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Spain : Madrid - June 2010

Country Code: Dial for Spain

Madrid hots up in June as its denizens flock to the streets to enjoy all that the summer has to offer. Don’t miss Photo España (from 9 June), a massive international photographic exhibition spread over 30-plus venues. Summer in Madrid means outdoor dining on tasty tapas in the plazas, and long nights enjoying the frenetic buzz that comes from the bars on stunning rooftop terraces. Scott Adams explores

Getting around

Barajas Airport

Bus: There are regular buses from the airport to Avenida de America (which connects with Metro lines 4, 6, 7 and 9) until 11pm. The journey takes between 30 minutes and an hour (emtmadrid.es).
Train: Terminal 4 is covered by line 8 of the metro system. The journey to the city centre takes about 45 minutes and a single ticket costs €2.
Taxi: The journey to the centre takes around 20 minutes and costs around €28 (which includes the taxis’ airport charge of €5,25).
Tourist information: The main office is at 27 Plaza Mayor (tel. , www.turismomadrid.es) but there’s also an information stand at Terminal 1.

PLAZA SANTA ANA AND AROUND

Grab the opportunity to spend some time in what is probably Madrid’s liveliest square. Dine al fresco, enjoy the Photo España exhibitions in the many nearby venues, or dance ’til dawn in one of Europe’s trendiest nightspots.

Sleep soundly – Not only is the Westin Palace (7 Plaza de las Cortes, tel. , westinpalacemadrid.com, doubles from €269) one of the best luxury hotels in the city, but during June you can also enjoy a Photo España exhibition in the bar and Sunday performances of opera with brunch.

Culture vultures – Many of the venues for Photo España (phedigital.com) are to be found around Plaza Santa Ana. There’s also an open-air, night-time screening of the best images on 18 June, right in the square.

Must eat – Dine under the stars at Turf (8 Plaza Santa Ana, tel. ). Highlights include tempura langoustines, smoked salmon with cream cheese and summery salads, washed down with cold beer or rioja wine.

Dance the night away – Set high above the square, the open-air Penthouse (14 Plaza Santa Ana) is where to go to enjoy an exotic cocktail – such as the cointreaupolitan – or some delightful tapas before you change gear and move to the modern beats.

GRAN VIA AND AROUND

Stroll this main thoroughfare that throbs with energy 24/7 to discover fab shopping, breezy terraces with views to die for and great summer food.

Sleep soundly – Surrounded by shops, cinemas, restaurants and nightlife, Hotel Senator (21 Calle Gran Vía, tel. , hotelsenatorgranvia.com, doubles from €83) has comfortable rooms with Wi-Fi and a street level bar.

Culture vultures – Swoon to one of the 20th century’s greatest operas, Die Tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, or contemporary dance from Nederlands Dans Theater at Madrid’s beautiful opera house Teatro Real (Plaza de Oriente, teatro-real.com).

Must eat – A chic interior, delicious food and reasonable prices combine to make La Gloria de Montera (10 Calle Caballero de Gracia, tel. ) very popular. Perhaps start with the roast chicken roll stuffed with Iberian ham and Kofi rice, before indulging in some cold strawberry soup with thyme-infused ice cream.

Must drink – With spectacular views across Madrid, head to Splash (12 Plaza Vázquez de Mella) for an al fresco glass of wine, a beer or a summer cocktail in the company of some of Madrid’s most beautiful people.

Shop til you drop – Discover sharp but affordable designer clothes for him and her at El Atelier (29 Calle Valverde) There’s everything from hand-painted T-shirts to quirky cocktail dresses.

BARRIO DE SALAMANCA

The wide, tree-lined streets of this 19th-century part of town are the setting for exclusive boutiques, theatres, fabulous restaurants and late-night dancing.

Culture vultures – Marvel at the amazing voice of Argentinian singer Elena Roger in her amazing tribute to Edith Piaf showing at the Teatro Alcalá (62 Calle Jorge Juan, visit entradas.com for tickets).

Must eat – Serving up some of Spain’s best Moroccan cuisine in an exquisitely decorated interior, Al Mounia (5 Calle Recoletos, tel. ) is perfect for a special occasion.

Must drink – Hot nights demand cold beers, and you’ll find more than 80 imported varieties at Seny (146 Calle Alcalá), served up with plates of sizzling sausages to keep hunger at bay.

Dance the night away – Garamond (10 Calle Claudio Cuello) only gets moving after the clock strikes midnight. The straight-off-the-chart music makes it a popular choice with an over-30s crowd looking to groove until early in the morning.

Compiled by Scott Adams