Visit Barcelona, Spain

Planning to visit Barcelona, Spain? Ever since I saw Cheetah Girls 2, I knew I needed to bless Barcelona with my presence. I am sure you feel the same way.

Barcelona was actually the very first place I traveled to in 2015 when I was studying abroad. And I was skkkuurrreeedd AF. I was afraid to leave the hostel at night. Which is fine to be on my A-game but, I shouldn’t have let my fears control my trip. But I did. And I didn’t have much fun. Barcelona became my least favorite trip I ever took during my time in Europe. SO I NEEDED A REDO. The second time back was SO FUN. Now that I am a seasoned traveler and wasn’t as skuurrreddd, it has now become one of my favorite destinations and I recommend it to everyone!

Language: Spanish, Catalan 
Currency: Euros

Where to Eat in Barcelona

Sit back and indulge. Stuff your face with tapas. And then top it off with some paella. You’re welcome.

Breakfast in Barcelona

• Petit Pot: My favorite breakfast place. I FRICKEN love it. The croissant sandwiches, fresh squeezed juice and the yogurt is all to die for.

• Federal: A cute little breakfast cafe.
• Firebug – Brunch
• Brunch and Cake – to be honest, they had me at cake.
• Cheese and Cake– wait, do I have a thing for places with cake in their name?
• Eixampeling Brunch Cafe & Bar – The inside is so cute as well as all the food. Instagram worthy

Lunch/ Dinner in Barcelona

• Mate Taberna: My favorite place! Highly recommend! 
• Elche Restaurant: A bit on the expensive side but it was on some top ten paella list.
• Arume – Another great pallea place
• La Fonda: A little touristy. But the name was my nickname in high school so I wanted to go. 
• Casa Rafols – casual, tapas, get the truffle risotto
• La Pubilla – spanish/ Mediterranean
• Rosa Negra – I know this funny but this place is Mexican, not Spanish lol.
• Sensi Bistro – spanish/ Mediterranean
• Con Gracia – Fine spanish dining
• Bardot – Another fine dining location
• Blavis – people RAVE about this place
• 4 Plats I punt – Authentic Spanish food
• Cervecería Catalana – This was recommended to me by like 12 people.
• El Nacional – Super cute!
• Bar Calders – Their special is special patatas brava
• Ziryab – Highly recommend

Dessert in Barcelona

• Manna Gelats – Gelato
• OGGI Officina Gelato Gusto Italiano – Gelato
• Swiit – Gelato
• Churreria Laietana – Churros and chocolate
• Granja M. Viader– Churros and chocolate
• Artisa – churros, gelato, cake
• La Pastisseria Barcelona – Pastries
• Spice Cafe – Cake!
• La Cava Cakery – cupcakes

What to Do in Barcelona

Barcelona is filled with tons of things to see, do and shop. Honestly, one of my favorite things is just wandering around the streets. There are little walkways and streets filled with cute shops and great food. Barcelona is filled with clubs and nightlife but, that isn’t really my cup of tea.

• Arc de Triomfe: Right as you enter the Park. 
• Parc Ciutadella: Great place to walk around. Little ponds, fountains and statues all around. 
• Badalona: If you want to lay out on the beach and not be surrounded by a thousand tourists, I recommend taking a train up the coast a bit to this little beach town. Loved swimming over here.

• Basilica La Sagrada Familia– Amazing Basilica. Even if you’ve seen a bazillion churches and cathedrals, this is a must see. It is still being built, so don’t be surprised when you see construction workers and cranes everywhere.
• Casa Batlló– If you are trying to be budget friendly, I would put this as my third must see of Antoni Gaudí’s work. Seeing it from the outside and Google Imaging the inside is fine.
• Park Güell– This is my top favvvv in Barcelona. You will probably spend an hour or two walking around here.

• La Rambla– Shopping street.
• La Boqueria– Right off of La Rambla is a huge open air market. I love me an open air market. Ya feel? 
• Aire Ancient Baths – If you are more in the mo0o0oood for a spa kinda day
• Bunker del Carmel – Arguably the best views of the city. Read HERE on how to get to the Bunkers the easiest way!
• Cooking Class – There is no better way to taste the city than with a cooking class!

Nightlife in Barcelona

So, I’m not much of a nightlife kinda gal. But I have plenty of friends who are and they go clubbing when they visit Barcelona! Below are their suggestions for a Bueno time in Barcelonaaaaa.

• Razzmatazz – super big and popular club
• Opium – On the beach, super popular
• Pacha – super popular nightclub
• Catwalk– super popular nightclub
• Jamboree – hip hop and older jams
• Tarantos – Nightclub
• CDLC – Nightclub
• Les Enfants – Spanish Disco
• Sidecar- Nightclub
• Bling Bling
• Boadas cocktail bar – Bar
• The Kiosk La Cazalla- Bar
• La Whiskeria Cocktail Bar– Bar
• Milk Bar– Bar
• Flaherty’s – super fun bar
• Cat Bar – Bar
• Marmalade – Swanky bar
• Slow Barcelona – also swanky

Dancing and Shows

If you are more like me and love dancing and shows I recommend checking out a flamenco show for when you visit Barcelona! Some include dinner and or drinks. Check out this LIST for the top 5 Flamenco shows in Barcelona.

Where to Stay in Barcelona

I would try to stay near the city center, so you can just walk everywhere. My favorite area is the Gothic Quarter. It’s such a cutal location. But, these two locations are more expensive. Obvi. Location, location, location. I listed the places we stayed below.

• Hostel: I stayed at the 360 Barcelona Arts & Culture Hostel and I LOOOOVED IT. Everything was great. Staff, amenities, activities, kitchen, bathrooms. All good. This place was my very first hostel experience, and it was a superb first hostel experience.
• Airbnb: I stayed here- Nice Apartment in Central BCN. It wasn’t thaaaaaaat centrally located but, it was cheap. Plus the metro was right around the corner.

Tips for Barcelona, Spain

• Take the metro.
• Watch your stuff! Barcelona is known for pickpockets.
• Don’t be stupid.
• Switch off between ordering mojitos and sangria. It’s a super hard decision to make but switching off between two fabulous drink choices saves time for eating more paella. Or tapas. Or paella… Shit idk this is another tough decision.
• Some places close down for siesta in the afternoon, check times online just in case.
• Remember that places open up late. And if you arrive to dinner at 6ish, you might be the only ones there hahaha.

That concludes my Visit Barcelona, Spain list!! The city is huge and there is plenty to eat, see and do! If you are visiting Madrid as well, check out my Madrid Destination Blog as well. Make sure to check out my Travel Diary about my time in Spain, HERE! I have tons more blogs on other destinations around Europe as well! Enjoy your visit to Barcelona!

Adiossssss