Santa Ana

Walk east from Puerta del Sol, taking a right anywhere and you will end up in the small, winding streets of Santa Ana and Huertas, an old and traditional district where numerous small stores exist alongside numerous restaurants and bars.

Frequented by Madrileños and tourists alike (both young and adult), you'll likely be given a seat at a small table in a very lively atmosphere decorated very traditional setting and good times. During times of good weather, the plaza is filled with tables and umbrellas where you can rest, enjoy and take in the sights. There are often outdoor concerts or at a minimum, musicians walking about.

Many of the streets have literary associations: streets named after Cervantes and Lope de Vega (where one lived and the other died), and the barrio is host to the Atheneum club, Círculo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Institute), Teatro Español, and the Congreso de los Diputados (parliament). Just to the north, there is also an important museum, the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

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