Let’s discover things to do in Lavapiés, a truly Madrilenian neighborhood, through a walk along its narrow and colorful streets.
It was my first time joining a “photowalk“. The idea was to rediscover the Lavapiés neighborhood in Madrid through photography. This photowalk matched perfectly with my desire to discover Madrid through the photo project “Yo me bajo en Atocha“, a self-imposed challenge to get to know the city better and keep the best memories.
Earlier this year I took a free photography course at FNAC, and although our camera is not a reflex, it helped me learn how to shoot in “manual” mode. It’s clear that the camera doesn’t make the photographer, so now I try to shoot in manual mode, even though I often make mistakes. That’s the idea, isn’t it?
Visiting Lavapiés, a walk through the Madrid neighborhood
Before starting, let me tell you a bit about the photowalk, where we looked at the neighborhood through the details, trying to find the most original place to take a picture of a façade, a street, a window, while being careful with the harsh shadows created by the midday sun.
Then we played with the people who slowly began to appear and go about their routines. When public spaces fill up, it’s the best time to discreetly capture everyday scenes. You also have to lose the shyness and ask for permission—that’s how we ended up inside a shop.
Things to do if you visit Lavapiés
The neighborhood is known for having many spice shops and international grocery stores, call centers, and money transfer offices, but also lifelong locals who have the privilege of living in an authentic neighborhood, full of potential and increasingly popular every day.
Step by step: when we first started walking, the streets were empty, but after an hour, like little ants, people started to appear out of nowhere. And the more people in an open space, the better the chance to capture them in a perfect shot.
The mannequin’s t-shirt symbol, a circle with an arrow pointing upward, means it’s an occupied house (squat). There are quite a few in the neighborhood. This one had a very unique façade, with a pirate flag waving above. I would have loved to see what it looked like inside.
“Esta es una plaza” is the name of an original garden and open space available for everyone to enjoy. Its name is as original as what you’ll find inside: art, crafts, organic gardens, children’s play areas, creative spaces, and meeting spots with benches and a big chalkboard.
This was the route we took with the group: We met at Plaza de Lavapiés and from there wandered around the most representative streets of the neighborhood: Calle Tribulete, Embajadores, Emilio Servet with its graffiti walls, Argumosa, Lavapiés… and then we walked up to Tirso de Molina, ending the route in La Latina.
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