Patricia is our graffiti tour leader during the weekdays, and thanks to her interaction with international guests, she’s been able to obtain from people’s opinions the following conclusions:
What reasons are somehow related to our guests’ philosophy?
In case you are still deciding whether to take a graffiti tour or something similar for you alternative experiences in Madrid, please read what comes next.
1-. A solo traveller interested in the off the beaten path.
Sometimes we don’t sign up for certain adventures because of not being able to find somebody that will hop on the same train than yours.
Such a pity, but why should you miss that chance?
Traveling on your own can be a lot of fun as well as you will get to manage your own time and decide what you want to do at any given time of the day/night.
It would also give you the opportunity to meet new people and make friends from all over the world in different situation. How many places have you ever heard of but never met someone from that exact city/country?
Joining a graffiti tour can make this easy for you since it will put you in contact with people with whom you have common interests!
2-. You want to try something different/ not interested in those crowded free tours.
Guides and visitors usually agree with the fact that visiting new places will offer you the opportunity to experience something that you may have not tried before.
If you feel that a graffiti tour might be too different for your tastes, then we have some other alternative activities waiting for you:
- Feminist tour– discover the life & death of important Spanish women.
- Architour– explore the city center through its industrial buildings.
3-. Supporting local activism with a graffiti tour.
Cooltourspain’s graffiti tour shows the artworks of local artists who are socially and politically involved with the neighborhood.
We often discuss and interact with our guests about the following issues affecting our societies (it doesn’t matter if you leave here or not because it might affect you too)
- Young generations’ unemployment.
- Gentrification and the rise in the rental agreements.
- Climate change and the 2030 global goals.
- Political groups proclaiming anti-immigration quotes
Is a graffiti tour recommended for beginners?
Yes, it is! Adults and children alike do love participating in our graffiti tour. Let’s keep reading some other reasons why people join our experiences.
4-. Street art techniques and history for all audiences.
Our graffiti tour leaders are either artists themselves or experts in the field, thus it’ll be really easy for you to understand the game when explained with passion and knowledge.
- Learn about the story of the first graffiti writers in NYC.
- Listen to insider details of how whole cars (train wagons) are painted.
- Differentiate between techniques on our graffiti tour.
- Discover the important names in the Spanish modern art scene.
5-. Meet & greet local emergent artists.
Participating in a graffiti tour might give you a really good perspective of what the local emergent scene is like.
Every area has its own art expressions, although we’ll always have artworks in common with other cities around the world.
Are you interested in what are local artists creating? Whether you are joining us or not, these are the locations that you shouldn’t miss:
- La Tabacalera, a self-sustained center which is considered to be Madrid’s mecca for graffiti lovers.
- La Neomudejar, an avant-garde center formerly used as a railway warehouse.
6-. You are into photography or other forms of creativity.
If you want to explore your most creative side or you are a photographer willing to find amazing spots to capture with your lense then you should join a graffiti tour in Madrid.
We always explain that our walking tour in Madrid is never the same, as it may happen that we unexpectedly run into a street art artist painting live without permission in Lavapiés streets.
Our guests’s favourite spots to take pictures are:
- Esta es una Plaza, a community urban garden in Calle Doctor Fourquet.
- Muros Tabacalera festival, decorating a former XIX century tobacco factory.
If you are interested in featuring your photos in our street art blog, please send your pictures to info@cooltourspain.com
Other reasons to join a graffiti tour
Travelling to a new place to find out about local identities is a cool hunting game, but better when a local expert guides you…
7-. The cities’ alternative tales as explained by local expert freelancers.
Madrid features a lot of cats’ illustrations. Do you know why is that?
There is a tale in the city by which real madrileños are called “Cats”. This “realness” requires you, your parents and grandparents to be born in Madrid. Ever met anyone with these requirements?
The bear and the tree (Madroño) are also present in the city’s iconography. Those two objects represent the Madrid’s shield, but during our graffiti tour you will listen to an alternative interpretation of this local icon.
8-. You’ve always been interested in a graffiti tour but you’ve never tried it.
Most graffiti tour guides (us included) are into this culture because of a hobby. This is why passionate guides will go the extra mile for you.
We are not a free tour company, we will not ask you for your tips. If you have never participated in a similar service, you should know that you will pay for quality. Do not forget to check other guests’ reviews in Tripadvisor.
Our opinion about the graffiti tour.
It’s been since 2016 that our graffiti tour in Madrid has been available for international guests.
Cooltourspain became the first project offering daily street art tours in English language, and since then we have observed that the number of projects which have copied our business model have increased.
Please make sure you read people’s opinion about the company you are about to hire. There are some copy-cutters out there!
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