Barcelona, Spain

Welcome to Barcelona, one of the most explored cities of Spain! Be prepared, Barcelona is huge! You’ll need at least a few days to truly soak it all in. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey.

The Arrival

You’ll most likely be arriving at Barcelona’s airport. To get to the city center, you have a few options. You can either take the A2 bus, the L9S metro, or the R2N train. Depending on where you are headed, you may need to make some connections. Don’t forget that you’ll need a special ticket that is for airport transport. You can buy that at the machine before you enter the transportation. Once in the city, I recommend buying the 10 trips pass. It is only valid for 1 person, not to be shared between travelers. It is good for 10 trips within the Barcelona area (transfers as well in the same direction). Every time you enter a transportation method (bus, metro, etc) you’ll need to validate your ticket through a machine.

Here’s the plan

There are many ways to conquer Barcelona. Here I will outline my suggestions. While you can walk many places, keep in mind that Barcelona is bigger than your average city. Don’t be afraid to use public transportation. There are great connections between the tourist attractions.

• Sagrada familia: I’m sure you’ve come to Barcelona to see this famous gothic cathedral. You can’t miss it, it’s huge. I recommend taking pictures from the outside from all angles, because there are so many details to notice. You can pay a fee to see the inside, but if you are on a budget, no worries. The beauty is the unique architecture from the outside.

*TIP: I suggest seeing it during the day and night. The night gives the cathedral a very spooky vibe.

• Mercat de la Boqueria: Don’t leave Barcelona without passing through the food market. It is often super crowded, especially in the summer months, so be careful with your belongings! Walk through and observe all the different food options. Most of the vendors are not locals, so you can enjoy plenty of international foods (especially from Latin America).

*TIP: My suggestion - try the fresh juices. Very delicious!

• Parque de la Ciudadela: Enjoy the scenery of this grand park! It includes spaces to picnic and sunbathe, along with a zoo! Within the park is a fountain and beautiful sculpture. You can climb the stairs and take a view of the park from above. There is even a small pond if you want to take a canoe ride.

• Plaza de Don Federico Moyúa: This huge roundabout is actually a plaza! Walk around and take pictures with the gorgeous flowers and big fountain. Beware, this plaza does not have much shade, so the sun can be very powerful.

• Parque Güell: Where is that darn lizard that everyone’s been talking about? It’s here at Park Guell. To get here I recommend taking a bus. It is up on the top of a hill! You should get tickets ahead of time. They are 10 euros. Once there, you can spend as much time as you want inside the park. If you are a nature lover or a hiker, this is a great place for you. There are many paths to take to soak it all in. If not, no worries! You can walk up a short path and follow the picture taking crowd. It’ll lead you to the best views of the city. And finally you’ll finish the path which leads you to the ceramic lizard. Be sure to get in your selfies!

• FC Barcelona fans?: Big football fans out there? Well, be sure to check on the stadium where “Barca” plays, Spotify Camp Nou. You can take a tour of the stadium, or even buy tickets to see a game!

• Casas La Pradera and Batlló: Ever hear of a guy named Antoni Gaudí? Well he was a famous architect who designed the sagrada familia and these houses! Take a stroll down the main street to snap some pictures of these houses with the most unique architecture.

La playa

While Barcelona is located on the coast, the beaches directly in the city are not the nicest beaches of Spain. But, if you have limited time and/or are not traveling during the summer, they will do! However, if you do have an extra day and the weather is nice, I recommend taking a train to a town outside of Barcelona center to Platja de Castelldefels. It is only about an hour by public transportation from the center and will most likely be less crowded than the city beaches. There are also plenty of other beaches along the coast to visit, depending on your time and budget.

Cathedrals

Yes, more cathedrals! You will never be short on cathedrals when traveling through Spain. Barcelona is no exception. I would say that it is worth passing by and snapping a photo of a few cathedrals in the city center.

• Cathedral de Barcelona
• Basílica de Santa Maria Del Mar

Plaza Cataluña

Plaza Cataluña is your typical Spanish plaza in the city center. When traveling in October for the weekend, we happened to come across a huge food fair in the plaza. Different vendors were selling their products, such as croquetas, empanadas, cheeses, olives, and other delicious dishes. I was told that this fair happens every weekend in the summer.

When wandering the streets of Barcelona, keep your eye open! I would say that my favorite thing about Barcelona was strolling through the streets and stumbling upon random markets and fairs and looking at all the products being sold. Because Barcelona is a very international city, the vendors were often from other countries, selling their traditional foods and handcrafted products. It was such a nice surprise and interesting to see the culture of others around the world.

Tasty Treats

Because Barcelona is a very international city, you have a variety of food options. But, be aware of the tourist traps - the restaurants that are usually located close to the big tourist attractions that are very expensive and not very delicious. Here are a few places I would recommend.

• Tumatey: Venezuelan food. Be sure to try their delicious arepas. They have so many different arepa filling combinations, even options for vegans and vegetarians. Delicious! Beware- even though they look small, they are super filling!

• Dolce Pizza y Los Veganos: Are you a vegetarian? Are you a pizza lover? Well put them together and you will love this restaurant. Enjoy delicious vegetarian Italian food!