The 'Neighbourhood of Letters,' named for the Golden Age writers who lived and are buried here — Cervantes among them — and now one of central Madrid's most atmospheric small quarters.
Named for Spain's 16th- and 17th-century literary golden age, when Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega and their contemporaries lived within a few streets of each other here. Calle Huertas, the neighbourhood's spine, is embedded with bronze plaques quoting literary passages set directly into the pavement. Cervantes is buried at the Convent of the Trinitarian nuns on Calle Lope de Vega, a detail most visitors walk straight past without noticing.
Compact, historic, and increasingly hotel-dense — Gran Hotel Inglés and The Palace both sit inside or right at the edge of this neighbourhood. By day it's relatively quiet and walkable; by night, Plaza Santa Ana and the streets around it turn into one of central Madrid's livelier terrace and bar-hopping areas, without tipping into the rowdier energy of Malasaña.
Travellers who want walking-distance access to the Prado museum cluster and Sol alike, with genuine historic character on the doorstep rather than having to travel to it. A strong middle ground between the polish of Salamanca and the grit of La Latina.
Small theatres and flamenco tablaos are unusually concentrated here relative to the neighbourhood's size — worth checking what's on before booking dinner elsewhere.
Antón Martín and Sevilla Metro stations sit at either edge of the neighbourhood; Sol and the Prado are both under 10 minutes on foot.