It’s no secret that Google Maps is used for much more than getting from point A to point B without getting lost: it alerts us to speed cameras, allows you to find out about opening hours and reviews of establishments, to share your location… but one of the utilities that suits me best is to create my own maps for my tourist visits, which allows me have interesting places to visit on my Google Maps and thus optimize the itineraries so as not to miss anything even if it is a weekend.
But I also use it the other way around: as a hostess when someone comes to see us in Madrid, the city where we have lived for a little over two years. Our apartment is quite central, which makes for a very interesting walking route and although I generally like to rediscover Madrid each time I visit, it doesn’t hurt to give you a map with the places I like the most so that you can visit them. as you wish. . This is how I made my map of Madrid on Google Maps with my favorite places.
The resource for creating my own maps in Google Maps is one of the most useful for me
How to create a map on your Android mobile
In the past it was possible to create maps from your Android phone through the My Maps application, but this application is no longer available on the Google Play Store, so to create a map it is necessary to use a computer . In my case this is not a problem, because I use my equipment at least eight hours a day and I find it very practical for these tasks.
You just need to be logged in to your Google account and from there enter My Maps from the browser to create your map by simply pressing the ‘buttonCreate a new card‘.
When you open the new map, you’ll see it on a large scale, but that’s not a problem: once you tap the first point of interest to mark, the map will adjust to roughly the scale you want. you need. So, for example, if I start by writing “Debod Temple” (one of the places I have on my must-visit map), we will see data such as its full address, website and phone number, stars opinions. of those who have already visited it. and at the bottom it will appear ‘Add the map‘.
If you only do that, it will be marked with a green blob, but my recommendation is to invest a little more time and change both the icon and the color for two reasons: to make it stand out against the Google Maps map legend (where there is an abundance of information and some colors like blues, greens, reds) and it is intuitive at first glance. Let me explain: The ideal is that it is visible to the naked eye and that whoever sees it knows what is in front of them.. So, I usually use the color purple (rare in the app) and put the camera icon. This way, anyone who sees it will recognize the point and know that it is a place of interest.
But the manipulation of the point of interest does not stop there: I like to tap the pencil icon to add additional information , sometimes from home and other times with the essentials that I find online, for example that the Reina Sofía Museum is free on Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. In the case of the temple of Debod, I said that it is interesting to see at dusk and for the hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida, what is interesting is that inside there are frescoes by Goya. Once you have the text, you need to click “Save” to save it.
There are lots of lists of things to see on the internet, but the best part is that living here I know what’s worth it, what’s not, and what sites don’t usually show up, but they ask me many, like for example Doña Manolita. Or other interesting ones, like this one, in El Capricho Park there is a Civil War bunker that doesn’t usually appear on lists. In other words, we will have a tailor-made map that we will always have at hand and that we can edit when we need it.
It is true that it is a time-consuming process, but it is worth it compared to having to search the Internet or be questioned. You can also update it whenever you want. AND When a visitor comes to see us in Madrid, I just have to share it.
How to share my Madrid map
The maps we created are available on Google Maps: simply open the app and tap ‘Checked in‘, which you will see in the menu at the bottom. Once inside, click on ‘Plans‘ and the list of your cards will appear.
There, I enter ‘Madrid: my essentials’ (the name of the card) and ‘See map legend‘I’m approaching’Share‘, which allows me to transmit this card through messaging applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram, or by email, so that my visitors have access to the card and all the information, so that they can use it in their Google Maps to get around town. .
Cover | Photo by Florian Wehde on Unsplash and Mockuphone
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