Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a city by the sea; not just any sea, but Mediterranean Sea. It is a feast for the senses, with its captivating blend of olden and contemporary structural designs, enticing cafés and marketplaces, parties round the clock, and sunlit beaches. Catalan cooking is simple, mouth-watering and provides a great reason to be here, and to come back for more.
Lonely Planet’s Introducing Barcelona persuasively tells why this city by the sea must be in every traveler’s bucket list.
- The food is glorious: Catalan cooking can transform “simple, flavourful ingredients – seafood, jamón (cured ham), market-fresh produce” into delicious delicacies before being served up in enchanting settings to make it more unforgettable and heart-warming. Feast in “Barcelona’s Basque-style tapas bars, Galician seafood taverns, avant-garde Japanese restaurants and sinful chocolate shops….”
- Party Party! Fun here never stops. Once night time falls, sunset drinks start pouring, music plays and flamenco’s quick rhythm gets your feet and soul as you are taken by the tempo. Bars are brimming with people in a festive mood even around midnight and beyond. You can “take your pick from old-school taverns …, plush lounges in lamp-lit medieval chambers or boisterous cava bars. If you’re still standing at 3am, hit the clubs and explore Barcelona’s unabashed wild side.
- More Reasons to Love Barcelona: If you love the sea, imagine an “early-morning jog along the Mediterranean…” If you’re fascinated with history, think of all those people who trod the same cobblestone paths in the Gothic quarter. Then there are the first-rate tapas bars, the fun bohemian bars, the plentiful, inexpensive wine, Catalan art and creativity, and the fabulous nearby escapes.
Wise Travel Tips
If you are completely convinced Barcelona is your next destination, it pays to do a bit of planning to get more out of your holiday. If you need to know tips to save you time, effort and money, and to have a worthwhile Barcelona break, check out Damian Corrigan’s Barcelona Travel Tips (Travel Wisely in Barcelona: How to Get the Most Out of Your Vacation) posted in About Travel.
- Keep Your Eye on Your Wallet: Pickpockets are quite notorious here, mainly on the Ramblas and anywhere on the beach. Keep your eyes on your stuff, particularly where you keep your money and stick to safety rules
- Choose Your Barcelona Discount Card Wisely: tempting as they may be, some may not be what you want. So, be discriminating. If you decide for the Barcelona card, get it before embarking to avail of the free ride from the airport. Undertake some research before deciding on the card to buy.
- Go up the Columbus Monument: Check out the famed landmarks such as the two mountains (Montjuic and Tibidabo), the Cathedral and La Sagrada Familia among others. The views you wouldn’t want to miss are from the peak of the Columbus monument, which is located at the foot of the Ramblas. Prices here are relatively cheaper than most of Barcelona’s tourist attractions.
- Share a Ten-Trip Metro Ticket: An alternative to the Barcelona Card is a ten-trip metro ticket. It will provide you with as much as 50 percent discount on standard bus and train fares. The best feature of this ticket is that you can share it with as many people in your group as you want.
- Go to Figueres, Do the Tour: If you are an art buff, you can’t miss Figueres. It will be smart to join a guided tour rather than take the pains of falling in very long and tiring queues. The cost will just be a couple of euros higher than the entrance fee.
- Don’t Get Ripped off on Boqueria Juices! Boqueria is the most visited markets in the city. So, like the beaches, expect some hustling here. Freshly squeezed fruit juices will certainly be appealing on a sunny day. Save a euro by getting it from the stalls in the market near the part when you enter from the Ramblas.
- See Hospital de Sant Pau before La Sagrada Familia: Looking for an impressive view on your visit to La Sagrada Familia? Don’t head straight; instead, take the Hospital de Sant Pau route to enjoy a spectacular panorama down the road. The walk through the Avinguda de Gaudi down to La Sagrada Familia is definitely an inspiring way to approach the basilica.
- Fly to Barcelona, not Reus or Girona: If you don’t want to be spending more hours traveling, stick to a flight to the Barcelona International Airport. Don’t be sweet-talked to Girona or Reus, unless there is no more choice, or that’s what you specifically want for a novel experience.
- Know When the Museums Are Free: Backpackers wanting to save some euros must do a bit of research to find out the best time to visit museums for free. Come early; you’re not the only one trying to save on tours.
- Eat at Lunchtime: In this city where foods are revered, lunch is the best time to eat when there more options. For 12 euros, you get everything from a starter to drinks. It is smart, though to check first if the dessert and drinks are not considered extras.
More Tips for a Barcelona Holiday
When you start planning your trip to Barcelona, it will be useful if you can find and use a tourist guide and travel to answer your most basic questions on transport, accommodation, attractions and activities. Check out Barcelona Tourist Guide’s “The Easy Way To Plan Your Trip”
The post offers essential tourism information that offers tips, from dealing with the locals to attractions. To find answers to your queries, remember that the information in the site has been grouped into two:
- If you’ve already made your decision to come to Barcelona … go to the top of the page and type in your question into the search bar. This search bar will search every page on our site (of which we have several thousand pages) and present you with the answers to your questions…
- If you need help in making your decision whether Barcelona is the right destination for you … visit … Barcelona map that has over 500 photos of the top Barcelona tourism attractions linked directly to the map. Using the interactive map will show you first hand the most important landmarks and attractions …
With every help you need right at the tip of your fingertips, all you need to do is plan and enjoy your Barcelona holiday!
