Barcelona Guide

Barcelona, Spain

After spending three+ months in the United Kingdom, both Mac and I were ready for a change. Don’t get me wrong, I loved our time in England and Scotland. The hiking, the scenery, the charming towns – nearly every one of our experiences in the UK left me awe-struck. But the gloomy weather was beginning to wreak havoc on my mental state, and I was itching to start experiencing a new culture.

So, after an exceedingly long bus ride from London to Barcelona (via Paris), we arrived at our first destination in Spain!! Unfortunately the welcoming committee was less than ideal as it was 6am and still dark out. As soon as the sun rose enough to shed light on the streets outside, Mac and I hauled on our packs and took to exploring the streets. We spent three nights in Barcelona, and it didn’t take me long to be totally enamoured by this bustling city. This Barcelona Guide is a long one, so buckle up and get ready to fall in love with this beautiful city in Spain.

Barcelona Guide

City Centre – Barrios Gotica & El Born

Part of what I enjoyed most about Barcelona were the narrow streets and hidden alleyways that created a maze of the city centre. It was so fun to get lost in the network of paths and stumble upon some quaint setting or a bakery (that sells vegan cinnamon rolls!)

We spent a good amount of time strolling through the neighbourhoods (or barrios/barris) Gotic and El Born. Just north of the Gotic area is the cathedral. We’ve seen so many cathedrals on our trip so far, but each new one we discover always has some incredible feature that leaves us impressed. It was right near the cathedral that we managed to find a nearly hidden courtyard of four ancient Roman columns. These Corinthian-style columns were originally part of the Temple of Augustus, dating back to the first century BC. Most of the original Roman buildings were torn down and rebuilt, but these four columns were incorporated to the current building and restored to be displayed to the public in this courtyard.

La Rambla

If you continue far enough west, you’ll eventually find your way to La Rambla. This huge pedestrian market street is usually full of people and little stalls. It might be tempting to buy some fruit from a produce vendor on La Rambla, but if you can wait just a few minutes longer, you’ll be in for a treat.

The The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria (aka La Boqueria) is located right off La Rambla and it is one of the busiest enclosed markets I’ve ever been to! With aisles not much bigger than two people wide, it can get a bit crowded, but luckily there are more than enough distractions to keep you otherwise occupied! At La Boqueria, you’re able to buy nearly any food item you can name; nuts, fruit, veggies, pasta, smoothies, cheese, meat, fish, ice cream, olives, the list goes on and on! La Boqueria is open 8am-8pm Monday – Saturday. I’d suggest going early to avoid the crowds that appear in the afternoon.

Barceloneta Beach

I mentioned before how we had so many beach recommendations in Scotland. I understand that the beaches are beautiful, but the near-constant rain and wind make them not the most ideal places to have a ‘beach day’. Enter: Barcelona. We had amazing weather during our time in Barcelona and we spent one entire morning at Barceloneta Beach. We weren’t alone either – it seemed the whole population of Barcelona had come out to enjoy the sunshine as well! The beach is home to badminton courts, beach volleyball courts, pop-up restaurants, and plenty of benches along the promenade to take in the sights (and enjoy the sunshine!).

Walking towards the city centre, you’ll pass by an art installation from the Olympics in ‘92. La Estrella Herida/L’Estel Ferit was created by sculptor Rebecca Horn and erected just prior to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Some say the cubes represent former apartments of Barceloneta that were ‘cleansed’ as part of the remodelling of the city pre-Olympics.

Montjuic Park

Montjuic Park is a huge expanse of land and hill located in the southwest corner of the city. It’s home to numerous monuments and attractions. Some of the most notable include the National Palace (which houses the NMAC – the Catalonia National Art Museum), the Olympic Stadium, Botanical Gardens, and Montjuic Castle. Even if you don’t explore any of the buildings, there are an incredible number of trails and paths to roam, many of which will reward you with some astounding views of the city.

Montjuic Park is also home to two lines of cable cars – if walking isn’t your thing (or you want to get a different perspective of the city), these cable cars can be a fun adventure.

Port Vell/Rambla del Mar

Between the beach and Monjuic Park, and at the south end of La Rambla is Port Vell. This waterfront area is bustling with activities and sights to see. At the end of La Rambla is the iconic 60m tall monument of Christopher Columbus. The monument recognizes and honours the fact that following his first trip to the Americas, Columbus reported to the King and Queen of Spain.

Just across from the monument is the Rambla del Mar. This cool walkway connects the tip of the little peninsula in Port Vell with the city – it was pumping with life even at 9pm! Also on this peninsula are the aquarium, plenty of restaurants, and a park.

Practical Information

Barcelona is a hugely exciting and interesting city. There is never any shortage of things to do. It’s almost hard to know where to begin!

Basic Info

Barcelona is the capital of Spain’s Catalonia region. It has a population of 1.6 million. The language of Catalan is spoken in Barcelona, though most things will be written in both Catalan and Spanish.

Rick Steves Audio Guide

Mac and I downloaded Rick Steves’ Audio Guide Walking Tour of Barcelona. It comes with an accompanying map and together we listened to the guide and walked through the Barri Gotic. Rick Steves introduced us to things we likely otherwise wouldn’t have seen, and presented a bit of history of Barcelona that really helped us get a grasp of this city.

Dos Catalunyas

Speaking of history, Barcelona has gone through quite a number of changes in recent years. Most notable is its separatist movement which came to a head almost exactly one year ago (October 2017). The region of Catalonia (which includes Barcelona) held a vote to become an independent nation. It was deemed unlawful and illegal by the Spanish government and quite a lot of turmoil ensued. Several members of the party that was for independence wound up in jail on 30 year sentences. The independence movement can still be seen one year later with the many Catalan Independence flags that drape balconies, and the call for the freeing of the imprisoned politicians. If you’re interested in the topic, the film Dos Catalunyas (on Netflix) was gripping and eye opening.

Public Transportation

Barcelona has an awesome public transportation system. For tourists and travellers, their 10 day pass is a pretty great deal. For €10.20, you’re allowed 10 rides on any one of the city’s 5 transportation modes (metro, bus, tram, cable car, and train). If you make a transfer within 1 hour and 15 minutes, your second trip is free. (ie, if you take the metro somewhere, and less than 1.25 hours later, take the bus to a new location, you won’t be charged for a second ride). Barcelona’s public transit network is vast and very well connected. Though the city is incredibly walk-able, it’s nice to have the option of getting a ride to the outer edges of town.

Safety

Thankfully we had no personal experience with pickpockets, but know that they are abundant in Barcelona. Men, keep your wallets in the front pockets of your pants. If you’re toting a purse, opt for a side-body bag with zippers. Always be aware of your belongings, especially in busy areas (like La Rambla and other common tourist sites).

Other Barcelona Guides

A food blogger I follow moved to Barcelona last year and has compiled an incredibly detailed Barcelona Guide. I doted on it quite frequently during our time there, and highly recommend it. Ali has a huge list of places to eat (ranging from breakfast all the way to post-dinner!).

Gaudi

For those reading this that have been to Barcelona and are wondering why a few notable sites have been left out of my Barcelona Guide (namely the work of Antoni Gaudi), fear not! I have an entire post dedicated to his work coming up soon!

Tell me, have you ever been to Barcelona? What was your favourite spot?

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