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"Other cities always make me made... except New York, I love New York" says Madonna in one of her songs. The Big Apple is an urban paradise, the city that never sleeps and where anything is possible. One of the most fascinating places in the world at every level, be it sports, financial, cultural, tourism... as duo Jay-Z and Alicia Keys put it in another song, this is the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of".

From a visual standpoint, New York is truly spectacular, not only for its 4,493 skyscrapers but for Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Madison Square Garden and all the delightful corners of the city we have seen in so many films.

New York is like one huge film set, the location of movies such as The Apartment, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Hannah and Her Sisters. Like the star of Diary of a Shopaholic, if you stroll through the streets of New York, you'll get an uncontrollable urge to shop.

It is the ideal place to indulge in a shopping excursion for the best Spanish brands, in the knowledge that if they've made it here they are among the very best on the international stage.

Midtown-Uptown, deluxe shopping
Start your tour in Midtown which has most of the city's skyscrapers and many of New York's best hotels. At 14, East 52nd Street (between Madison and Fifth Avenues) you will find Pronovias, with the best in bridalwear, where any girl can compete with the glamour of Kate Hudson in Bride Wars.

Rockefeller Center is nearby, where you can take in the New York skyline from the viewpoint on the 64th floor before going off in search of three key names in Spanish footwear: Manolo Blahnik at 31, West 54th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues) where, more than shoes, you will find art on heels (so says SATC's Carrie Bradshaw); Camper (at 635, Madison Avenue, between 59th and 60th streets), with imaginative, irreverent shoes; and, of course, Pretty Ballerinas (1034, Lexington Avenue, between 73th and 74th Streets), with its elegant ballet flats or princesitas (why else would they be a favourite of Spain's Princess Letizia?).

Walk down to 750, Lexington Avenue, on the corner of 59th Street, and you will come to your first Zara store. The world famous brand, considered queen of New York's cheap and chic offer by many, has no fewer than six shops in the city. Nobody is surprised to find Chelsea Clinton or the characters from Gossip Girls picking up an Inditex bargain to wear with their luxury brands. A Zara tour will take you to 689 5th Avenue (corner of 54th Street), 39 West 34th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues) and 500 Fifth Avenue (corner of 42nd Street), finishing up at 1963 Broadway (corner of 66th Street). Along the sidewalks of this long avenue, which boasts the world's most expensive real estate, you will find the 39 theatres of Broadway, and the spectacular Lincoln Center, with its 61,000 sqm of space dedicated to the performing arts.

On the Upper East Side, make a date with the world's best footwear at the exquisite multi-brand retailer Chuckies (1073 Third Avenue), which sells select designs by two of Spain's top shoemakers, Pura López and Pedro García (also available from The Shoe Parlor at 851 Seventh Avenue).

It is time to stop for some pampering using Natura Bissé. The luxury brand, known worldwide for its high-end cosmetics, can be found at the exclusive Ajune spa (1294 Third Avenue) and the legendary department store Barney's New York (660 Madison Avenue).

Then on for a tasteful pair of eco-chic shoes from El Naturalista, which can be had from Tip Top Shoes (155 West 72nd Street), Shooz 128 (128, 7th Avenue) and Harry's Shoes (2299, Broadway). If there's time, we can get some cultural edification at the Metropolitan and Guggenheim museums.

The tour continues Downtown. Head for Zara at 101, Fifth Avenue (corner of 17th Street). The other must in Downtown is on Lower East Side, which is experiencing a boom in youth culture and is where Skunkfunk (at 181 Orchard Street) has made its name in versatile, urban clothes. Then time for a spin on Wall Street, to see the world's finances at work.

SoHo, the preserve of the ultra-chic
From here, head towards SoHo. Once home to artists, it is now ultra-chic territory, though still with a touch of the bohemian, and is bursting with art galleries, restaurants and rather special boutiques. It is the location of Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada (135 Wooster Street, between Houston and Prince), whose unmistakeably bright and eccentric clothes for youngsters are on sale at the designer's boutique. Close by at 125 Prince Street, is another Camper shop.

Back on never-ending Broadway, you will find three key Spanish brands: Mango (at 561), Zara (at 580) and Desigual (at 594). All have clothes for every kind of customer and pocket. Heading down Broome Street, you will find Custo Barcelona at 474, one of Spain's top designer names whose colourful prints have been donned by stars like Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and even Barbie.

If you turn onto Greene Street, you will find Sol de Ibiza at 52, with Adlib fashion brands such as Charo Ruiz, Piluca Osaba e Ibimoda Ibiza, and PIF at 56, the shop of designer Nuria Aymerich, who dresses the coolest girls in SoHo. At number 109 is the New York branch of Tous, with its dazzling, easy-wear jewellery and accessories. On to 436, West Broadway (not to be confused with Broadway), and Jaime Mascaró offers luxury footwear made with the finest materials. More comfortable footwear for sophisticated urbanites is at Infinity Shoes (391 Broadway) with an infinite variety of designs and labels such as El Naturalista and Camper.
For lovers of more subtler elegance, finish your tour of SoHo with a look at the latest collections by Hoss Intropia, with their 1940s feel, to be found in shops incluiding Yaso (62 Grand Street) and The New York Look (468 West Broadway).

Crossing the Queensboro Bridge
There's still time left, so let's take a taxi over the Queensboro Bridge to the Queens neighbourhood. Here we can catch up with six top Spanish brands. Mango has a shop in the Queens Crossing mall (38-21, Main Street, Flushing). Then there's Tutto Piccolo kidswear and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada in two shops, available both from La Giraffa Children's Boutique (150-51C, 14th Avenue, in Whitestone) and the shopping complex for children Thank Heaven (72-18, Austin Street, in Forest Hills).

Also in Forest Hills is the charming middle-class neighbourhood which gave birth to legendary punk-rockers, The Ramones. Here, Anthony's Men Shop Inc. (71-05 Austin Street) is a select establishment offering European menswear, as well as something a bit more cutting edge from Armand Basi.

It's getting late and we'll head back to Manhattan and drop in (as long as we've booked!) at Il Cantinori, the girls' favourite restaurant in Sex and the City. You'll find it at 32, 10th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Broadway) and it's well worth the visit. Try its ossobuco alla milanese and keep an eye out for celebrities and beautiful people who never in short supply.

New York guide to Spanish shopping