podtour
The Royal Palace and the Opera
You start at the flint wall of the emir Muhammad I and find out why Madrid's patron saint shares her name with a granary.
La Latina: From the Medieval Town to the Virgin of La Paloma: audio walk in Madrid
A capital nobody decreed, two playwrights on the same street, a church beneath a market, the dragon gate, a Mudéjar tower, the street that traces the old moat, the woman who gave the neighbourhood its name, the square of grain and the gallows, and a Virgin rescued from a pile of firewood.
What this walk is about
Before it was a capital, Madrid was a walled town with gates and parishes, and La Latina still keeps its layout. You start in the Plaza de la Villa, where the council met above a church porch when the court arrived without any decree, and carry on along the Calle Mayor, where Lope de Vega was born beside a gate that burned down from too many celebration lights, and where Calderón died in a house saved by a newspaper article. Beneath the San Miguel Market there was once a parish church; at Puerta Cerrada, a stone dragon that the scholars decided was Greek. Past the tower of San Pedro el Viejo and along the Cava Baja, which follows the curve of the moat, you reach the Plaza de la Cebada, a grain market and a place of execution, and the site of the hospital founded by Beatriz Galindo, La Latina. You go down the Calle de Toledo, the most crowded street in Madrid in 1861, to the street and the church of La Paloma: a legendary dove, a zarzuela that isn't set here, and a local woman who bought a painting thrown in among the firewood.
- Start
- A capital without a decree
- Finish
- Isabel Tintero and the rescued Madonna
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about medieval Madrid and the shape of the city. For anyone out for tapas on the Cava Baja who wants to know where they are. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
A capital without a decree
- 2
Two poets and a burned doorway
- 3
The church beneath the market
- 4
The Dragon Gate
- 5
The bell said to drive storms away
- 6
The street that used to be a moat
- 7
The square of grain and gallows
- 8
The Latin scholar who named a neighbourhood
- 9
The street that brought Spain together
- 10
The dove and the festival held elsewhere
- 11
Isabel Tintero and the rescued Madonna
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Madrid, before you go
Madrid makes sense square by square. Leave room for a terrace, an unexpected slope and a proper break when the sunshine gets strong.
More walks nearby
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.