Season guide · Madrid · Spain
Madrid in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Warming days, Easter processions and San Isidro in May; the Retiro is in bloom and terraces fill in the evenings. Expect highs up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 6°C (43°F), with about 17 rainy days across March–May. April–May are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 6°C (43°F) to 22°C (72°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 17
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 16°C (61°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 4 | 11.8 h | 3/5 |
| April | 18°C (64°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 7 | 13.2 h | 4/5 |
| May | 22°C (72°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 6 | 14.4 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 19°C (66°F) against a yearly 20°C (68°F), and 17 of the year's roughly 54 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: Semana Santa processions (March or April, depending on Easter)
- April: Madrid Marathon (usually April)
- April: Madrid Open tennis tournament (usually late April to early May)
- May: Dos de Mayo celebrations, especially in Malasaña (2 May)
- May: San Isidro — Madrid's patron saint festival with traditional dress and street dances (around 15 May)
Make the most of the weather
Park · Retiro
Retiro Park
Madrid's 125-hectare former royal park, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Paseo del Prado since 2021, has a boating lake overlooked by the colonnaded monument to Alfonso XII, a rose garden, shaded avenues and the Fallen Angel fountain, said to be one of the few public statues of the devil.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Iconic
Historic site · Parque del Oeste
Temple of Debod
Come at sunset and then walk south along the gardens to the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral as they light up.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
Park · Arganzuela
Madrid Río
A riverside park built over a buried ring-road tunnel along the Manzanares, with cycle paths, playgrounds, fountains, historic bridges such as the Puente de Toledo and modern footbridges.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Active
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Viewpoint · Gran Vía
Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop
Go about an hour before sunset and stay for the city lights; drinks are pricey but the view is the reason.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
- After dark
Experience · Parque del Oeste
Teleférico cable car
A cable car opened in 1969 glides about 2.5 km from Paseo del Pintor Rosales over the Manzanares to the Casa de Campo, Madrid's largest park.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
Day trips in spring
- Toledo (About 35 minutes by high-speed train) — Set on a rocky hill in a loop of the Tagus, Toledo was a medieval capital where Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities lived side by side.
- Segovia (About 30 minutes by high-speed train, then a bus) — Segovia has a Roman aqueduct of granite blocks held together without mortar, a late Gothic cathedral and the turreted Alcázar castle on a rock above two rivers.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Madrid?
Yes: April–May are among the best months. Warming days, Easter processions and San Isidro in May; the Retiro is in bloom and terraces fill in the evenings.
+What is the weather like in Madrid in spring?
Highs of up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 6°C (43°F), with about 17 rainy days over the season.