Best things to do in Barcelona

Barcelona was the first stop on my second European backpacking trip, this one taking me through 10 countries. I loved Barcelona far more than some of the other places I would be going. I stayed in the Gothic Quarter (old town), my preferred section of any historic city. Here you will marvel at the narrow streets and the stone buildings that are filled with history from all ages.

Getting to Barcelona from the airport was annoying and led me to swear off taxis for the duration of my trip. My initial intention was to take an Uber as the price showed only €18 ($20). I don’t know if they aren’t allowed to pick you up at the terminal but it would not let me change my pickup location. It kept telling me to meet my ride in the parking garage.

This isn’t the biggest deal, but as soon as I started walking through the garage, I would lose my service. Since it has a weird shape with multiple floors, I could never locate the pickup location.

Not wanting to risk my Uber rating I eventually gave up and went to where the taxis were parked. The taxi driver was nice, spoke English, and managed to find my hostel with €22 on the meter.

Then once we stopped, it suddenly jumped to €38. I asked what happened and wouldn’t you know it, my driver could no longer speak any English. Something shady definitely happened.

It felt a bit like he chose to pad his fare. I know it wasn’t the base service fee because that’s what the fare started at (while I don’t speak much Spanish, I can read it quite well) So I grumbled to myself, paid, and got out.

So you’re in Barcelona. What should you see?

The Gothic Quarter

Hands down my favorite part of the city, exploring the Gothic Quarter is a must.

Center of the old Barcelona, it stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean coast to the Ronda de Sant Pere. Here you’ll find the remains of the city’s ancient Roman wall and many medieval landmarks.

Unfortunately, some parts of the quarter aren’t entirely authentic. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several buildings of note were rebuilt or modified with Neo Gothic additions.

The Gothic Quarter still has the very maze like quality of narrow, winding streets that will leave you lost and disoriented but then suddenly spit you out in the middle of a large square filled with people.

This is the place to get off the beaten path. Don’t stick to the main roads. Get lost in these streets. You can be walking down what looks like a narrow, vacant alley, and then find yourself standing in front of a new art dealer or specialty shop. Maybe something like The Duck Store which is literally a store filled with thousands of different rubber ducks. I’ve seen these in a few European cities now but this has been the largest.

You never know what you’ll come across. I turned more than one corner only to walk up on street performers.

Barceloneta Beach

I only spent a single day on the beach since I was alone and generally consider relaxing on beaches to be a group activity.

The beach itself is very nice, but quite crowded. The people you’ll find are friendly and there’s a great view of W Barcelona, popularly known as the Hotel Vela (the hotel that looks like a giant apple slice).

If you want to, there’s an outdoor workout area where you can lift a few large rocks, jugs filled with sand, and do pull-ups with 40 guys in speedos, all trying their hardest to out flex each other.

It was quite stupid, especially if you watched their actual workouts for a second. But don’t worry, they’re way over on the far end of the beach and you’re not even going to notice unless you go down there.

Access to the beach is free.

Dive in the Mediterranean

Not on Barceloneta Beach but just a little further up the coast and in Port Olímpic, you’ll find a dive shop called Buceo Hispania Barcelona.

If you’re uncertified, €70 (about $77) will get you a trial dive, all equipment, an experienced guide, and some rudimentary instruction. If you are certified then a dive, rental gear, and the guide will only cost you €40 ($44).

Not bad, seeing as most places in the US will charge you $35-50 just for a day of rentals. Bear in mind that these are shore dives unless you want to book a charter or take an advanced certification course.

La Sagrada Família

Love it or hate it, it’s certainly grand.

Personally, if you asked me to rank every cathedral that I’ve been to – and I’ve been to quite a few – I would rank La Sagrada Família dead last.

I’m a traditionalist when it comes to architecture and as such, have a hard time getting on board with the design. It’s too “modern” and strikes me more as something that was pulled from a futuristic, dystopian Batman movie (think Val Kilmer or George Clooney Batman).

From what the audio tour told me, the architect Gaudí was very determined to finish the first façade before his death so that those who followed in his footsteps could complete the building the way he envisioned it.

They completely disregarded his vision and just did whatever they wanted as his facade looks absolutely nothing like the others in every respect.

I don’t think that Gaudí’s vision was very good to begin with either as it feels like it was built to be big just for the sake of being big.

While I’m not on board with its looks, I still consider this to be one of the top three sites to see in Barcelona.

Tickets and cost

You can’t just show up and walk in like most cathedrals (yes, yes, it’s officially a minor basilica). You’ll need to purchase a ticket in advance either online HERE or at the gate. I walked 45 minutes to get there early in the morning and after taking a bunch of pictures, went to the ticket booth only to find that the next available tickets were for 6PM. Awesome.

I settled for the 6PM ticket, took a few more pictures, puzzled at the gross green water, and walked back to my hostel since the area was starting to fill with tourists.

A ticket costs anywhere from €17-32 depending on what you want to see and do inside IE: guided tour, audio tour, tower rides.

I opted for the audio tour and tower deal and while it wasn’t steeped in the old histories that I like the most, it did contain some good stuff. After that, I took the lift up to the top of the tower. Cathedral lifts always disappoint me because I like the old fashioned spiral staircases.

Once I got to the top of the top of the tower I saw it… Ugh. That fruit…. That damn fruit. I’m not sure what they were thinking. “Hmmm we need something to put on the top of these spires… how about bundles of grapes, oranges and bananas?!” It feels and looks so out of place in my opinion but again, I’m a traditionalist. At least the view was good.

Barcelona Cathedral

Or more accurately, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia is the main cathedral of Barcelona.

While it doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as La Sagrada Família, it really should. This is a proper cathedral and a beautiful one at that. I could have sat in here for hours. It’s large, spacious, and filled with all of the old art, statues, and carvings that you would expect.

Entrance tickets will cost you €7 and include a ride up to the roof in the lift….damn lifts….

Tickets can be purchased in advance HERE but I bought mine at the door and went right in when it opened. Ticketed events are occasionally offered as well so you’ll need to check the calendar if you’re interested.

The day that I went the lift was not working so they wrote on the back of my entrance ticket that I could enter the cathedral for free the following day which was very solid of them. So the next day I returned and took the lift up. There is no main tower that brings you high above the city like most cathedrals. Instead you walk around on a catwalk that has been built into the roof. There are some decent views from up above but nothing particularly special.

Santa Maria del Mar

A great looking church even if it isn’t what you would normally envision when thinking of medieval churches. Instead, the design type is referred to as Catalan Gothic. It’s more block shaped than typical but the entrance-way and rose window are beautiful.

I didn’t have my camera with me at the time so there won’t be any pictures, but on their official website you can find pictures as well as information about tours. I passed on a tour in favor of just walking around.

The inside itself is very empty and unadorned with none of the typical decorations but at the same time, light, airy, and spacious (you know how some cathedrals can be dark and oppressive or overwhelming).

Unfortunately, the lack of interior decoration is due to a fire that was set by anti-clerical rioters at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Thankfully the church managed to survive after being on fire for eleven days. Eleven days! Imagine how much stuff must have been burning inside for it to have lasted that long.

La Rambla

The Spanish poet Federico García Lorca once said that La Rambla was, “The only street in the world which I wish would never end.” Well, he died in 1936 so I wonder what he’d say now.

Instead, I’ll direct you to a quote by the first American that I met in Europe on this trip. “Cocaine and hookers. You speakin my language bro?”

Now don’t get me wrong, La Rambla is beautiful. It’s the most famous street in Barcelona and for good reason. Coming in at .75 miles long (1.2 km) it’s a tree lined pedestrian street (or tourist street) that’s packed with people, open air cafes, hawkers, kiosks, street performers, and pickpockets. Not to mention the beautiful architecture that’s just on the other side of the trees.

Fun fact, La Rambla was originally a seasonal sewage filled stream which was used to drain heavy rainwater from the Collserola hills during spring and autumn. Its origin as a stream is now reflected in the paving design which is supposed to look like rippling water.

Font de Canaletes

Speaking of water, be sure to take a sip from the Font de Canaletes which is an ornate fountain that’s crowned by a lamp post, in the upper part of La Rambla, near Plaça de Catalunya.

This is the traditional meeting point for Barca football fans after their matches dating back to the 1930s. I wish there had been a game so I could have seen this, but no luck.

There’s also a tradition (it’s inscribed on the ground as well) that says that anyone who drinks from the fountain will come back to Barcelona. I’ll let you know in a few years if this turns out to be true.

Sadly, La Rambla was also the site of a terrorist attack in 2017. On August 17, 2017 many people were struck by a van that was deliberately driven down the sidewalk. In total, 15 people were killed in the Barcelona attack and at least 130 were injured but in the end, this horrific and cowardly attack did little to lessen the street’s popularity as it is still just as full.

The not so great.

It would be wrong if I didn’t issue a slight advisory about La Rambla.

Normally while traveling I have an easy time meeting other Americans. After four days in Barcelona however, I had yet to meet any. Then I met, “The bro.” He was talking to someone on La Rambla at around 10PM and upon hearing his lack of an accent, I said, “Yo, what’s up?”

“Cocaine and hookers.”

This is exactly how our conversation went:
“Yo, what’s up?”
“Sup bro, American?”
“Yea. You?”
“Sweet bro, I’m from Florida.”
“Nice. Ya know, I’ve been here for days and you’re the first American that I’ve seen here.”
“Damn. Come with us man! We’re going to meet some Spanish chicks. Cocaine and hookers. You speakin’ my language bro?”

Needless to say, I declined and went on my way. He wasn’t joking though. There were several times where I made the comment, “La Rambla, more hookers per square foot than Amsterdam.” I’m not quite sure if that’s much of an exaggeration, but I still find it funny.

Fair warning, they are persistent and aggressive. In Amsterdam they’ll knock on their window trying to get your attention, here they’ll follow you. I got my butt grabbed ten or twelve times. It is a nice one, but don’t touch me.

Don’t this dissuade you. I’m a night owl and like to see these old cities lit up in the dark. There will be pick pockets around during the day but the hookers don’t really start appearing until around 11PM or later and even then, there are still good places to eat and shop that are open.

Some locals will make you aware of this fact without your asking.

The Arc de Triomf

This triumphal arch is a monument type structure that’s in the shape of an archway with one large arched passageway through it. It was the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair and crosses over a wide central promenade of the Passeig de Lluís Companys and leading to Ciutadella Park. Both of these areas were great.

The huge promenade, while empty the first time I passed through on my way to La Sagrada Família filled up quite nicely by the time I returned. There were many street performers and people in general just hanging around. The same went for the park.

Parc de la Ciutadella

This is a huge park containing the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, a zoo, a lake, a citadel, and an enormous fountain called the Cascada (waterfall or cascade in Spanish).

My personal exploration was limited due to the extreme heat at the time so I mostly stuck to the more park areas like where I could enjoy the shade. As the city’s oldest green space, this park is quite relaxing and nice break from the bustle of the Gothic Quarter.

Castell de Montjuïc

Montjuïc Castle is an old military fortress that dates back to 1640 when construction was started on top of Montjuïc hill in Barcelona. While not a star fort, it is of a rather modern looking design when viewed from above. It currently serves as a Barcelona municipal facility with a small museum that I didn’t even notice. /facepalm

You can walk here from the Gothic Quarter but the hill at the end isn’t particularly worth it. While I like walking, I hate hills.

Partway up there is a gondola that will take you through the steepest part but I’ve never been a fan of paying for those. In retrospect, I wish I had taken it. Since Montjuïc is on such a high hill you’d think that there would be some good views.

Not so much. The view of the sea is terrible as there is a shipping port at the bottom that completely dominates your view of the coast. The other side isn’t the worst but it’s also nothing special. You can see La Sagrada Família in the distance but it’s very far.

I’m sure it would have been quite impressive after nightfall but I didn’t stay. Unless you’re big into old military-fortresses, I would put this site rather low on your list.

Encants Flea Market

Something well worth a look is the Encants Flea Market, or Mercat Fira de Bellcaire Els Encants. Why bother going to a flea market? Well, for starters, this flea market is massive. At over 15,000 square meters, this market sees some serious foot traffic. Over 100,000 people per week on average.

Here you’ll be able to find anything and everything, old or new. It might take some looking, but it’s probably there!

The building itself is also a sight to see in its own right. For lack of a better way to describe it, it’s basically a giant, multi-angled, mirrored canopy with no proper walls shutting it off from the outside world. Sure, there are stalls galore but with these angled mirrors, you’ll be able to see all over.

If you’re into them there is an auction *registration required for bidding* before the market opens on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 8AM – 9:30AM. At the very least it would be fun to watch.

Numerous restaurants are on site as well should you get hungry. Encants is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9AM – 8PM. I’d recommend getting there early to find the better items and beat some of the crowds. And don’t be afraid to haggle! Prices can be extremely flexible depending on the vendor.

Gaudi Tour

There are numerous Gaudí tours that you’ll see offered throughout Barcelona. I skipped this as I’m not a fan of his designs. Sorry, not sorry. I’m not denying that he’s an icon of the city.

If you’re not a fan of guided tours and would prefer to explore Gaudí’s buildings at your own pace you can try the self guided Gaudí tour. This brings you through six different Gaudi locations; Plaça Reial, Manzana de la Discordia, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, Park Güell, and Sagrada Famíla. You will need to pay the entrance fees for each location.

I’m not going to list them all individually like I did with La Sagrada Famíla but Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, and Park Güell are all well worth seeing if you like Gaudí’s style. You already know my opinion.

As for Plaça Reial, I was in and out of this square 90 times just while walking around the Gothic Quarter. It didn’t strike me as anything special. I didn’t even know that it was, “a thing” until I returned home.

I ate there once but other than that, the most time I spent in it was ten minutes watching some guys run across it and jump over their friend’s heads. They had some ups.

The Food

Traditional Catalan cuisine is like a burst of flavor and it’s everywhere. Picky eater? Don’t worry, try the tapas.

What are tapas? Pretty much anything and everything. Tapas are basically an appetizer. They can be hot or cold, sweet or spicy, savory or salty. See where I’m going with this? There are a million options. More than enough to make a meal of them… for several days in a row like I did.

If you’d like, you may want to book a tapas tour. These tours are led by a local expert and take you from location to location. Or you can do what I did and bar hop, snacking on a different tapa in each place. This is the traditional way to do it and it is the norm to have one tapa and one drink before moving on to the next bar.

Tapas are a big deal in Spain. More so in other areas like Madrid or Alcalá de Henares where bars and restaurants compete with each other by offering free tapas with each drink, but they’re still quite delicious and extremely popular in Barcelona.

Fun fact: Originally tapas were thin slices of bread or meat which were used by sherry drinkers cover their glasses between sips to keep the fruit flies away.

Take a cooking class

Liked the food? Maybe you’d enjoy learning how to prepare some of it yourself. As you prepare your own meal, a course will allow you to learn about Spanish cooking while simultaneously answering that all important question… “Where am I eating tonight?”

I can burn a pot of water with my attention span so I didn’t take a class but if you’re interested, courses can be found all over.

Here are a few of the most popular: bcn Kitchen, Barcelona Cooking, Just Royal BCN, and The Paella Club. There are various classes for different focuses but prices are mostly in the 60-80€ range depending on what type of experience you’re looking for.

Where To Stay

I know many travel bloggers like to list multiple places to say but who here believes that they stayed in five different hotels over the course of a single week? Anyone?

As such, only expect for me to ever talk about places I have stayed myself. I’m not going to direct you to some random hostel just because it has a high rating. The worst place I’ve ever stayed (this was in China) had glowing reviews and a sky high (artificially inflated) rating so you never know until you’re there yourself.

Now that that’s all cleared up, I stayed at the Sun & Moon Hostel.

In Barcelona, hostels are a dime a dozen. The one that you decide to stay in will largely be up to your preferences. Want to be near the Mediterranean? No problem. Are you the athletic type who needs a gym? They’ve got you covered there too. For me, choosing my hostel was based around location.

Sun & Moon Hostel

This is an average hostel but with a prime location. My room was reasonably spacious and had 6 beds.

I had two main issues with this hostel. The first was the lack of a bar which was advertised on hostelworld. No bar made it hard to meet people staying there due to the lack of a social scene.

My other issue was that the bathroom was never cleaned without request. I shared the room with four very glam girls from Argentina so imagine how that looked. It was always occupied, there was hair everywhere, and the floor was a constant puddle. I’m fine with most messes but the bathroom is my number one keep clean for hostels.

The location however, was PERFECT and allowed for quick access to the beach, Gothic quarter, and La Rambla.

• Price varied day to do for the same rooms. I paid $26USD per night for a 6 person dorm. *After booking, the balance must be paid in cash with Euros upon arrival.
• “Private rooms” with fewer beds are available but they can run you $125 and up. I’d stay in a regular hotel before booking one of those. There is a 2.50EU towel rental fee as well.
• Be sure to book in advance. I saw several backpackers try to book a room the day of and get turned away. One of them stated that everyplace else was already full.

Cheap Alternatives

If you’re really looking to keep the cost down there are camping options in and around the city. For inside the city don’t be expecting to set up a tent though. These locations are basically parking lots for RVs with some basic facilities. Outside the city you’re going to have the trade off of being…outside of the city.

Barcelona is an amazing city. One that is sure not to disappoint! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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