The Top 5 Best Christmas Gifts from Madrid!

Christmas is just around the corner! We’ve got our shiniest and best Christmas thinking caps on again here at AIL and have prepared a list of the 5 best holiday gifts from Madrid, just to make your lives that much easier!

1. A Foodie Surprise!

Bring home some of the delicious traditional Spanish cuisine with a paella kit, Spanish jamón, or some of the traditional Spanish Christmas sweets (mazapán, turrón, polvorones etc.)!



TOP TIP: Make it extra special by buying it from one of the Christmas markets in Madrid!

2. Hand-Made Leather (and more) Galore!

At Christmas time, Madrid fills up with Mercadillos de Navidad (Christmas markets), which offer a HUGE variety of artisanal products: leather wallets, belts, bags, “alpargatas” (type of shoe), and more!
The annual ‘Feria Mercado de Artesanía’ will be located in Plaza de España from the 12th of December until the 5th of January with over 168 stores!

3. World-famous Spanish Art

Madrid is world famous for its incredible art scene, with over 60 fascinating museums- such as Museo del Prado, Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, and Museo Reina Sofía, just to name a few.
This beautiful city has inspired crowds of street artists to take to the streets and sell their work at a fantastic price! Is there anything more special than a hand-drawn view of Madrid?

TOP TIP: Try the oldest market of Madrid: the Rastro! Founded in 1740 it opens on Sundays and national holidays all year round in La Ribera de Curtidores ( Barrio Lavapiés).

4. A Little Taste of the Spanish Lifestyle

Sadly taking home a suitcase filled with calamari and Ensaladilla Rusa just isn’t feasible. Luckily a good Spanish cookbook could be the answer to your problem! Timetravel back to Madrid by cooking up some of your favorite dishes: “Do you remember that time we had this in La Latina…mmmmmm”. It is also a great opportunity to revise that Spanish food vocabulary!

TOP TIP: We LOVE ‘Tapas y Aperitivos’ by José Sarau and ‘Pintxos y Tapas’ Luz Martin.

5. Give your loved ones the experience of a lifetime!

The best gift you can ever give is new knowledge and the opportunity to enjoy a unique experience: so why not give the gift of an AIL Madrid Spanish language course? We have a huge variety of flexible courses, suitable for everyone, and it’s a gift guaranteed to bring joy! Share the Madrid experience with those you love and go down in history as the greatest gift-giver of all time!

And remember: spring, summer, fall, or winter, it is ALWAYS the season to be jolly in Madrid! Come visit us soon!