In Spain, children don't wait for the tooth fairy. When a tooth falls out, it goes under the pillow for Ratoncito Pérez, a small, well-dressed mouse. And he has a real address in Madrid: Calle del Arenal, a few steps from Puerta del Sol.
If you're visiting Madrid with children, or you live here and a wobbly tooth is on its way, this is one of the sweetest stories in the city. Here's where it comes from, what you can still see today, and an easy walking route for kids aged 6 to 9.
Who invented Ratoncito Pérez
The story was written in the late 19th century by Father Luis Coloma for the young King Alfonso XIII, who had just lost a tooth. His family called him Buby, and that's how he appears in the tale: King Buby I.
In the story, Pérez the Mouse wears a straw hat, gold glasses and carries a red satchel. He lives with his family in a sweet shop on Calle del Arenal (we'll let the plaque tell you exactly where), and at night he travels around Madrid collecting the teeth children leave under their pillows. One night he takes Buby along, so the little king can see how other children in the city live.
It's a lovely story to read on the walk, and a good question to ask: what would you notice in Madrid if you were the size of a mouse?
Where Ratoncito Pérez lives in Madrid
Calle del Arenal
Calle del Arenal runs from Puerta del Sol to Plaza de Isabel II, by the opera house. The sweet shop from the story stood at number 8, and today there's a plaque for Ratón Pérez on the building. Let the kids find it before you read it to them: it makes a perfect first challenge.
The Ratón Pérez house museum
At the same address, inside the shopping arcade, is the Casita Museo de Ratón Pérez, a small museum about the character: his house, letters from children, and how other countries celebrate lost teeth. It's small and quick to visit, so it fits nicely into a longer walk.
Check opening hours, ticket price and whether to book on the museum's official website before you go, especially around Christmas.
A family walk through Ratoncito Pérez's Madrid
The route is short, flat and works for a morning or an afternoon. Allow an hour and a half to two hours with stops, not counting the museum.
- Puerta del Sol. Start by the clock on the Real Casa de Correos, the clock all of Spain watches at midnight on New Year's Eve. Then look for Kilómetro Cero on the pavement, the point every Spanish road is measured from.
- Calle del Arenal, 8. Walk a few minutes down Arenal and find the Ratón Pérez plaque. Pop into the museum if you like.
- Plaza de Isabel II. At the end of Arenal is the Teatro Real, the opera house. A game: count the windows on the side facing you.
- Plaza de Oriente and the Royal Palace. This is where Buby lived. Look at the statues of kings around the square: who can find one with a crown? And one with a sword?
- Plaza Mayor (optional). Head back along Calle Mayor to Plaza Mayor for a snack or, in December, the Christmas market.
With little legs that tire quickly, the first three stops on their own make a lovely short outing.
Turning the walk into an adventure
- Bring a clue list. Before you set off, write down three things to find: a mouse (on signs, shop windows or the plaque), a clock and a crown.
- Let them choose the way. At each corner, one person on the team decides whether to go straight or turn, staying close to the route.
- Tell the story in parts. Read a little of the tale at each stop.
- Back home, draw the mouse's house the way you imagine it inside.
Practical tips
- Go early or on a weekday. Sol and Arenal get very busy at weekends and over Christmas.
- Metro: Sol (lines 1, 2 and 3) and Ópera (lines 2 and 5) are at each end of the route.
- Pushchairs: the route is flat and almost entirely pedestrian.
- Agree a meeting point before you start, such as the clock at Sol, in case anyone gets separated in the crowds.
A Ratoncito Pérez adventure on paper
The Treasure of Ratoncito Pérez is an illustrated Paseo y Pista booklet for exploring Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor with clues, missions and a sticker at the end, made for children aged 6 to 9 with a grown-up. No app needed: just the booklet, a pencil and your curiosity.
It's part of the Madrid pack, with three more adventures across the city, on pre-order and delivered before Christmas anywhere in Madrid. See the Madrid pack or the Ratoncito Pérez adventure.