Alcorcón travel guide
Puerta del Sur interchange and the 4-0 over Real Madrid
A large commuter city on Madrid's southwestern edge, best known for its football club's 2009 cup win over Real Madrid and for the Puerta del Sur Metro interchange. Spring and autumn are the pleasant months. There is little to keep a visitor more than a few hours. Prices are high, and Schengen rules give many visitors 90 days.
Just beyond Madrid's southwestern edge, Alcorcón is a residential city of about 170,000 people, one of the ring of large municipalities that grew around the capital in the second half of the 20th century. There is no historic quarter to speak of, and most visitors pass through on the Metro.
Its moment of fame came in October 2009, when AD Alcorcón knocked Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey with a 4-0 win at their Santo Domingo ground. For travellers, the useful fact is transport: Puerta del Sur station, where Metro line 10 meets the MetroSur loop, is inside Alcorcón, and Cercanías C-5 trains also stop in town.
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A modern suburb with a giant-killing football club and the main Metro interchange for southwest Madrid.
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Best time to visit Alcorcón
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Comfortable temperatures and the football season in full swing.
Hot and dry, like the rest of the Madrid plain.
Cold nights and crisp days; wrap up for evening games at Santo Domingo.
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Getting there
Straight down line 10 to Joaquín Vilumbrales and Puerta del Sur
Alcorcón is one of the best-connected suburbs of Madrid, with a direct Metro line from the city centre. From Madrid-Barajas (MAD), ride the Metro into town and change to line 10 heading south; it runs all the way to Puerta del Sur, the interchange inside Alcorcón where line 12 begins its loop. Cercanías C-5 trains from Atocha are the other rail option and also stop in the town. A taxi from the airport avoids the changes and is the easiest choice late at night.
- Metro line 10
- Direct from central Madrid to Puerta del Sur
- Cercanías C-5
- Suburban trains from Atocha, with stops at Alcorcón Central and San José de Valderas
- Madrid-Barajas (MAD)
- Metro into Madrid, then line 10 south
- On AD Alcorcón matchdays, allow extra time for the change at Puerta del Sur.
Where to stay
Alcorcón Central, San José de Valderas or a room on line 10 in Madrid
With line 10 running straight into central Madrid, the capital is the obvious base, and most visitors should sleep there. Stay in Alcorcón only if your business is in the southwest suburbs or you have an early start at the Rey Juan Carlos campus. In that case, pick a street within a few minutes of a station, since the town is spread out and the newer edges are built around car parks and roundabouts.
- Alcorcón Central
- Around the C-5 and MetroSur station of the same name; shops, bars and the quickest trains either way
- San José de Valderas
- Older residential district with its own C-5 stop; quiet, good for longer stays
- Central Madrid on line 10
- Best for most visitors; a single Metro ride brings you to Puerta del Sur
Getting around
Changing at Puerta del Sur for the MetroSur loop
Puerta del Sur is where Metro line 12 begins its loop through the southern suburbs, so Alcorcón is a natural hub for visiting Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganés without going through Madrid. Line 10 takes you north into the city, and Cercanías C-5 trains run to Atocha. Within Alcorcón the streets are flat and modern, so walking between nearby stations and neighbourhoods is easy.
- Metro line 12
- Loop through Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganés
- Metro line 10
- North into central Madrid
- Metro and Cercanías are separate operators; buy tickets at the machines where you board.
Know before you go
What makes Alcorcón worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Santo Domingo, the small ground where AD Alcorcón beat Real Madrid 4-0 in 2009.
- Puerta del Sur, which puts you on a direct line into central Madrid.
- The start of the MetroSur loop, handy for touring the southern suburbs in one ride.
Good to know
- There is no old town or major sight, so plan a short visit.
- July and August are very hot; arrange outdoor time early or late.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Alcorcón, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Alcorcón are being researched.
Santo Domingo and the ghost of the Alcorconazo
Come for football. Alcorcón is a modern city without a historic quarter, and its draw is AD Alcorcón at the Estadio Municipal de Santo Domingo, scene of the 4-0 cup win over Real Madrid in 2009. Ride Metro line 10 or the C-5 out in the afternoon and line 10 home.
Afternoon. Ride Metro line 10 south from central Madrid to Puerta del Sur, the interchange inside Alcorcón, or take the Cercanías C-5 from Atocha. There is no historic quarter to tour; Alcorcón grew into a city of about 170,000 in the second half of the 20th century, and its streets are modern apartment blocks and parks.
Evening. AD Alcorcón play at the Estadio Municipal de Santo Domingo, the ground where in October 2009 they beat Real Madrid 4-0 in the Copa del Rey, a result still known across Spain as the Alcorconazo. A match there is a good look at local life.
Late. Line 10 takes you straight back into Madrid; switch to line 12 at Puerta del Sur if you are heading for another southern town.
Pre-match bocadillos and weekday set lunches in Alcorcón
Plan around the weekday menú del día, a two-course set lunch with bread, a drink and dessert from around 14:00 and the best-value meal in town. The rest is plain southern-Madrid bar food: tortilla all day, a bocadillo before a match and cocido in winter. Kitchens close from 16:00 to 21:00.
Food in Alcorcón is the plain, filling cooking of Madrid's southern belt, and the bars that serve it are aimed at residents. That is no bad thing.
Counters keep tortilla de patatas and a few tapas going all day. On a cold evening before a game at Santo Domingo, a bocadillo of lomo or chorizo and a small beer is what most fans have; in winter, look for a cocido madrileño on the lunch menu, the chickpea stew served first as broth and then as meat and vegetables.
Between lunch and dinner there are only snacks. If you want a proper dinner out, line 10 has you in central Madrid without a change.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Alcorcón.
General
Joaquín Vilumbrales and Puerta del Sur, the end of line 10, where you can change to MetroSur. The Cercanías C-5 from Atocha is the other rail option.
No. It is a residential city built up after the 1950s, so come for football or business.
AD Alcorcón's 4-0 Copa del Rey win over Real Madrid in October 2009, at the Santo Domingo stadium.
At the Estadio Municipal de Santo Domingo in Alcorcón.
It is the interchange where Metro line 10 ends and the MetroSur line 12 loop begins, so it links Alcorcón with both Madrid and the southern towns.
April to June and September to October avoid the summer heat of the Madrid plain, and both fall inside the football season.
Yes. Line 12 starts at Puerta del Sur and runs through Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganés and back again.
It is quiet and has its own C-5 stop, but central Madrid, a single line 10 ride away, suits most visitors better.
Usually a bocadillo and a beer in a nearby bar. At lunchtime the weekday menú del día is the best meal in town.
Puerta del Sur is where Metro line 12 begins its loop through the southern suburbs, so Alcorcón is a natural hub for visiting Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganés without going through Madrid. Line 10 takes you north into the city, and Cercanías C-5 trains run to Atocha. Within Alcorcón the streets are flat and modern, so walking between nearby stations and neighbourhoods is easy.
Cancellations & changes
Not quite. From Madrid-Barajas (MAD) you ride the Metro into the city, then switch to line 10 southbound; expect at least two changes, or take a taxi.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Alcorcón is Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct. Mild weather between hot summers and chilly winters.
- Spring and autumn: April - June, September - October (Comfortable temperatures and the football season in full swing)
- Summer: July - August (Hot and dry, like the rest of the Madrid plain)
- Winter: November - February (Cold nights and crisp days; wrap up for evening games at Santo Domingo)
Getting there
Alcorcón is one of the best-connected suburbs of Madrid, with a direct Metro line from the city centre. From Madrid-Barajas (MAD), ride the Metro into town and change to line 10 heading south; it runs all the way to Puerta del Sur, the interchange inside Alcorcón where line 12 begins its loop. Cercanías C-5 trains from Atocha are the other rail option and also stop in the town.
Visa & documents
Spain follows Schengen entry rules. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing in the big cities is Spain's main crime risk for visitors. Pickpocketing is common in Barcelona and Madrid, especially on the metro and in tourist areas. Heatwaves and wildfires occur in summer.
