Plaza de España
Plaza de España features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Madrid. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Madrid Madrid guide
About Plaza de España
A grand early 20th-century square at the western end of Gran Vía, dominated by a monument to Cervantes and the dramatic 1950s Edificio España skyscraper, now a restored luxury hotel.
Plaza de España is one of Madrid's grandest public squares, occupying the western terminus of the Gran Vía and serving as a transition point between the commercial heart of the city and the quieter residential districts to the west. The centrepiece of the square is the monument to Miguel de Cervantes, a massive group of sculptures completed in 1960 showing Cervantes seated above bronze figures of Don Quixote on his horse Rocinante and Sancho Panza on his donkey, with the windmills of La Mancha in the background. The square is flanked by two notable 20th-century skyscrapers: the Torre de Madrid (1957, 142 metres) and the Edificio España (1953, 117 metres), both built during the Franco era when Madrid's planners were determined to give the capital a skyline worthy of a great power. The Edificio España was recently restored and converted into a luxury RIU hotel after years of dereliction. The square has undergone a major renovation in recent years, improving the pedestrian areas and creating a more coherent urban space around the Cervantes monument.
Did you know? The Cervantes monument in Plaza de España features Don Quixote and Sancho Panza at ground level, the two most translated fictional characters in world literature, appearing in over 140 languages.
How long is a visit to Plaza de España?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Plaza de España. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Plaza de España worth your time?
Plaza de España is among the 45 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Madrid, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Madrid
Hear the story of Plaza de España
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