Barcelona is one of my favourite European cities and something keeps drawing me back again and again. I recently had the opportunity to visit again while on a press trip whereby I did a guided tour as well as ventured off on my own to explore.
Based on my numerous visits, here are my favourite things to do over a weekend or in 24 hours in Barcelona.
La Rambla
Wander along La Rambla where there are various stalls, shops, restaurants and bars, as well as street performances. You can eat tapas, drink Sangria (or Mojitos and Sangria) and people watch as the crowds pass you by.
Mercat de la Boqueria
During one of my wanders, I enjoyed going into the food market, called Mercat de la Boqueria, where there are so many different stalls selling fresh produce. Ranging from local fruit to fish, and with some offering some meals on counters, it is a vibrant, buzzing and the perfect place for a foodie!
There are some places to eat inside, which do have queues, but are totally worth it! Once you are seated, it is so much fun to eat, sip on wine, while people watching.
Sagrada Familia
One of Gaudi’s famous architectural masterpieces is still in the process of being completed, so you will see some scaffolding around. However, even in its current unfinished state, it is truly breathtaking to see.
Park Gueill
See more of Gaudi’s sculptural work in this park, which is really cute, a photographers dream and a great insight into the colourful and genius mind that Gaudi had. Made up of gardens and landscaped features, garnished with colourful mosaic designs, it is lovely to explore.
Poble Espanyol – Spanish Village
This park has various replica buildings from different regions of Spain. It is like an open air museum where you can learn about and see what different houses from all regions of spain look like.
It was lovely to wander around, and there are a few shops selling different things. The ice cream is really delicious and so perfect to eat whilst walking around in the sunshine!
The Beach
Spend some time relaxing and listening to the sound of the ocean while sunbathing on the beaches in Barcelona. There are lots of restaurants, bars and clubs along the beachfront which are lots of fun and you can not get bored.
Camp Nou for the football fans
A visit to this stadium is a must if you are a football fan! You can take a tour of the stadium and museum, or if you are lucky and have bagged tickets during the season, watch a game.
A very touristy, but handy option when you have limited time in Barcelona, is to take the hop on hop off tour as it is actually works out more economical than taking cabs between different attractions. It stops at all the major places you would want to see and is a fun way of exploring.
Have you been to Barcelona? What were your highlights? Let me know in the comments section below.
Angie Silver (@SilverSpoonLDN) says
Can you believe I’ve never been to Barcelona? It’s on my hit list for this year!
Aftab (@freshnfearless) says
Everyone says how beautiful Barcelona is and I think you have definitely confirmed that! Going to try and get it into my 2017 travel plans.
A x
Charlene Flash says
Never been to Barcelona before but looks like you had a fabulous time 🙂 x