• Take a guided bus tour; it's a great way to orient yourself and to see some of the city's main attractions.
• Check out the Estación de Atocha, the city's old railway station which is architecturally stunning and has been converted into a huge tropical garden with more than 400 species and 7,000 plants.
• Take the kids to Faunia, a nature park that's home to 4,000 animals and more than 72,000 trees and shrubs.
• Learn more about the city you're in with a trip to the City Museum (Museo de la Ciudad), with its fascinating exhibitions, scale models and interactive features.
• Head to Madrid in mid-June for San Antonio de la Florida, the city's largest street party.
• Browse a Sunday away at El Rastro, one of the biggest flea markets in the world, selling everything from antiques to clothes.
• See Madrid from the top of Moncloa Lighthouse (Faro de Moncloa), a 300-foot stainless steel tower where you can catch panoramic vistas of the city.
• Entertain the family at Aquópolis, a massive waterpark located just outside of Madrid.
• Hire a rowing boat or take a ride in a horse drawn carriage at the Park of the Retreat (Parque del Retiro), with its glass palace and lovely lake.
• Catch a game of football at Real Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabéu or Atlético Madrid's Estadio Vicente Calderón.

Madrid City Guide - tourist guide to Madrid, Spain