Madrid is a city known for its sports culture, especially because of renowned football teams such as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Nothing compares to watching sports events at the Santiago Bernabeu, and immersing yourself in a community of sport enthusiasts. However, there are other ways to enjoy watching or participating in sports events other than going to the stadium. Even though it is common for students to practice less sports now that they are at university, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle . Now that you have just moved to Spain, let us present to you some sports events and activities to try out. Of course, this article won’t be able to cover all the activities Madrid has to offer, so do not hesitate to leave your questions in the comments and we will give you extra tips and ideas!
Football
Of course, we had to first cover Spain’s most dominant sport: football. As I mentioned before, you can watch a Real Madrid game at the Santiago Bernabeu or an Atletico game at the Wanda Metropolitano, but did you know that Rayo Vallecano and Getafe were also first division teams from Madrid? If you are not especially interested in Madrid teams and are a fan of Barcelona for example, book a ticket to see them play in Getafe’s stadium 15km away from Madrid. Also, if you have a limited budget allocated for football, you will find lighter prices in smaller stadiums like Getafe or Rayo Vallecano while being able to see top teams playing. On a negative note though, you won’t be able to see European Championship games in these stadiums.
If you want to practice football with your friends, I recommend you to play futsal or 7v7. It is great if you feel like you are losing your football touch. Through the Playtomic website, you can book football fields to make your experience more comfortable than showing up at a non-booked public field.
Tennis
Spain is also known to have some of the best tennis players in the world, including worldwide legend Rafael Nadal. While you are in the city, take the opportunity to watch a tennis match at the Mutua Open in Madrid, where the best players in the world compete. The tournament starts on the 26th of April and lasts 2 weeks. But remember: be quick to get your tickets!
If you want to book a tennis court to play casually with a friend, there are some of the best clay courts in the world here in Madrid. Here you can find a few tennis clubs:
- Tennis Club De Campo de Villa Madrid
- Tennis Club de Chamartin
- Tennis Club de Fuencarral
Jogging
Jogging is a very easy sport to practice and an accessible activity for everyone since it does not require any equipment apart from running shoes. Jogging can be used as a way to test your endurance and keep your body in a good shape, or simply to disconnect yourself from the pressures of work. The main spot to run in Madrid is the Retiro, but if you live in Malasaña or in the West of Madrid, you can also run in the Parque del Oeste. If you prefer to run outside the city, the Casa del Campo will provide a refreshing environment with lakes and amazing views.
Tip: Madrid is hosting a few marathons each year, with different length categories: 42km, 21km, and 10km. The next one is on the 24th of April 2022, be on the lookout through https://rocknrollmadridrun.com/ to get your tickets.
Paddle
This sport, very popular in Spain and Argentina, is a mix of badminton and tennis, played outdoors or in a closed space. While this sport shows similarities with other racket sports, it is still a totally different experience due to different rules. For example, padel is always played in teams of 2. I highly recommend it if you haven’t tried it out yet, especially if you are a fan of other racket games such as tennis, squash, badminton, etc.
To give you an idea of how important Padel is in Spain, it is the second-most practiced sport in the country behind football. This justifies the large number of Padel clubs in Spain, where you will be able to book a court. Here is a list of a few padel clubs in Madrid:
- Cristalia Club Padel
- Club y Escuela de Padel
- Padel Club Teypasport
- Bnfit Padel
- PadelFIT
Golf
The last sport we are going to cover is golf, very popular among IE students. It is a great outdoor exercise to do with your group of friends and get away from the city. There are only 2 golfing spots in Madrid that are relatively close to the center, which are the Real Puerta de Hierro and the Club de Campo, both being in the 15 best golf clubs in Spain. If you have a car and don’t mind going a bit further from Madrid, you can visit the Santander and Real Sociedad HECC golf clubs.
If you are a fan of golf competitions, the ACCIONA Open takes place every October in the Club de Campo where you can see top golfers compete head-to-head. The tickets for the 2022 competition are not out yet, but be on the lookout for them if you are interested!
We hope that this article will have helped you perform sports or book tickets to nice events you had not heard of before! And remember that there are other activities you can do in Madrid such as hiking, basketball, cycling, and many more! Please leave us in the comments your favorite sports and the best sports event you have been to in Madrid!
