Plaza de España

At the end of Gran Vía, or right at the beginning, depending on your perspective, Plaza de España acts as a true magnet for visitors. And not only because it houses one of Madrid's most photographed monuments, honoring Miguel de Cervantes and featuring Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. It's also because it connects the Sabatini Gardens, Campo del Moro, Casa de Campo, and Madrid Río. After a profound transformation, Plaza de España, with its 70,000 m², is one of the city's new central axes, a green space—it has 1,110 trees—with sculptures, children's play areas, and bike paths. During the plaza's transformation, the remains of the sentry walk of the old San Gil Barracks, the stables of the Royal Palace, and what was once the Palace of Godoy, favorite and prime minister of Charles IV, were discovered; all of them the work of the architect Francesco Sabatini, author of the Puerta de Alcalá. Plaza de España is a fantastic starting point for exploring the surrounding area, from the Liria Palace or the Cerralbo Museum, just steps away, to the Parque del Oeste and the Temple of Debod.