Shopping in Madrid is irresistible for anyone no matter their age. There are so many shops and shopping centres that open all day long.From beautiful antiques through the latest designs, furniture, fashion, the most prestigious trademarks, gifts, to souvenirs or select gastronomic products, they all fill up shop windows everywhere in the Community of Madrid, making them very attractive to the passer-by. Traditional shops or great houses, department stores and markets open out a world of infinite pportunities when it comes to shopping in Madrid.

SR Leather (Pelayo 7) vends leather, rubber, SM gear, and army and industrial clothes, as well as toys and art. Jose hosts a chamber of art along a long corridor with local artists including Neo displaying nude and semi-nude drawings. There is a small room at the back of the shop with crafted SM furniture for sale. Leather goods and clothes are made in-house.

Different Life Book/Sex Shop (Pelayo 30) offers a full range of play toys along with gifts, DVDs, music, and books -- open till 8:30 p.m. every day.

Sex Store Play (Pelayo 31) sells toys, gifts, music, art, and porn, and offers double or single cabins where you can view the DVDs on sale or just have a quickie.

There is a great coffee shop at the back of Berkana Book Shop (Hortaleza 64), Madrid's longest running gay-shop/bookstore, serving teas and coffee, beers, and cake. Downstairs there is more to explore.

Ovlas (Augusto Figueroa 1) is not to be missed. Leave all your sexy-wear at home and buy what you need here. You'll find the hottest, gayest fashion in the world here. Ovlas has three stores: in Madrid, Barcelona, and Sitges.

Juan, Por Dios! (Perez Galdos 3; Juanpordios.com) is a hair and beauty world and is the creation of Guille. You can book an appointment anytime Monday to Saturday between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. There is always a lively atmosphere here. Guille also owns their twin shop at Manuela Malasana 26.

The Salamanca district borders on Paseo de la Castellana, Alcalá, María de Molina and Francisco Silvela. Shopping in Madrid has here its own paradise, the most “chic” and elegant area in the Community. The most luxurious boutiques are found in streets such as Serrano, Castelló, Goya, Velázquez, Jorge Juan, Príncipe de Vergara and Ortega y Gasset - an area that is a true pleasure to your eyes.

Some of the most prestigious houses worldwide are found in these streets: the prêt-à-porter of the Italian Versace or the refinement and simplicity of Hermès. Dolce&Gabanna and Chanel also have their premises in large spaces full of sophistication and of the avant-garde.

Essential stops in the area are the Giorgio Armani, Valentino and Louis Vuitton shops. However, it is on Serrano street that we find one of the most prestigious fashion and accessories establishments worldwide: Loewe, which makes passers-by stop and admire exclusive garments and accessories both for men and women.

Spanish fashion is also represented in the most luxurious area in the city: Victorio&Lucchino, Adolfo Domínguez, Roberto Verino and Elena Benarroch open their spectacular establishments to offer first-quality, latest design products to their exclusive clients. Jewels also find a place in this elegant area in the centre of Madrid. Jewellers’ such as Carrera y Carrera, Wempe, Suárez, Brooking, Cartier or the exclusive Bulgari show diamonds and other gems in superb shop windows.

The distinction and elegance typical of the Salamanca district can also be seen in two shopping malls: El Jardín de Serrano and ABC Serrano, with shops selling first-class fashion and accessories trademarks. This type of shopping mall offers an elegant atmosphere where everything is quiet and distinguished.

It is true that shopping in the prestigious shops in the Salamanca district is a pleasure that few can afford, ideal when money is no concern or when you want to give yourself a special treat. Having said that, the area is ideal to do window shopping, to compare, admire and enjoy the sights.

The Chueca district is one of the most genuine and cosmopolitan areas in the city centre.Within it and coming up to the Almirante area, well-known for its avant-garde and Spanishfashion shops, a great many shops have sprung up for the most daring and contemporary buyers.

The district bustles with life during the day time thanks to small businesses that, in a very short time, have managed to become the backbone of modern Madrid. The shop windows in Chueca combine both originality and the avant-garde. Specifically, the section made up of little streets perpendicular to Fuencarral and Hortaleza streets is a shoppers’ paradise.

The best example is Fuencarral market, created as an alternative to the traditional and typicaldepartment stores. Its interior is colourful and psychedelic, metal combines with soft furry fabrics and the shops form labyrinthine corridors. The market accommodates craftsmen and women,designers and small traders from all over Spain, with such original products that you are not allowed to take photos.

What makes it really different from the typical department stores is that, for example, there is a DJ that plays music in situ, stores specialized in piercing and tattooing, a surrealist hairdresser’s, shops displaying the latest fashion, gifts, cosmetics. The creative and free atmosphere pervading the market acts as a magnet to attract all kinds of people.

The Fuencarral Market turned out to be so successful that other shops decided to follow suit and open up in the area. Outrageous boutiques, shops selling daring lingerie, shop windows displaying feathers, leathers, sequins. From models to drag-queens, shoppers buy here the latest and most glamorous fashion. Jewels, belts, feather gowns, shoes and boots with unimaginable heels, everything delights the most eccentric clientele.

We can start our High Street shopping itinerary at Preciados street, where we find the wellknown department store El Corte Inglés, which in the last few years has extended to the buildings close-by. We can also enjoy the great fashion franchises so favoured by the young, where shoppers can find the latest fashion at reasonable prices. Benetton, Zara, Springfield, Mango, among others, are outlets that are always full of lively people ready to buy or browse. For as long as shops are open, the area is always crowded with people.

At the end of Preciados street, as we reach Plaza de Callao, we find FNAC, one of the largest stores for music and books in the city. If we continue our tour of the area, we come to the cosmopolitan and always dynamic Gran Vía. This street is worth a visit and a walk as it is one of the main arteries of the city and one of the streets with a huge number of shops and cinemas.

Many shops set up by first-quality houses are found on Gran Vía, for example, the famous porcelain trademark Lladró. Also, the streets off Gran Via have always boasted of a very lively commercial activity, so shoppers can find clothes stores, shops selling souvenirs and accessories, all mixed with cinemas, bars and hotels.

If we move slightly away from the area, towards the lower section of Gran Vía street, and after crossing Plaza de España, we reach Princesa street, also crammed with shops along both pavements and with quite a few shopping centres known as “Multicentros” where we can find the latest fashion clothes.

Madrid city centre is all of it just a whole commercial hub. Plaza Mayor, Gran Vía, Puerta del Sol and the streets all around are the most traditional shopping areas in the city. You can buy handicrafts, ceramic, silver, leather, fans, guitars and any type of musical instrument, “flamenco” costumes, accessories, groceries as well as clothes, CDs or books, all from small long-established shops that have kept their old appearance but continue trading as they used to in the past. One of these shops is Casa de Diego, specialized in fans, umbrellas and Manila shawls since 1823. And for those with a sweet tooth, one of the oldest cake shops in the capital, La Mallorquina, founded in 1894. La Violeta has been, since 1915, one of the best known confectioner’s for its violet-shaped sweets, chocolates and glazed and sugar-coated fruits.

Since 1894, Casa Yustas has sold military hats, caps and accessories. And very close-by we find La Favorita, which, also since 1894, has been selling any type of hat. Other long-established and traditional establishments in Madrid are Belloso, Capas Seseña, Doña Manolita, El Gato Negro or the haberdashery Pontejos.

Street markets are also a tradition in Madrid. Every weekday you can find markets somewhere in the region, with lots of stalls selling the most varied things. Apart from the traditional clothes and food markets, there are also very interesting specialized ones. For example, book markets like the one on Cuesta de Moyano, known as the Old and Bargain Books Fair. It opens every day to sell genuine literary jewels, and the little market in Avenida de Felipe II, in the heart of Goya street, with its well-known hippie style.

The stamps market is one of the oldest in the city and every Sunday opens on Plaza Mayor and attracts lots of people to browse, buy or exchange stamps and coins. For art lovers, a must is the little market on Plaza Conde de Barajas, on Sundays, with a good selection of paintings. The street market par excellence in Madrid is the Rastro. Originally medieval, the Rastro is one of the oldest markets in the city but also one of the most modern. To seep in its spirit, the best thing is to tour its streets, mix with the crowds, have a go at haggling and let oneself be captivated by its atmosphere.

On Plaza de Cascorro and surrounding streets - Rodas, Ribera de Curtidores – a great number of stalls are found. They offer old, second-hand and new items. You can find almost anything, clothes, handicrafts, furniture and a long etcetera.

Madrid has a long tradition of street markets offering the most varied products. This type of selling place, so typical in the Community of Madrid, is usually found outdoors, in public places and on certain days.

The products sold are so diverse: food, pieces of clothing, household items, plants, fashion jewellery, etc. These markets have always been widely accepted because they offer, within the same space, a great variety of items and also because prices are lower than at traditional stores. But the real attractive thing about stepping into one of these markets is just ambling in the open air through the stalls, stopping and looking at all kinds of goods and enjoying the lively bustle of the place as both traders and buyers mix.

The Rastro

• Books market where we can find genuine literary jewels.
  
• Location: Cuesta de Moyano.
  
• Opening Times: Monday to Friday, from 09:30 to 17:00 hours in winter, and 09:30 to 20:00 hours in summer. Saturdays and Sundays, mornings only.
  
• How to get there
  Metro: Line 1, Atocha station. Bus: Lines 14, 27, 34, 37 and 45.

• Hippie style market where we can find from bags and shirts from India to earrings and handicrafts from all over the world.
• Location: Avenida de Felipe II.
  
• Opening Times: Free shopping hours.
  
• How to get there
  Metro: Lines 2 and 4, Goya station. Bus: Lines 15, 26, 29, 30, 61, 63 and C.

• One of the oldest in Madrid. Buyers can find stamps and coins from all over the world.
• Location: Plaza Mayor.
• Opening Times: Sundays and public holidays, from 09:00 to 14:00 hours.
• How to get there
  Metro: Lines 2, 5 and R, Sol and Ópera stations. Bus: Lines 3, 5, 15, 17, 20, 23, 31, 35, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 150.

Paintings Market

• For the lovers of modelling and other pastimes such as scalextric, model trains or miniature cars.
• Location: Museo del Ferrocarril (Railway Museum). C/ Paseo de las Delicias, 61.
• Opening Times: First Sunday of the month, from 10:00 to 15:00 hours, except in August.
  
• How to get there
  Metro: Line 3, Delicias station. Bus: Lines 8, 18, 19, 45, 47, 85 and 86.

• Over 150 stalls selling the most varied products. It is considered one of the most dynamic markets in the Community of Madrid.
  
• Location: Plaza de las Erillas.
  
• Opening Times: Tuesday, from 9:30 to 14:00 hours, and Saturday, from 9:30 to 15:00 hours.
  
• How to get there
  Bus: Lines 651, 652, 653, 654 and 655 (from the Transport Exchange in Moncloa).