Madrid's flea market, El Rastro is as much part of the city's weekend ritual as a "paseo." This thriving, thieving shambles of a street market sprawls south from Metro Latina to the Ronda de Toledo. Through it, crowds flood between 10am and 3pm every Sunday. On offer are pseudo designer clothes, bags, second hand clothes, military surplus items, sunshades, fine antiques, Taiwanese transisitors and cutlery - in fact just about anything you might (or might not) need!

Don't expect to find fabulous bargains, but the atmosphere of the Rastro is always enjoyable and the bars in Lavapies are legendary. After your sports team night out, we recommend the area as a good place to have a brunch on the Sunday and wander around at your leisure if you have time to kill before your flight home. But one word of warning: beware of the pickpockets!