After spending hours trying to research gorgeous little Spanish bakeries where I could actually order consumable food (surprisingly more difficult than I thought) to no avail, I eventually decided to simply venture out on a little mission to discover said bakeries. It was a long and hard journey filled with churros and cupcakes, but I’m more than willing to suffer by eating gorgeous food 24/7 for research. No need to thank me.

Heladería Borgonesse

Best for… choice

Starting off this post with a bang, Borgonesse is hands down the best place to get ice-cream in the whole of Madrid. Offering flavours you you will glimpse only a couple times in your life, this heladería is set on the gorgeous Gran Vía street – making it the perfect location to grab a delicious cone before heading out to explore the heart of Madrid. Along with ice-creams, they also serve a plethora of crêpes, waffles, frappes, smoothies, cakes, sweets, and nougats. If you’ve ever wanted to use the phrase “I’m like a kid in a candy shop,” then you can defo knock that off your bucket list here.

maestro churrero

Best for… churros!

Unexpectedly, this one brags the best churros in the whole of Madrid. Thankfully for gluttons with malfunctioning immune systems like yours truly, they offer gluten-free churros with thick, lactose-free chocolate. There’s nothing that screams Madrid quite like sitting outside in the sun, churros and chocolate in hand, looking out to the busy plaza streets, leaning back accessorised with Jackie O-esque sunglasses and long flowery skirts. 

celicioso

Best for… first dates

Celicioso has multiple locations, with my absolute favourite being the one located on Calle de Hortaleza. Whilst the other shops are equally as beautiful, I found this one location to be the cosiest, prettiest, and filled with the nicest staff. Their rich triple chocolate cake is absolutely divine, and the open-plan design and pretty decor makes it a super lovely place to hang out. With laid-back vibes, cute surroundings, and cake, this place would be absolutely perfect for a first date (let me know how it goes!).

freedom cakes

Best for… aesthetics

Absolutely everything at Freedom Cakes is vegan, which is great when you have a whole plethora of intolerances to cater to. I found myself in shock after trying several of their desserts to find that everything was dairy-free, given how insanely chocolatey and gooey their homemade brownies are. Their ice-cream is thick and creamy (although, I guess technically, more soya-y?), and their ridiculously healthy smoothies are presented in pretty little cactus glasses. I’m not one to drink blended kale – and yet, at Freedom Cakes, I found myself absolutely chugging the whole glass. 

azotea del círculo

Best for… smoothies

An unconventional place to call a cafe, sure, but the fact that they offer some absolutely stunning dairy- and gluten-free beverages should definitely mean that it should be included in this post. I absolutely adore their smoothies, and the fact that you choose the fruit flavours that you want and then some kind lass proceeds to blend it right in front of you merely adds to the appeal. They’re so full of flavour that they make your cheek tingle, and due to the fact that they’re basically granizados, they’re über light and refreshing. 

turrones vicens

Best for… turron

Officially the best place (and, dare I say, only place) in Madrid that freely gives out complimentary turron (especially if you continuously return in an abundance of disguises to continue snacking on tasters*), Turrones Vicens is officially one of my favourite places in the city. The bakers are super creative with their flavours, and the styles, flavours, and textures on offer are unlike any other turron I’ve ever tasted. Pop by for a look around, and then tell me that you haven’t ended up purchasing eight different bags of these sweet treats.

rodilla

Best for… local vibes

No post about cafes in Madrid would be complete without a mention to Rodilla. Founded in 1938, this cute little place has grown to be one of the best-loved places in Spain for decades. Whilst not advertised as being lactose-free, they offer many an option for absolute pains-in-the-ass like myself, and so I would gorge myself almost on a weekly basis on their matcha green teas and tubs of sorbets. Unsurprisingly, they have multiple locations, but the best – and only one I am going to mention – is the on on Calle Gran Vía. You’re welcome.

las cuevas de luis candelas

Best for… history

Whilst I do adore their sorbets here, the main reason I am including it in this post is for the fact that it is so thick with history that you can practically feel Candelas’ ghost arms around your shoulders. Luis Candelas was born in the early 1800s and grew up to be an infamous bandit known for his turquoise blue jacket, Mahón trousers and Corinth belt. He was infamous for assaulting stagecoaches and stealing goods, and wold hide out in where Las Cuevas is today, using the many available exits to confuse his persecutors and get away scot-free. There are so many more super cool stories about this legendary lad, which you can read all about when you visit this epic little place. 

alcampo

Best for… Bizcocho

Whilst technically not a “cafe” per se, they do offer a whole lot of baked goods. “Bizcocho de magdalena” literally translates to cupcake cake – and there’s nothing I love more than giant versions of little guilty snacks. I’d actually never tried one before moving to Madrid, but as it happens, I found myself eating probably a whole bizcocho per week – and don’t tell my host family, but even their homemade bizcocho doesn’t rival the gorgeous cake at Alcampo.

abanda

Best for… hot coco

Abanda is officially the cutest place to grab a hot coco and sit outside, as their shop is located just off of a large plaza. Technically, their lactose-free hot chocolate isn’t on the menu – until you ask for it specifically. The staff are the friendliest ever, and being surrounded by the liveliness and bustle of Madrid condensed to a little square merely adds to the appeal. 

heladeria tutti frutti

Best for… buckets of ice-cream

Okay so, to be completely and entirely honest with you, I looove this heladeriá for one reason and one reason only – the fact that you can literally buy their ice-cream in buckets. I am quite possibly the greediest person alive, but nothing has appealed to me more than taking a whole bucket of ice-cream to a park and subsequently demolishing the whole thing. Not only do they have gorgeous helado flavours, but to spike your blood pressure even more, they also sell the sweetest and most refreshing granizados ever. Let me tell you, it is one heck of a dangerous place to venture into with a full wallet. 

Ay mi madre

Best for… carrot cake

This little place has a whole menu dedicated to the vegan diet, offering a wide range of dairy-free pizzas, empanadas, and sandwiches. The best bit, however, is of course the carrot cake, which is light, sweet, and somewhat healthy (because that’s how vegetable-infused cakes work, right?).

And so, do you guys have any suggestions? Let me know in the comments below – and be sure to check out my other guide on the best bookstores in Madrid!

*That’s a joke, people! Don’t do that**

** (Or do it for the meme and send me pics)

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librería perez galdos

I’m going to start off the list strong with Librería Perez Galdos – quite possibly one of my favourite spaces in the whole city. Like any good bookstore should be, it features old novels and vintage National Geographics haphazardly stacked to the ceiling, and it honestly feels like an Ollivander’s but for, well, books. The owner is incredibly lovely, and helped me with my Spanish when I refused to indulge my first language. It’s pretty much how I want my future house library to be, as it all comes together to feel like a slightly enchanted space – like the sort you’d read about in a book (gingerbread and witches ensued). It’s honestly just pure perfection, and I adore it.

desperate literature

Desperate Literature looks entirely out of place on the street of which it is situated. Amongst high-class fashion boutiques and name brand labels, you’ll stumble upon what is essentially just this little cave of books. There are wooden signs dotted around the space with bookish quotes painted upon them, and handwritten notes are placed in front of books the staff suggest. You could easily whittle away the days sat back on a chair, listening to the indie music on the speakers, either indulging yourself with a gorgeous novel or tapping away at their typewriter. It’s all lit by some dilapidated lamps, and amongst the cul-de-sac of novels it’s way too easy to lose yourself.

librería san ginés

This place was unlike anything I’d ever seen before – a tiny shed attached to an old church, featuring what was pretty much just a large pasting table stacked with books. The whole thing is apparently nearly 400 years old, and honestly when you see it you won’t doubt it. The stalls spill out onto the street, winding along the church wall, with old postcards decorating the decks. A mixture of rock and roll and jazz music plays, and each time I visited the man running it would be leaning against a chair or a wall, mumbling along as a fat cigar dangled from his lips. It’s a bit of a discombobulating time warp, but I can guarantee you’ll love the whole thing.

librería mujeres

Apparently, in 1978 rights for women were few and far between in this contemporary capital. There were massive problems with free speech, divorce, and abortion rights, and on the whole it was just an absolute mess. That’s where the founders of this gorgeous little bookstore came in – they started up this bookstore to fill it with empowering female literature, bunting, an abundance of clocks, and old lamps. The decorations and style of the store represent the era flawlessly, and the whole place is just gorgeous, empowering, and honestly a little overwhelming. Good luck trying to hold back a reaction as you walk in.

librería desnivel

Librería Desnivel definitely tripped me out. It’s absolutely tiny from the outside, but when you walk in through the stained glass doors (with ice picks as the handles no less), it opens up to this massive maze of books. The floorboards creak as you wander the halls, and the endless rows of books dictate foreign lands and guides on mountaineering and exploring. I didn’t realise that a bookstore could be so perfect, but as I walked through it I quickly realised that it’s a real Travellers’ haven. The walls are even signed with quotes from famous explorers! There’s campfire music playing in the background, and everywhere you look is dowsed in maps and autobiographies by beloved adventurers. It’s the most inspiring bookstore I’ve ever visited, and I can’t deny that I now own a ridiculous amount of Levison Wood novels (I even interviewed him!).

the cómic co

Located in quite possibly the prettiest neighbourhood in the whole of Madrid (It’s Malasaña, before you ask), the cómic co is the most visually contemporary out of all these stores. Each wall is either pristine white plaster or exposed orange brick, with books layered across the front of them. They sell quirky (and sometimes eccentric) illustrated books and comics, resulting in me spending a ridiculous amount of time just pawing at the pages as the temptation of using up all my wages right there was exceedingly strong. The staff are always really lovely, and it seems that they all live for the casual banter in the store. It’s like the Spanish twin to the classic science fiction store Forbidden Planet, although less musty.

Honourable mentions:

Arrebato Libros – An adorable store featuring antique novels and yellowbacks – some of which still containing cute little notes from their owners back in the 1800s. A gorgeous mess of a place, it’s strangely enticing.

Pasajes Librería – Featuring a real abundance of books in a relatively small space, you could spend hours upon hours rummaging through their products. One of the best things is that they offer a wide selection of multi-lingual books, something of which a large majority of Madrid bookstores actually lack.

Librería Letras – So many of these books are on sale, it really did not help my attempts at budgeting. The owner is exceedingly helpful when you’re as indecisive as I am, and some of the books are quite noir and super interesting. The majority of books I bought from my trip were purchased from here – so if you have a weight limit for your suitcase, you may want to be careful.

El Olor de la Lluvia – Translated to “the smell of rain,” this place is quaint and cute and I love it. It features a little reading nook and rows upon rows of self-help books, rendering it the perfect place to take time out and fix yourself.

Madrid is quite possibly the most vibrant, exuberant place I’ve ever had the pleasure of living, and I already miss traipsing daily around the bookstores. I met some deeply lovely people between the towers of books, and I think that if you were to search for the very heart of the capital, you would find yourself in one of these librerías. These cosy little nooks really capture the whole essence of Madrid life – something we call “comodidad.” If you want to feel like you’ve finally come home, you’ve got to fall in love with the hidden bookstores of Madrid. As a warning though: when you leave, the estrangement will break your heart.

Have you guys been to any of these bookstores, or have any recommendations for stores I should check out? If so, let me know in the comments below!

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Accommodation – £0

To start off with, all of my accommodation was paid for by other people – for various reasons. When I first landed in Alicante, I was able to stay with my ex-boyfriend (funnily enough, not an ex at the time) in a gorgeous little house by La Marina. This meant that I was basically adopted by the family, and didn’t have to pay a single penny for keep. Pretty convenient, honestly.

From there, I met up with a family that were complete strangers at the time, but that I would grow to consider my own. As an au-pair, I was taken across Valencia all the way to Madrid, staying in cute little hotels with the family and finally settling down in their quaint home in a town called Móstoles. I met several friends along the way, each offering up their homes – resulting in a wonderful little journey around Spain with the base rate of £0. Just the way I like it.

Travel – £257

As expected, flights were the most expensive part of my whole journey – and only because I was an absolute knob and missed my first flight out. In total, I spent a (wildly unnecessary, tbh) £227 on flights.

When I had finally landed in Spain, I found myself spending a mere £30 on transport due to a rather magic metro card I found (called Renfe+) where you pay a set price and can explore more or less the whole of Northern Spain on it for free. Pretty handy. You also get free entry to galleries and rooftop cafes, which is neat.

HITCHHIKING AND USING RANDOM STRANGER’S CARS

I also tried my hand at hitchhiking. Having never done so before, the only factor convincing me to jump into a random stranger’s car was the fact that I was literally multi-tasking heat exhaustion with a severe lack of water and 40+ degrees in the shade, going up a hill which featured absolutely 0 said shade. When a random couple pulled up to me and suggested I get in their car, I was so dazed I just hopped right in. The journey back to the centre of civilisation took so long, and via a strange route I had never taken before, that I found myself nearly nodding off as the woman told me stories from her childhood. Honestly, I’m still not 100% convinced I made it out alive and am not just living in some weirdly lucid coma.

As I spent the majority of my time in Spain living with my aforementioned au-pair host family -with around 10 days also spent with the family of my dear ex-love-of-my-life – I was driven around from town to town, city to city, without a qualm. Honestly, I feel like they were all just pretty happy to have someone nag at them to be more adventurous, and I’m thankful they spent so much gas money on my expeditions.

Food – £35

In concept, all of my food was free (all six meals a day). However, I have a secret love affair with sweet things, and found a good chunk of my money going on snacks. From cakes to churros to ice-cream, I spent day after day meeting new-found friends and checking out all the local bakeries.

I was taken out for meals with my ex-boyfriend’s family, my temporary au-pair family, and then to soirees and birthday dinners with my temporary extended family. And there you have it – three month’s worth of food for what I would typically spend on a week’s shopping. Budget AF.

Excursions – £4

I visited over 50 castles, museums, galleries, and little day trip cities as I ventured around Spain – paying absolutely nothing for all except one. Here’s how.

STUDENT’S/ EU CARD

With a bit of research, I soon discovered that everything was free. Kind of. In order to visit such a sheer amount of awesome little places, I had to do a bunch of research before I rocked up anywhere. Here’s the gist – if you are a member of the EU, a student (or simply someone aged 0 – 26), unemployed (with evidence), or someone that knows the free entry times, you can pass security without dishing out a dollar. It’s all there, if only you look. The only time I had to pay (this is where the £4 comes in) was when I went to a castle during peak times, simply because I CBA to wait around for hours for free entry.

SPONGING OFF MY HOST FAMILY

The aforementioned au-pair family would also take me places, and when they did so, I would find them paying for everything. Whether it was an entry ticket to go wild swimming in the mountains, or a little fee to enter an olde historical building, they would always pay for me (they also bought me a gym membership and other pointless little things). They were so incredible dishing out so much, and all I had to do was watch TV with their kids for a few hours a week on the rare days both parents went to work. A pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.

Extras – £78

Spending £78 on little extras was completely unnecessary and could 100% have been avoided – and yet I couldn’t resist window shopping. I ended up buying exactly seven incoherent Spanish novels, two equally as incoherent Vinyls, and a bunch of tourist souvenirs for family members back home (along with a really fancy, really tiny pot of moisturiser). In all honesty though, I don’t think that’s too bad for three whole months, even if the 6kg bucket of ColaCao nearly sent me to Customs.

Income

Whilst I was away, I also managed to secure a steady stream of income. I’m not sure how applicable it is, but due to the fact that I have been blogging and writing for magazines for years, I was able to do about five hours of actual work to make triple back of what I had spent. I made £550 straight up from au-pairing, £130 for writing articles, and £460 from various other sources – such as product placement, affiliate links, and sponsored posts.

Not to be dramatic, but I 100% felt like a mortal God when I was dishing out advice to my friends and followers about how I managed to travel. I really hope that this helps some of you, or at least answers some rather demanding questions about how I could possibly be living a Snapchat highlife.

Has this post helped or inspired any of you guys to take your own budget tours? Or have you got any tips I could use next time? Let me know in the comments below!

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