Spain is a country that holds such a special place in my heart. I had been to Barcelona before, but just for a quick weekend getaway, so having more time there really made me fall in love with this city.
If you’re wondering what to do, eat, and see in this lively city, then keep on reading!
xoxo,
Ashley
Where To Stay
This hotel has a view of the Sagrada Familia from its rooftop, but not only that- it is in the perfect location. Central to all major metro lines, residential but lively, this hotel makes you feel like you’re at home.
*Bonus: only 5 minutes from a laundromat if you need to wash your clothes during your trip.
Where To Eat
When it comes to food in Barcelona, we loved the Gothic Quarter. It’s lively and fun, but nothing gets started until after dark. If you try getting dinner before 9 p.m. anywhere in Spain, you’re marking yourself as a tourist. But to beat the local dinner rush at restaurants, I do recommend getting to your desired restaurant right at 9:00, so you’ll get a table & stay long enough to experience local culture. I have linked every place we loved so you can check it out on your trip:
This place gets booked weeks in advance, so plan accordingly or try your luck like we did and get a nice bar seat right away. Delicious, traditional Spanish cuisine awaits you once you finally make it.
A MUST for me whenever I go to Barcelona because of the PINK vanilla lattes. Also recommend the pancakes.
We stumbled upon this tapas bar on a rainy Sunday between siesta and dinner time. The rustic decor and dreary weather made it really cozy and everything was amazing. Now, I didn’t go for the octopus or anything crazy, but Codie can vouch and say that was delicious too.
A good spot in the Gothic Quarter for some classic Paella.
A fun, interactive ice cream place in Barceloneta to go before hitting the beach.
You can’t leave Spain without having churros, and while I’m a sucker for churros con chocolate, our chocolate filled and custard filled churros hit the spot and kept us mobile when walking through the Gothic Quarter
To end our week of exceptional Spanish cuisine, another gourmet tapas bar in which everything was perfect. We elected to go for the 8 tapas option, in which our server chose all 8 tapas we would get– and he chose all the right ones because we were stuffed and satisfied by the end of the night.
What We Did/ Saw
DAY 1
Park Güell
While I do love Park Guell, this experience was pretty stressful since the park is being restored, and we showed up right as several large tour groups were showing up. But we made the best of it and walked around the grounds since it was hard to get to the mosaics for a photo op! Next time we go hopefully the park is restored to its full glory!
La Sagrada Familia
Even as a work in progress, the Sagrada Familia is absolutely breathtaking- with the stained glass windows and the attention to detail, I really enjoyed walking around and sitting and just gazing at every intricate piece of handiwork.
Primavera Sound
Coachella who?? Primavera Sound was everything a festival should be- it was fun and loud with great food and the best part? We had great ocean views without the Coachella desert windstorms. If you have the opportunity, don’t miss the chance to see this festival.
DAY 2
Camp Nou Stadium Tour
Codie’s dream come true- a great tour where we got to see the hall of fame and the players’ bench and the press box. A good way to recover from Primavera Sound.
Gothic Quarter
DAY 3
Montjuic Castle
National Museum of Catalunya
Barceloneta
Arc de Triomfe
Ashley Whitwell 