The best travel experience I’ve ever had was without a doubt, Barcelona. You absolutely must visit the cosmopolitan capital of Catalonia. It’s expensive, but totally worth it. The beautiful narrow streets, the big boulevards padded with tall palms, airplanes flowing in the night sky like falling stars, the Gaudi signature all over the city, the noise, the beer, los pinchos, the beach…
The trip was planned by my sweet boyfriend, Lawrence, as a surprise, so I didn’t have too much time to prepare. Even so, from day one, I felt like Barcelona is my home and it is the place where I should live. There are many amazing places and things to see in the city, and we did manage to see some of it. Let’s talk about the 12 places you must see in Barcelona, in no particular order.
1. Mount Montjuic
Not far from our Airbnb apartment, hiking the hills, we’ve reached Montjuic Castle and its gardens. The castle is situated on Mount Montjuic, which is 173 m above sea level. With a spectacular view over the seaport, Montjuic is a great park for long walks around the old fortress. You have various ways to get there. First, you have the funicular that connects with the subway system at Paral·lel station. If you are traveling by subway, this is the fastest and cheapest way to get up the mountain. From there you can take the Teleferic (like I did) which you can find next to the funicular station, or the bus 150 to reach the Montjuic Castle. The second way will be Barcelona’s Port Cable Car, which links directly to Barceloneta Beach in only ten minutes, and meanwhile, you can enjoy the 70 meters high view.
2. Barcelona Zoo
The longest walk I took in Barcelona was without a doubt, at the Barcelona Zoo. Both me and Lawrence were like two children enjoying every tiny section of the park. We saw flamingos, rhinoceros, giraffes, tigers, mongoose, all kinds of monkeys and birds, a brown bear and the list can go on… I don’t even remember all the animals we saw there; it’s one of the best places in Barcelona, from my point of view. I’ve heard that it’s best known for being the home of Snowflake, the only known albino gorilla in the world. The Barcelona zoo is located in the Parc de la Ciutadella.
3. Parc de la Ciutadella
Speaking of, Parc de la Ciutadella is a great place to spend your day in Barcelona. The closest metro line is Jaume station (Yellow Line, L4) or you can take a public bus. One of the most popular attractions there is Cascada Monumental which is actually a small lake with a monumental fountain designed by Gaudi in the 19th century, a picturesque and relaxing spot that you’ll remember for sure. Also in the Ciutadella Parc, you can observe the Parliament of Catalonia, the Arc de Triomf, visit the Museum of Natural Science or you can just sit for a picnic, you’ll never regret it.
4. Parc Guell
Gaudi is a real symbol of Barcelona. Wherever you go, you see something he designed or all sorts of souvenirs with his mark on it. So I can say it’s a must to visit Parc Guell, a colorful, innovative and modernist park, full of mosaic tiles that will inspire you to search for more Gaudi signatures in the city. Besides the above, I can recommend you Casa Batllo, an Art Nouveau masterpiece (skulls and bones are artistically illustrated on the facade) located on Passeig de Gràcia (metro: Green Line, L3) and Casa Mila with an organic architecture, popularly known as La Pedrera, which means “The stone quarry”. Both houses you can easily access from Passeig de Gràcia, an important artery that links a series of tourist spots.
5. Sagrada Familia
If we are to continue with the architectural points on the map, the next stop will be without a doubt Sagrada Familia. For many of you, this will be first on the list, but I do have my reasons on this matter. First, I didn’t manage to visit the inside and second, it was too crowded. It’s true, the architecture, the facades, the structure, are outstanding and even if it’s a neo gothic cathedral, it looks different than the ordinary neo gothic churches. An interesting fact is that when he designed the cathedral, Gaudi didn’t dare to create a building that would overshadow God’s creation, so he designed the Sagrada Familia one meter shorter than Mount Montjuic. The building is located on Carrer de Mallorca and to get there you can take the subway, line L2 and L5, station Sagrada Família or one of the many buses.
6. Plaça d’Espanya
In one of our long walks on Barcelona’s streets we’ve reached Plaça d’Espanya, one of the biggest squares and a junction of four important boulevards of the city. The square is located in the Sants-Montjuic district and has a historical vibe, marked by the two 47 meters high Venetian Towers designed by architect Ramon Reventós. The towers are further inviting you to explore the National Art Museum of Catalonia, which has a spectacular architecture. You may think that I went there for the museum, but actually I went for one of the best experiences of Barcelona, the Magic Fountain, which somehow marks the entrance stairs towards the museum. It’s an entire show of music, colors and water that you’ll absolutely enjoy. The show will start somewhere around 8-9 pm, so be sure you check the schedule before you go there.
While you’re around Plaça d’Espanya, don’t forget to visit the Las Arena de Barcelona, located right in the actual square. The place was initially used for boxing and free fights, in 1927 was remodeled into a bullfighting arena, and in 2011 was reopened as a shopping mall. At the rooftop, there is a public walkway with a 360 degree view over Barcelona city. You can choose to take the exterior glass elevator for only 1 euro, or use the inside escalators free of charge. We chose the elevator, just to have some extra fun. Use the subway to get to the square, Plaça Espanya (L1, L3) or take a long walk till there like we did.
7. Platja de la Barceloneta
First day in Barcelona, we took a taxi because we had to go to an event, and when the driver reached Passeig de Colom and we saw the palm trees and the beach we actually felt like we’re in a movie, somewhere in Florida. The same day, we walked around the Port Olimpic area, Casino Barcelona, Avinguda del Litoral with the gorgeous palm trees, Platja del Somorrostro, Platja de la Barceloneta and Port Vell with L’aquarium. Yes, it was another long walk for our feet, but this whole area it’s absolutely breathtaking, and you can split the day in two, for a more relaxing and comfortable experience.
8. Food and Poble-Sec
The last point on our list is… food! I can tell you one thing: if you’re going to Barcelona, you’ll eat lots of seafood, so I hope you’re a fan, ‘cause me… not so much. I ate some paella which was fine, but that was it. Yes, you can eat really well in Barceloneta or in the Port Olimpic area, there are plenty of restaurants, but the best food I ate in Barcelona was in Poble-Sec. We were lucky to be accommodated right there, in the neighborhood, and every morning we drank the most tasteful coffee I’ve ever drunk, served with a fresh croissant next to it, for only 2 euros. There are various coffee shops, but all of them are great. One evening we went to eat ceviche at Lascar 74 on Carrer de Roser, a seafood dish made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juice. Yeap, once again, I am not a fan, but the Bravas Lascar potatoes were delicious.
If you want to taste some amazing pinchos and tapas, go on Carrer de Blai, you’ll find so many bars that serve all kinds of tapas and beer, that you’ll want to try them all. And you really should, you’ll not regret it. As a last tip I have for you, please try the amazing nachos and tacos from El Pachuco, located on Carrer de Sant Pau. It is a small bar with Mexican food, in which you’ll never find a seat to eat, being unbelievably popular and crowded every single night. The food is amazing, so people are waiting in front of the bar for as long as it takes to order and they don’t mind eating outside, on the street. For dessert, you can try Spice Cafe, on Carrer de Margarit, you can find some tasty cakes there. As I said, all these bars and restaurants you can find in the Poble-Sec district.
To summarize…
So, here are my eight things to do in Barcelona. Yes, food was my favorite thing to write about, I am not ashamed of that, I really enjoy eating 🙂 I hope you find these helpful or at least inspiring in your Barcelona experience. There are certainly more things to do or see in the capital of Catalonia, but these are the ones I enjoyed the most in the time I spent in Barcelona. Happy traveling!
