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La Puerta del Sol

4.0 (133 reviews)

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Recommended Reviews - La Puerta del Sol

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Tairyn A.

This was one of the highlights we wanted to see in Madrid. Unfortunately there was construction going on and the whole block was closed and boarded up. We were able too see the top of it, but not take any significant pictures. Bummer. Hope it looks amazing when they're done.

Andrea U.

A lot of construction, very noisy, many dressed costumed frightening characters & beggars that got in our faces. Poor handicapped people were sleeping on cardboard. Saw a woman give a man a coin, it was t enough, he threw it at her & was cursing. Not impressed & we moved out of here as quickly as we could.

Maria V.

Super busy plaza. Kinda like Madrid's time square. Subway stop with access to most of the lines here They have music events and demonstrations A lot of shopping And a lot of pick picketers I hear . I prefer plaza mayor honestly

Impressive building
Maddie H.

La Puerta del Sol in Madrid is a busy public square smack dab in the center of the city (literally). My hotel was close by so I decided to take a walk around and ended up here. There is a famous statue of a bear and a Madrono tree and also a statue of King Charles III. An old post office building with a dome and bells on top flanks the square, which now serves as a government office of the President. Depending on when you are here you might see street performers or other entertainers out. There are a mix of tourists and locals alike. It is close to shopping so there are some people hanging out here before they go on to their next stops. I snapped a few photos but didn't stay here long since the actual plaza isn't one where you sit at a cafe and people watch like other big plazas. It is cool to see, but I also wouldn't go out of your way to come here.

Mariachi
Joanna T.

It would be pretty easy to compare Puerta del Sol with Times Square in New York. They certainly have all the buskers, street hustlers, costumed character scammers and panhandlers a tourist could want. We even saw the local version of desnudas. That said, Puerta is WAY bigger and much cleaner and doesn't appear to have an Applebee's. Locals actually go there. There's a huge metro stop and plenty of nearby shopping and restaurants. If you're in Madrid, you won't be able to miss it - it's the center of the city. And sometimes, there's a pretty good mariachi band playing.

La Puerta del Sol
Bruce K.

One of the more popular hangouts and meeting spots that I encountered during my time in Madrid. Aside from having a metro station that is a major junction of lines and being located in the key part of town where all the really super restaurants are located. I was here a couple of times, day time and night time. Even at 10:00 PM, La Puerta del Sol is a majorly happening spot. Tourists. Locals. Street performers from jugglers to musicians and even a mariachi band. And yep, a few beggars here and there too. Restaurants near by. Shopping near by. Bars and tapas near by. It's the center of Madrid!

Eric B.

Puerta del Sol is named for a longtime medieval gate with the sun carved into it. It's a Madrid hub for transportation, political demonstrations, tourists, and of course pickpockets. It's not a particularly attractive place as it's mostly a cement filled space without benches or trees. A few interesting things include the statue of King Charles III, the Bear Pawing the Berry Bush Statue (Symbol of Madrid), the red-and-white building with the bell tower (Madrid's first Post Office and Franco's old Police HQ), and the otherwise harmonious architecture all around. During our recent (and too short) stay in Madrid, our Hotel was just a couple blocks from La Puerta del Sol. From a practical standpoint, Sol was the closest subway station. From a Community perspective, this place was packed during the evening before Día de la Hispanidad, and with Security to match. Later in our trip, we read about the October 15th Protests (aka Occupy Europe). Crowds also fill the square on New Year's Eve, as Spain's "Big Ben" chimes 12 times. Madrileños eat 1 grape for each ring to bring good luck through each of the next 12 months. Sounds like a plan to me!

Porsche C.

Ahh, Puerto de Sol reminds me of lovely Disney! With all the street performers and love kids running around enjoying all the entertainment. Oh, boy! Did I feel like a big kid again when I arrived. This is the most quintessential place to start your trip when visiting Madrid. There's an abundance of tapa bars, cafes, and people watchers. Puerta Del Sol is the central hub in Madrid; you will end up here at least once a day, I promise! You'll find entertainers dressed as SpongeBob, Minnie and Mickey Mouse, and Winnie the Pooh. It's quite a large open area with fountains and some statues. Puerta Del Sol is definitely the place to stay if you want to be in the middle of everything! It's easy walking to all the attractions and nightlife in the city. I came during Christmas and New Years' time and truly fell in LOVE! This place is eventful during the holiday time. There are tons of tourists, but also many locals as well! You can see the combination of local people with the many tourists who visit the place. One of the reasons why this square is so well-known is be because of the "Bear and a madrone tree" statue, the City's symbol. Although I missed it, look out for the 'km. 0' from the kilometers of Spain roads. Madrid is a city that never sleeps. This area is always live and full of action. I truly enjoyed this area and would recommend staying here when visiting Madrid. P. S-Don't forget to pose with the bear!

Cindy L.

Lovely place to stop in and see what's going on because there are street performers and people finding any way they can to make money. We were looking at a map to find our hotel and a guy dressed up as Pocoyo came over with two blow up balloons for my daughters. He asked for 14 euros for the balloons. My husband handed the balloons back to him and left. If you're getting a hotel in the area, make sure not to have it face the street. We told the hotel owner that we don't mind noise, we didn't realize that the noise would be so loud and would go on until 6am! Then at 7am, a trash truck comes by everyday cleaning things up! It's nice to be in the center of action, but maybe we overdid it by being RIGHT in the middle of it all. The good part is that public transportation is very easy to get to and from, around here.

so hot
Maria G.

Some general tips for staying in Madrid. In the summer temperatures normally go up to 90s but it is not too humid like other major u.s. east coast cities. It is warm but there is often a breeze in the air which is really nice. If Spain isn't your only destination and you are looking for souvenirs, I would recommend buying souvenirs from Madrid rather than say in Paris or Amsterdam. Postcards and small gifts are cheaper. For instance, a nice key chain can cost up to 4 or 5 euros in Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. But in Madrid you can possibly buy it under 2 euros. For tours, I would recommend New Europe tour. They have free walking tours and pub crawl in every major European cities. I did their free walking tour (tip-based tours) in Parid and Madrid. I went to Versallies with them in Paris. I did pub crawl (4 bars one club, 12 euros total. At one bar you can get unlimited beer for 45 minutes, free shots at two bars and free entry to the club) with them in Madrid. Their tour normally leaves on time so plan well so you get to the meeting point on time.

The Bear & Strawberry Tree
Tiffany M.

This area is a very busy and full of life! There are plenty of things to do. In la Puerta de Sol, you're bound to find some action. I've only visited this area in the evening and it's been packed everytime! It is surrounded by shops, clubs, restaurants, bars, street performers, and more! This is where the statue of the bear and the strawberry tree lives. Take a picture!

Rory M.

Puerta del Sol is a historical common ground in the heart of the city. It's a great meeting place for groups, as many tours begin at this location. There are fountains to sit at, perhaps while eating a pastry or drinking a coffee from a nearby shop. Beware, there are also characters who will try to get you to snap a photo with them, then hound you for money afterwards. There's also some significant statues in the area, one being oso and the strawberry treee - make sure you rub it for good luck!

Creepy Dora! HIDE YO KIDS!
Ramona G.

La Puerta del Sol is pretty much the center of Madrid. There's not much to see in this plaza itself, there's just a bunch of street artists. There's shopping around it and lots of restaurants. Most likely you'll pass by this plaza on your way to other Madrid Destinations.

Puerto del Soll

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La Puerta del Sol Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - La Puerta del Sol

On the east end of the square there is the famous symbol of Madrid, the statue of bear holding a strawberry tree.

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Barrio de La Latina

Barrio de La Latina

4.3(3 reviews)
0.7 kmLa Latina

When I traveled to Madrid, I stayed in this neighborhood, and loved it! It is very centrally…read morelocated, close to Plaza Mayor, the Palacio de Real and much more, and has a lot of colorful local flavor. There are plenty of shops, cafes, and winding tiny streets branching out from the main roads. There always seems to be something going on, but it still feels very quiet in many areas. As a female solo traveler, I am always very concerned with the safety of the neighborhoods that I stay in. I always felt safe here. I walked around at night every evening that I was in the city, and never had any problems of felt unsafe - that being said, of course you must take precautions and always use common sense. But in general, I felt quite safe. Great area!

this is a vibrant, colourful neighborhood in the southwestern part of madrid's city centre. as…read moresoon as i stepped out of the underground station, i immediately saw many colourful murals, painted on the sides of various buildings. there are plenty of plazas here to relax, play, stroll, jog, or play ball. just be careful in the evenings, as there are some questionable streets and alleys that aren't very well lit. personally, my favourite thing to do here was to eat! the street called "calle cava baja" is well known for their restaurants, cafes, and tapas bars, and you could actually go "tapas bar" hopping by having the "house tapas" and a drink at one bar, and moving on to a second, and a third, so on and so forth until your belly is full! most of the tapas bars are very reasonably priced and open quite late. accessible via the la latina and tirso de molina underground stations.

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Barrio de La Latina
Barrio de La Latina - Buenos días Madrid

Buenos días Madrid

Barrio de La Latina

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Chocolatería San Ginés - Truffles

Chocolatería San Ginés

4.2(1.7k reviews)
0.3 kmSol

This chocolateria has been in business for over 130 years, so it was probably safe to assume they…read moreknow how to make chocolate and just as essentially, the churros upon which their chocolate clings. Based on the definitive opinions of travel vloggers, this appeared to be the place to get the fabled chocolate con churros. Jamie W and I made our way here through the labyrinth of streets near Puerta del Sol. It was early evening so no surprise there was a queue, but it moved quickly because this historic place was a model of efficiency. It's the type of place where you need to be ready to order the moment you're in front of the hostess. Luckily, we had made mental notes of what to order from one particular vlogger, so we were ready. It only took a minute to secure one of their marble cafe tables. Our order arrived fairly quickly. It consisted of a 2,5€ plate of Churros, six long sticks of chewy, delicious dough. Unlike the Mexican version, it wasn't dusted with sugar because the 3,7€ cup of Hot Chocolate was more than enough (Photo 8). Incredibly rich and only lightly sweetened. The churros might've been enough for a neophyte, but we double-downed with a 2,5€ order of two Porros (Photo 7). Porras are a thicker, doughier version of churros, so of course, they were our favorites because they really held the chocolate with assurance. Even though we went through two cups of hot chocolate, we still had 2,4€ cups of Cafes con Leche to wash it all down (Photo 10). It was an ideal dessert experience because who doesn't love awesome doughnuts? Definitely a must-gorge when in Madrid. FOOD - 5 stars...the motherlode when it comes to chocolate con churros...get the porros AMBIANCE - 4 stars...crowded but historically atmospheric with enough elbow room SERVICE - 4 stars...speedy TOTAL - 5 stars...pretty essential Madrid experience RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/RH4DbI4Fwc

Churros con Chocolate -- 10/10: literally who am i to judge a churro recipe/spot that has been…read moreserving the same recipe 24/7 since 1894 loool ofc it was phenomenal!!! i fear i will never find another churro as good as this. the chocolate dipping sauce was also so good i wanted to drink it Tucked into an alley in Puerta de Sol is this vintage chocolateria. Stepping into the alley feels like you're entering a vintage postcard. The workers were nice and I had a very pleasant time enjoying my churros and admiring the history and decor inside.

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Chocolatería San Ginés - Photo 1: Montage of images from Chocolateria San Gines

Photo 1: Montage of images from Chocolateria San Gines

Chocolatería San Ginés - Order of 6 Churros & Hot Chocolate

Order of 6 Churros & Hot Chocolate

Chocolatería San Ginés - Chocolate Con 6 Churros...

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Chocolate Con 6 Churros...

La Puerta del Sol - localflavor - Updated July 2026

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