Barcelona isn't at the tip of everyone's "must-visit" list, but it should be. It is a place that combines the past with the future, art and culture with modern style, France and Spain, commerce and leisure. Simply put, it is a beautiful city with beautiful sights, beautiful food and beautiful people. It's also a very cosmopolitan place with a metro population of 3.7 million.
What makes Barcelona great is that there is a little bit of something for everyone. It isn't the best in anything, but it's excellent in everything.
for lovers of...
For beach lovers, Barcelona sports numerous beaches, with some of the best seafood (i.e. paella) in the Mediterranean.For architectural lovers, there are the mind-boggling creations of Barcelona's greatest son, Antoni Gaudi, who has given so much to the world of architecture that he will surely go down as one of the all-time greats.
For sports lovers, there are the sites of the 1992 Olympic Games on Montjuic, and Nou Camp, where one of the world's greatest soccer teams, FC Barcelona, plays. There is even a pretty good NFL Europe team in the Barcelona Dragons.
For nightlife lovers, there is an incredible amount of nightclubs, some perched up on Barcelona's top two mountains, Tibidabo and Montjuic, offering majestic views of Barcelona with a futuristic and sophisticated club setting. Clubs pick up at 1am and close at 5 or 6am.
even more lovers of...
For food lovers (aren't we all?), you'll go nuts in Barcelona. Whether it's the seafood, the tapas, the local Catalan cuisine, or everything else in between, plan on gaining a few pounds while enjoying some of the best gastronomic experiences of your life. Just enjoy new things, and promise yourself no steaks during your stay. Spanish people love eating long and late, so get ready to eat from 2 to 5pm, and from 10pm to midnight.For fashion lovers, the amount of designer stores along with trendy local shops will leave your closet brimming. The greatest part is that it won't hurt your wallet; clothing and shoes are very competitively priced. Everyone in Barcelona seems to look like a model. This place rivals Milan for the title of most fashionable city in the world.
For history lovers, there are countless spots in the heart of Barcelona -- the Gothic Quarter -- to capture your imagination. The city is over 2000 years old, and unlike its rival Madrid, it's been an important political and commercial center for centuries.
3-day itinerary
I can go on and on, but you get the point. The great thing about Barcelona is that most airline companies have direct or connecting flights to the city. The airport is extremely busy, and its sheer size highlights its increased importance in Europe.Though you can easily stay in Barcelona for weeks, I recommend a shorter trip, even a long weekend to discover this Catalan jewel. After all, if you have more than a few days in Spain, you should be exploring it as much as you can, while visiting its many distinct and eternally interesting destinations like Seville, Bilbao, Valencia, Mallorca, Madrid, and Gibraltar.
So for those of you lucky enough to garner a trip to Cataluyna , here is a detailed 3-day itinerary that will maximize your time, minimize the damage to your wallet, while still leisurely enjoying all that Barcelona has to offer.
Day 1
Goal of Day 1: To walk around as much as you can (save your money and ease your mind by not renting a car), get a feel for the city's vibe, and understand the city's layout so that you subsequently explore your favorite parts on following days.
Some tips before we start
As soon as you arrive, get ready to make reservations at the most sought-after restaurants in town. The best spots are always taken, so booking ahead is a very good idea. And unless you like being totally alone in a restaurant, reserve from 9pm on. That's when people start arriving in restaurants in Barcelona. Get used to that, or you'll miss out on the electric atmosphere the locals usually generate when they arrive. For trendy spots that have great food and great atmosphere, I recommend Salsitas and Fuse. They are upscale without being overtly snobbish. You'll have a good time and a great culinary experience.
For location purposes, it is best to get a hotel around Plaza Cataluyna. It's a central location to the Eixample district, Las Ramblas, and all forms of transportation (train, bus, metro, taxis). A hotel along Las Ramblas is also a good idea, though it can get noisy at night.
As strange as this sounds, the first thing you should do when you arrive in Barcelona is hit the stores. During your travels you are likely to be overwhelmed by the goods available not only in the local shops, but also in the big department stores. Walk along Passeig de Gracia all the way to Avinguda Diagonal and get all your shopping out of the way. This way you can walk the streets without merchandise in hand, and enjoy a leisurely stroll when picking up some fashionable and inexpensive items.
Discovering the city
Once you leave the shopping bags at the hotel, it's time to start discovering the city. My suggestion is to again stroll along the Eixample district first (for geographic reasons). Walk along the Rambla de Cataluyna, near Plaza Cataluyna. It's a beautiful, leafy street, lined with stores on either side and chock-full of terraces along the walkway.
The street "ends" at Avinguda Diagonal, where you can turn right until you hit (again) Passeig de Gracia (trust me, it's worth the second go-around, it's like Paris' Champs Elysees). This time, you are going down the street to enjoy the beautiful architecture, including two of Antoni Gaudi's incredible works: Casa Mila (also known as La Pedrera) and Casa Batllo. You can visit Casa Mila's rooftop, where you will need a whole roll of film to capture the sheer eccentricity of the place.
At this point in the day, you are ready for some lunch. Remember that the Spanish like to eat late, so expect to see people lined up on the outside terraces from 2pm onward. There are some great tapas bars along Passeig de Gracia and Rambla de Cataluyna. I recommend Tapas Tapas along Passeig de Gracia. It serves up great food, and it's an excellent place to people-watch.
Once you finish polishing off some tasty food, head toward the famous Ramblas, the core street of old Barcelona. Here you will find a pedestrian avenue lined with shops, performers, and masses of tourists. Personally, I think the Ramblas are overrated -- the real treasures of Barcelona are along the side streets -- but you will nevertheless have to stroll through.
Continue your journey all the way to the sea where you will see the Columbus Monument. Near this area, you can see the newly refurbished Barcelona port, which includes a state-of-the-art shopping center called Maremagnum, and also boasts a movie theater, bars and restaurants (it's a good place to spend the late evening, if you like American-style nightlife, though I still recommend the local scene instead).
From Maremagnum, you can walk along the port until you reach the quaint neighborhood of Barceloneta, an old fishing quarter that has plenty of charm and great seafood restaurants. Walk along the outer edge of Barceloneta (around its tip) and you will get to the first of Barcelona's many beaches Platja de Sant Miquel. Stroll along the parallel street Passeig Maritim and you will eventually reach the old Olympic Village where the athletes were housed during the 1992 Olympic games.
Once you are in the Olympic Port area, you will encounter another plethora of outside restaurants. I recommend you take the time to enjoy a drink at Agua, a great little restaurant/bar where you can watch the beach goers while overlooking the Mediterranean.
Now, it's time to head back to the hotel (I told you that the first day is exhausting). Take the Metro (subway); it's easy, fast, cheap, and by far the best form of transportation in the city. There is a special card called a "T-1" that offers 10 trips for around 5 Euros. Buy it, it will come in handy.
Once you are back at your hotel, it's time for you to get ready for your long night. People in Barcelona dress well, so try to do the same. Add a little flair to your wardrobe by wearing tan shoes with black pants; you can pull it off here. This isn't Akron, Ohio. Look good, try to speak Spanish or the local Catalan dialect and you well get better service (remember, Americans' reputation as terrible travelers precedes them everywhere).
After a nice long dinner that should end at around midnight (what a great life!), it's time to head to one of Barcelona's many nightspots. If you get there around midnight, you will probably have no trouble getting by choosy bouncers since locals head out much later. The only downside is that you will be the only one in the place, but it's the price to pay for admission to the trendiest spots. Among my recommendations are Otto Zutz, and Mirablau perched on Mount Tibidabo. Other great spots include Torres de Avila on the Montjuic
Day 2
Goal of Day 2: To discover the arts and culture that Barcelona has to offer. There should be less walking on Day 2, and much more picture taking. Gaudi's works and the Gothic Quarter are part of today's itinerary.
Start your day like many people in Barcelona by strolling down La Rambla. Along the side streets, you will find another of Gaudi's great works, the Palau Guell, a residence built for his main patron. Also of note is the Place Reial, a very picturesque square and a great spot for an early morning coffee. Beware of the pickpockets in this square though, they also know how picturesque it is, and know you'll be taking lots of pictures, thus leaving your wallet exposed.
Then it's time to explore the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, another beautiful section of the city that includes must-see sites like the Santa Maria del Mar basilica, Picasso Museum, and the Catedral de la Seu. It's useless to try to describe the area. Just walk around, get lost in its many wavy side streets and just enjoy the step back in time. You'll need your camera because not many sites like this one exist in Europe anymore.
Once you complete your walk through the Gothic Quarter, I suggest taking a detour. Since it is probably mid-afternoon, it's time to eat. Head back to Barceloneta (this time by metro), and go eat at one of the many fine seafood restaurants in the district. I highly recommend Can Majo, it offers terrific local cuisine and a panoramic view of the Mediterranean and the esplanade along the beachfront.
After a hearty lunch, it's once again time to head back to the core of the city. Take the metro to Barcelona's most visited landmark, the breathtaking Sagrada Familia -- Gaudi's masterpiece, and an awe-inspiring site. I must admit that I never understood all the commotion over this place. After all, it's just a church, right? I used to think it looked like a giant ant hill.
Well, I was mistaken because little did I expect to see this towering 30-story work of art. Imagine Picasso had a canvas of over 300-feet to paint on and you will understand the enormity of this place. It's not even finished and has been under construction for over 100 years now. You have never seen anything like this; words can't explain the impact it will have on you. Needless to say, bring another roll of film.
After recovering your senses from the Sagrada Familia, head to another of Gaudi's works of art, the Parc Guell, a designer park overlooking Barcelona. It's another place that leaves you wondering whether you entered a vortex of time and space. It's been declared a Patrimony of Mankind by the United Nation's UNESCO branch for its exceptional artistic merit. I'm not a connoisseur of art, but after countless encounters with Gaudi's genial work, I bought my first art book on his life and style. You have to allocate some time to Parc Guell to walk around and take in the beauty of your surroundings. Things that look like Mother Nature's work at its most precise and accurate are actually man-made works of art that illustrate Gaudi's love for combining nature with architecture.
After Parc Guell, it's once again time to get ready for the nightlife (I know you might be tired, but you have plenty of time to rest and sleep when you are dead, come on, you are in Barcelona). Just follow the same guidelines from the Day 1 itinerary.
Day 3
Goal of Day 3: It's time to just take it easy, visit Barcelona's mountains, and go back to all your favorite spots.
Day 3 should start with a trip to Montjuic, the mountain that was the centerpiece of the 1992 Olympic games. Get off at Espanya metro station and head up the Palau Nacional, a gigantic palace along the Montjuic hillside that offers some of the best views of Barcelona. This place is so scenic that you can't help but just sit there and blankly stare out for minutes at a time. Even the two twin towers flanking the Reina Maria Christina avenue (that are an imitation of the bell tower of Saint Mark's in Venice), make you feel like you are in a fairytale. At this point, little surprises me in Barcelona, and I begin to wonder why this city is not overflowing with tourists because it has already become one of the most favored destinations in the world.
Up on Montjuic, you can stroll through the installations that held many Olympic events, including the Olympic Stadium and the Palau Sant Jordi (a building that has no support columns, another architectural marvel).
Your next stop is the other mountain of Barcelona, Tibidabo, which offers the most complete view of Barcelona city and its suburbs. You can always see Tibidabo from anywhere in town, with the gigantic Temple of the Sagrat Cor and the Ferris wheel at its top. Your curiosity will always be piqued about what the place is, and with reason. The only way to get up there is to take a funicular, another highlight of your trip because it will take you back to a time when life wasn't as fast-paced or hectic.
By now, you should have some time left to explore your favorite parts of the city. In my case, since I am a beach fanatic, I decided to head back to the Olympic Port to soak my feet in the water. When I got to the Olympic Port, I realized that the Barcelona Zoo was nearby and off I went. It's worth a visit, if only to lay your eyes on its prized attraction, the albino gorilla Snowflake. He is world renowned and the only one of his kind, and since Snowflake's time on Earth is limited (he is over 40 years old), I suggest you go by and take a look.
I finished off my day at the beach, and with a mid-afternoon lunch near the Hotel Arts skyscraper (formerly the Olympic village epicenter, and now a luxury 44-story hotel). I had an early flight the next day so I called it an early night, but if you have a chance once again, go out and enjoy the vibrant nightlife.
practical tips
Here is a list of things you should know. Remember that you are in a different country with different customs, so you might have to break some old habits.If you are not convinced to visit yet, then Barcelona is not for you. This is a place of discovery, of intrigue, of culture, and of enjoyment. If you like your vacation trips to be all sun and beach, then head off to Cancun. If you like experiencing the Old Continent, you can't go wrong in Barcelona -- it will be one of your best travel experiences ever.
Resources:
Barcelona Travel Guide
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