and mesmerizing.. Really good food as well ❤️

The most beautiful plaza of Madrid.You can choose to sit in any of the restaurants and cafes .Otherwise you can sit on benches and relax eating ice cream or tapas

Beautiful both day and night. The statue in the center of the square used to be "smelly." After 200 years people discovered that the statue was full of dead birds that had flown in through the mouth..

In the middle of old center of Madrid. Many restaurants around, sometimes marketplace or presentations in the square.

While perhaps at times overpriced, as due to its touristy nature, this is an awesome place to have a beer , hang out and people watch . And if you have time to chat with Fat Spiderman ... All the better!

Bustling square in Madrid. Lots of restaurants & cafes around & really close to the city center.

Very crowded but very beautiful. You can enjoy there with staffs .

A must do during your first Madrid tour . Get a squid sandwich in one of the many bars around and ask them to add “ai i oli”

Very nice plaza , surrounded by beautiful architecture to admire. Avoid having a meal or drink at the restaurants or bar surrounding this plaza : too expensive considering the quality you get.

Very touristic but a great place to rest and observe the other tourists . One block over you can pay 1/2 the price for a mojito or cup of coffee .

It's a nice square but you will find a lot of tourists and everything is much more expensive

Always crowded , but good place for hangout. Variety things over there. A must try place.

Vast square full of people and resto's, come here for a meal with a view and people watching

I love this place. Very atmospheric. Bustling on a spring afternoon. Lots of great bars .

Has a great vibe at night when all the restaurants spill out into the square.

A beautiful place to watch the world go by. Most places have a menu of the day for about €11-€15

Must visit place, so nice to have a coffee or meal here.

One of the liveliest and most recognised squares in all of Spain… It's Madrid's Plaza Mayor!

Great place to sit and sip a drink in the shade.

eheeh take a close up pictures on the walls with your camera and soon you will realize they'r naked ! a great square to visit

Nice place to chill and people watch with a selection of places to eat and drink.

Architecture and function of these historic plaza 's are enchanting!

Just sit outside, have a drink, relax and take your time... Also priceless if it is concert time!

How I loved this place. The surrounding architecture and commerce made the square a special tourist spot

so many restaurants and coffee shops , amazing places

One of the most beautiful squares around the world. do not miss the xmas market

A must. 500 years of history here. Don't eat in the restaurants though, they're all overpriced and bad.

Great place to drink coffee at a local shop and stay for a while.

You just gotta do it. Large plaza with so many good eateries in the area and cobblestone allies you could explore for hours.

Really nice square and its really huge and it have really good architecture

Tourist spot, watch out for pickpockets!

Something you have to see when in Madrid, but not as cozy as Placa Reial in Barcelona.

Lovely Christmas Market in the square but it's the festive energy that makes it fun ????

Stopped for a quick beer but a lot more pricey than the bars around plaza Mayor

Don't come here to eat. It's touristic...come to enjoy the bustle and scene.

There are lots of tapas bars in this square. You can hear Spiderman's screams, shouts. Great place to watch around.

My favorite place in Madrid. An always changing panorama of humanity.

Visit at night. Many cafe around there

If you are 50 or more that's the perfect place for you. If you are not, that's a nice place for you.