If you’re in Madrid and you love shopping, you’ve come to the right place. The capital has plenty of charming shops where you can enjoy a day’s shopping with a difference. If you’re up for it, today we’re introducing you to...

The Chueca-Malasaña-Fuencarral neighbourhood

This is undoubtedly one of Madrid’s most vibrant shopping areas. Some of the most important up-and-coming designers have their shops here. You’ll find young, modern and alternative fashion brands, as well as tattoo parlours, home decor shops, comic book shops, art bookshops, second-hand and antiquarian bookshops, and retro-style shops.

Another distinctive feature of the area is the large number of shoe sample shops around Calle Augusto Figueroa, where you can find individual pairs of shoes from previous seasons at bargain prices.

Calle Fuencarral is the main hub for shops: it boasts a range of fashion brands such as Levi’s, Diesel Store, Calvin Klein, Gas, Pepe Jeans, Adidas Originals, Puma, Foot Locker and Quiksilver. When it comes to accessories, highlights include Aristocrazy and the new Victoria’s Secret shop in Los Ángeles, as well as Maje, Michael Kors and Adolfo Domínguez, amongst others.

If you want to explore century-old shops, a visit to the espadrille shop par excellence – Antigua Casa Crespo – is a must.

If you’re after alternative shops, around the Plaza del Dos de Mayo you’ll find comic book shops such as Generación X, Madrid Cómics and Elektra Cómic.

And when it comes to flea markets, we recommend you pop along to Adelita Market (held once a month at Espíritu Santo, 23, and mainly features second-hand or vintage goods) or Ciento y pico (crafts and design, at Velarde, 14) – these are some of the most famous.

Have you heard of the Ballesta Triangle (Triball)? It’s situated between Ballesta, Valverde, Desengaño, Corredera Baja de San Pablo, Barco and Plaza Soledad Torres Acosta (nicknamed ‘Plaza de la Luna’), where you’ll find shops such as Dolores Promesas, Deffort, Kling and Monkey Garden.

And amongst all these recommendations, we mustn’t forget food and gourmet shopping. Madrid is characterised by its cosmopolitan nature, and this is reflected in its cuisine and variety. In this area, there’s a wide range of food markets where you can buy local produce, as well as enjoy some tapas. Some of these include: the Barceló Market, which has several open-air terraces; the San Ildefonso Market, with a variety of international food stalls; the San Antón Market; and El Huerto de Lucas.

If you have a sweet tooth, pop into Horno San Onofre: its roscón de reyes is considered one of the best in Spain. The patisseries Pomme Sucre and Celicioso (suitable for coeliacs) are also among our recommendations.

It’s impossible to visit Madrid without spending a little time exploring its shops. And when we say ‘a little time’, we really mean an afternoon, a morning, a whole day…

And what about you? Where do you like to wander off to when you come to Madrid?