Madrid's most traditional items can be bought, sold and enjoyed in the plaza de Cascorro and its surrounding streets.

The medieval market known as "el Rastro" is not only one of the oldest ones of Madrid, but it is also one of the most modern market places of the city. Sellers and buyers, "madrileños" and tourists mingle here, turning this market place into one of the most popular places of the city, and highly recommended by all travel guides. To fully appreciate its essence, the best thing to do is to walk its streets,blend in with the crowd,learn the art of bargaining, and to let its ambiance enthrall you.

This is one of the key symbols of Madrid. A visit to the Rastro flea market is a must for any visitor's first Sunday in Madrid, and a usual strolling ground for Madrileños on public holiday mornings.

Located around the Ribera de Curtidores, this market encompasses a large, almost triangular block marked by Calle de Toledo, Calle Embajadores and Ronda de Toledo, and spreads into various streets in the area, such as San Cayetano, Fray Ceferino González, Carlos Arniches, Mira el Río or Plaza de General Vara del Rey and Plaza de Campillo del Mundo Nuevo .

This area, where in years gone by the pig abattoir and the nearby tanneries stood, and where bull skins were tanned, nowadays plays host to the world's most traditional street market.

On Sundays and public holidays, over a thousand street sellers "open their doors" at around 9 am much to the delight of locals and strangers avidly in search of a bargain. At midday, the square popularly known as Plaza de Cascorro - where the statue of Eloy Gonzalo stands, a soldier from Madrid who in 1897 heroically set fire to the houses of the Cuban community of Cascorro - swarms with people. A stream of tourists and Madrileños observe the tradition of the majority, emerging from the Metro at Tirso de Molina station and wandering through the street market from top to bottom. From Cascorro to the Puerta de Toledo Market.

Hiding place for rogues and villains

Times have changed since the Rastro was home to rogues and crooks, and the items on sale have also changed, although the essence of a market where anything can be bought and sold remains, as described by the nineteenth century writers Hilario Peñasco and Carlos Cambronero: "There, in muddled heaps, appear side by side a militia uniform and a chipped crockery set, a portrait of the Duke of La Victoria and a carnival cape, a mantilla and an 18th century swordsman; therefore, the father of the household, the amateur actor, the industrious wife and the antiquarian will always find at the Rastro something that answers their need to satisfy their pastimes".

From Cascorro it is possible to take home anything imaginable. From first and second hand clothes, jewellery or any typical souvenir of Madrid, to old coins and antiques on display in some of the small squares and galleries. But also with items you would never expect to see on sale: a small piece of plastic that, when placed under the tongue, makes the sound of birdsong; the internal mechanism of an old door lock; or a part for a radio that stopped being made almost before this wonderful contraption arrived in Spain.

There are also themed streets in the Rastro, such as Calle de San Cayetano, known as Painter's Street, awash with oil paintings, water colours or reproductions of great works of art.

And now's the time to have some "tapas"

After this hectic stroll, and with the search for bargains satisfied, you cannot leave Cascorro without consolidating this typically Madrileño activity of purchasing at the Rastro with a decent aperitif in one of the crowded bars located all over this area.

The traditional custom of going for beers has its own paradise. A glass of wine, a beer or an on-tap vermouth would not be the same without the priceless company of a "tapa-sized" portion of paella or a squid ring sandwich, on offer in the bars that line the Ribera de Curtidores and nearby streets. Good atmosphere, clamour, the urge to buy, and far more so to sell, abound ( see articles about Tapas: click here )

This is the capital's most Madrileño fair, the market of all markets, where you can brush shoulders with the wafer seller and the organ player who adds his own atmosphere to the area with his rendition of the traditional chotis, but also with the trendiest crowd as they flick their way through old comics.

USEFUL ADVICE

We recommend beginners and foreigners to be careful with their belongings. Pickpockets and scroungers can be found anywhere. It is not necessary to exaggerate but one has to pay a lot of attention.

Early in the morning is the best time to buy bulky objects (furniture, paintings, antiques) and it is also the best time to bargain. You will also be able to bargain towards the end of the day, at about 3:00 p.m. in winter and no later than 4:00 p.m. in the summer.

After visiting the Rastro it is quite common to enjoy some tapas and cañas, which are usually consumed in La Latina area nearby to Plaza de Cascorro. If you are right at the end, in the Puerta de Toledo area, in the street with that same name you will see the bar Los Caracoles that specialises in snails in a delicious sauce.

You must summon up you patience, because if it is a sunny day, the hubbub and shouting is directly proportional to the amount of visitors at the Rastro. We recommend you to wear comfortable clothes and hardly any accessories in order to be able to walk with certain serenity.

Finally, enjoy yourself and let you senses guide you along the market. Let the magic and the talent produced by the combination of a medieval market and a Moroccan souq, spiced with traditional grace flood your senses.


Subway stations:
Tirso de Molina, La Latina, Embajadores, Acacias

How to get there: pincha aquí

Texts: Elías Zapata