El Rastro

Madrid's vast open-air flea market, held every Sunday morning and on public holidays in the streets south of Plaza de Cascorro in La Latina. Several hundred stalls spread across half a kilometre of streets — Calle Ribera de Curtidores is the spine — selling everything from genuine antiques and vinyl records to fake football shirts, second-hand books, leather, hardware, vintage cameras, and a fair amount of straightforward junk.

The market is at its best from about 11 am to 2 pm. Bring small notes, expect to bargain, and watch your pockets — pickpockets work the densest crowds. The whole excursion is normally finished off with a long lunch and beer in the surrounding La Latina bars (Cava Baja is a few streets away). The permanent antique shops in the area open every day; the street market itself is Sunday only.

shopping la latina market lalatina
A story
The market traces its origin to the 15th century, when this was the rastro — the trail of blood — left by carts hauling slaughtered animals down to the city tannery. The leather workshops are long gone, but the name and the chaotic Sunday street trade survive.

Other places in Shopping