Barcelona: What to Do and What to See

I’m currently touring around Spain and spent a couple days in wonderful Barcelona.

Disclaimer: I’m currently traveling with my Norwegian friend who I met in Namibia while I was interning there. Also we’re young and broke, so this is my cheap version of Barcelona.

Accommodation:

I stayed in a private room in an Airbnb in Gracia which is honestly an incredible neighborhood that’s very accessible by metro. 76 usd a night. Loved it BUT there was no air conditioning. And it’s August so that was a bit rough. Here’s the link: https://abnb.me/ASENxEFr7Y

Flight:

I flew round trip from Philadelphia to Barcelona for $375 usd on Air Canada. Found the flight on Scott’s Cheap flights!

Getting around Barcelona:

I highly recommend catching the metro or Airport Bus from the airport into the city. I took the airport bus which was 10 euros and got dropped off very central.

We purchased a metro card with 10 trips for 10 euro which was more than enough. At night, we took a taxi and/or walked.

What I saw:

I only had a short time in the city so I didn’t get to see everything!

- Gracia: Great neighborhood to stroll around. Cute squares and beautiful but very narrow streets.

- Las Ramblas: A street in the heart of the city with tons of stands of food and vendors. Beware of pickpockets!

- Boquiera Market: A bit touristy but a market right on las Ramblas that’s full of stands. Food here is a bit more expensive.

- Sagrada de Familia: Beautiful basilica that’s pretty famous to Barcelona. Enjoy beautiful views of the basilica from the Parc de Garcia or Ayre Hostel Rossellon! Get your tickets in advance!

- Gothic Quarter: I love historic areas so the gothic quarter was one of my favorite places to walk through. Very close to the Barcelona Cathedral and pretty central. Come here for really gorgeous pictures and cute cafes.

- Barcelona Cathedral: I did not go in because the line was ridiculously long, but it’s a gorgeous cathedral from the outside haha.

- National Art Museum of Catalonia: This museum is located Montjuic area. The entire area is gorgeous! We took the metro to Parc de Montjuic and walked around to the different gardens, parks and the museum. I believe there’s also a castle in this area! Go to the rooftop of the museum for amazing views of Barcelona.

- El Born: Cute neighborhood/area to walk through on the way to Citadel Park. Very picturesque also home to the Picasso Museum.

- Citadel Park and Parque de la Cituadella: If you need a little bit of refuge- check out this area. Gorgeous parks with tons of cool buildings, fountains and green spaces inside.

- Arc de Triomf: Located at the end of Citadel park. Absolutely stunning Arc! Also located conveniently next to a metro stop. We enjoyed tapas here right across from the arc at night and had a stunning view.

- Bunkers del Carmen: If I could recommend one thing on this list it’d be watching the sunset at the bunkers del Carmen. We took a metro close to the bunker and then a taxi up. It’s about a 10 minute hike up to the top. Buy a couple beers before hand and enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets ever.

Things I wish I’d done:

- Park Guell

- Casa Mila

- Casa Batilo

- Barcelona Beaches

- Parc del Labrient d’Horta

What I ate:

Food can get pricey here BUT it’s some of the best food you’ll ever eat. Food to try: croquettes, paella, pan con tomate, bocadillas, Jamon, Spanish tortilla, Padron peppers, and my favorite patatas bravas.

Oh and I drank my body weight in Sangria.

Overall:

I enjoyed Barcelona. I’ll be back next week hopefully to see Montserrat and then a short trip up to Andorra.

Oh, and I spent about 40-50 euro per day on food, transportation and excursion.