Locked Up’s Maggie Civantos knows just how to make the most of a trip to the Spanish capital
Claire Webb - 27 April 2019
At weekends, Spanish actress Maggie Civantos likes to take her chihuahua Tito for a stroll around Madrid. “I love to take a walk through the heart of the city and to visit iconic places like the gardens of Plaza de España,” she says. “On Sundays, I like to go to El Rastro market in La Latina, a huge flea market where you can find vintage clothes, old furniture and books.”
Civantos plays an inmate in the slick jail-set thriller Locked Up, so perhaps it’s little wonder that she enjoys getting some fresh air on days off. She grew up in Malaga on the Costa del Sol, but Madrid has been her home for more than a decade. “I love the theatre scene and the food is good, but most of all I like how nice the people are.” Her top tip for visitors? “Feel free to speak with locals if you are lost or want recommendations. Madrid is a friendly place!”
DON’T MISS THE PRADO
Spain’s national art museum, the Prado, has masterpieces by the likes of Goya and Velázquez, but Civantos prefers the works in the contemporary art museum, Centro de Arte Reina Sofía – an old hospital with a futuristic red roof (museoreinasofia.es). The centrepiece of its collection is Picasso’s huge black-and-white oil painting depicting the horrors of war, Guernica. “I love modern art and especially surrealism and Dalí’s paintings,” she says. “You can also find amazing artists in a gallery called Modus Operandi (artemodusoperandi.com).”
TRY SEAFOOD AND SHERRY
“Mercado de San Miguel is the place to try the best Spanish dishes. I’ve spent lots of good times there with friends, enjoying delicious food.” Close to Plaza Major – Madrid’s grand central square – this historic wrought-iron-and-glass market is stuffed with vendors dishing up freshly prepared tapas, including mouthwatering displays of seafood. There are plenty of aperitif options, too: try a good-value glass of rioja or a tipple from the vermouth or sherry bars.
TAKE THE AIR AT CASA DE CAMPO
“Our Hyde Park is Buen Retiro – a big park with sculptures and a lake in the middle where you sometimes see people dancing flamenco. Don’t go in August: it’s very hot and you’ll be fried like a potato! I prefer to cycle to Casa de Campo because it’s wilder. It’s huge and you can see birds and rabbits.” Formerly a royal hunting ground, the 1,722-acre Casa de Campo has an amusement park, a zoo, a cable car and a boating lake.
GET YOUR SUGAR FIX
“La Central de Callao is a bookshop, but it does good coffee and carrot cake. I like to have breakfast with a book there. If you prefer chocolate, you can taste the best in Madrid at Chocolatería Valor, which is just opposite.” The city’s favourite snack is chocolate con churros – crispy, sugardusted doughnut fingers dipped into a little cup of molten chocolate.
SHOP LOCAL
“If you want to shop, there are so many options! Calle de Serrano is definitely worth visiting for top Spanish brands, but good alternatives are the vintage shops and local designers in Malasaña. If you love 50s fashion, there is a beautiful store called Lady Cacahuete (ladycacahuete.com). It’s my favourite shop.” Malasaña is Madrid’s hippest neighbourhood, where you can also find a sumptuous Baroque church, the city’s history museum and plenty of cafés and tapas bars.
DO IT LIKE A LOCAL
“We eat lunch at two or three in the afternoon and dinner at nine or ten at night – yes, late! I recommend Decadente, an elegant restaurant that serves traditional dishes with a creative twist (decadente.es). When I want tapas, I head to La Gastro in Malasaña – they do the best croquetas (lagastrodechema.com). I usually order the cheese ones because I try not to eat meat, although I can’t resist jamón ibérico. When we go out, we drink small glasses of beer called cañas, or cocktails. In summer, I drink tinto de verano – red wine with ice and lemonade.”
LISTEN TO LA MUSICA
“I love music and am always going to gigs. You can see authentic flamenco at Casa Patas (casapatas. com) and jazz in Huertas. My favourite pub is La Coquette because it has the finest blues music in town (Calle de las Hileras, 14). Malasaña is best for dancing: Sala Barco has good funk music (barcobar.com), and head to Siroco for electro (siroco.es).”
At weekends, Spanish actress Maggie Civantos likes to take her chihuahua Tito for a stroll around Madrid. “I love to take a walk through the heart of the city and to visit iconic places like the gardens of Plaza de España,” she says. “On Sundays, I like to go to El Rastro market in La Latina, a huge flea market where you can find vintage clothes, old furniture and books.”
Civantos plays an inmate in the slick jail-set thriller Locked Up, so perhaps it’s little wonder that she enjoys getting some fresh air on days off. She grew up in Malaga on the Costa del Sol, but Madrid has been her home for more than a decade. “I love the theatre scene and the food is good, but most of all I like how nice the people are.” Her top tip for visitors? “Feel free to speak with locals if you are lost or want recommendations. Madrid is a friendly place!”
DON’T MISS THE PRADO
Spain’s national art museum, the Prado, has masterpieces by the likes of Goya and Velázquez, but Civantos prefers the works in the contemporary art museum, Centro de Arte Reina Sofía – an old hospital with a futuristic red roof (museoreinasofia.es). The centrepiece of its collection is Picasso’s huge black-and-white oil painting depicting the horrors of war, Guernica. “I love modern art and especially surrealism and Dalí’s paintings,” she says. “You can also find amazing artists in a gallery called Modus Operandi (artemodusoperandi.com).”
TRY SEAFOOD AND SHERRY
“Mercado de San Miguel is the place to try the best Spanish dishes. I’ve spent lots of good times there with friends, enjoying delicious food.” Close to Plaza Major – Madrid’s grand central square – this historic wrought-iron-and-glass market is stuffed with vendors dishing up freshly prepared tapas, including mouthwatering displays of seafood. There are plenty of aperitif options, too: try a good-value glass of rioja or a tipple from the vermouth or sherry bars.
TAKE THE AIR AT CASA DE CAMPO
“Our Hyde Park is Buen Retiro – a big park with sculptures and a lake in the middle where you sometimes see people dancing flamenco. Don’t go in August: it’s very hot and you’ll be fried like a potato! I prefer to cycle to Casa de Campo because it’s wilder. It’s huge and you can see birds and rabbits.” Formerly a royal hunting ground, the 1,722-acre Casa de Campo has an amusement park, a zoo, a cable car and a boating lake.
GET YOUR SUGAR FIX
“La Central de Callao is a bookshop, but it does good coffee and carrot cake. I like to have breakfast with a book there. If you prefer chocolate, you can taste the best in Madrid at Chocolatería Valor, which is just opposite.” The city’s favourite snack is chocolate con churros – crispy, sugardusted doughnut fingers dipped into a little cup of molten chocolate.
SHOP LOCAL
“If you want to shop, there are so many options! Calle de Serrano is definitely worth visiting for top Spanish brands, but good alternatives are the vintage shops and local designers in Malasaña. If you love 50s fashion, there is a beautiful store called Lady Cacahuete (ladycacahuete.com). It’s my favourite shop.” Malasaña is Madrid’s hippest neighbourhood, where you can also find a sumptuous Baroque church, the city’s history museum and plenty of cafés and tapas bars.
DO IT LIKE A LOCAL
“We eat lunch at two or three in the afternoon and dinner at nine or ten at night – yes, late! I recommend Decadente, an elegant restaurant that serves traditional dishes with a creative twist (decadente.es). When I want tapas, I head to La Gastro in Malasaña – they do the best croquetas (lagastrodechema.com). I usually order the cheese ones because I try not to eat meat, although I can’t resist jamón ibérico. When we go out, we drink small glasses of beer called cañas, or cocktails. In summer, I drink tinto de verano – red wine with ice and lemonade.”
LISTEN TO LA MUSICA
“I love music and am always going to gigs. You can see authentic flamenco at Casa Patas (casapatas. com) and jazz in Huertas. My favourite pub is La Coquette because it has the finest blues music in town (Calle de las Hileras, 14). Malasaña is best for dancing: Sala Barco has good funk music (barcobar.com), and head to Siroco for electro (siroco.es).”