Barcelona had some of the most AMAZING architecture! I was so surprised at the feel and atmosphere surrounding Barcelona, but it truly was an amazing city and one of our favorites! It is almost difficult to put into words how different it looked and felt. We arrived to Barcelona in the early evening, checked into our hotel, and grabbed dinner at this small cafe nearby. I had waffle grilled cheese with bacon and it was absolutely divine. Barcelona is an eclectic city with a huge range of people, food, shopping, and things to do.
Days in Barcelona: 2
Transportation: Public transportation including a bus a few times, plus a lot of walking (once we accidently walked up this uber steep hill for 40 minutes and it was a nightmare). We had some people recommend NOT taking public transportation due to pickpockets, but we did not have any issues with this. I am sure they are out there however!
Accommodations: We stayed at the Hotel Granvia - it was a beautiful hotel with lovely amenities. The water pressure was the hardest I have ever experienced in a shower before and I absolutely loved it, random I know. The location was stellar and they had a breakfast buffet for like 14 euros or something but we had better food out and about.
Things to Know: Barcelona is known for its pickpockets and theft. The only thing we encountered were a bunch of people trying to sell us weed, and those annoying guys selling the selfie sticks and other junk around town. Otherwise things did not seem so shady. Also the beach was beautiful and I wish we would have scheduled more time to lay out and relax, but there wasn't enough room in our suitcases for swimsuits for one afternoon :)
Day 1
La Sagrada Familia: This church was designed by Antoni Gaudi. I had purchased reserved time tickets online (without the elevator trip). Walking up to the church we were already in awe. The intricate detail of the exterior was enough to take your breath away. As Dustin had kindly pointed out, this trip was pretty much about the food and visiting a million churches throughout Europe- but this church was SO different and absolutely stunning! Once we got inside, the colors took my breath away. The way the light shines through the stained glass windows that focused on colors and no pictures were so peaceful and beautiful. We could have stood there for hours just staring at the windows and the light. I cannot emphasize enough that you MUST go here if you are ever in Barcelona. Make sure you leave a few hours, this is not a quick church walk through similar to other places. We toured the church, museum, and small school that Gaudi had build for the children of the workers. One of the amazing things about the church was that it was built by locals and funded by the community. It is slated to be finished in 2026 and I am really hoping we will make it back to see the finished product!
We I had been wanting to do a winery tour so badly throughout our entire trip. finally when I realized our trip was soon coming to a close, I jumped on the opportunity to book one. I had found a few through trip advisor but was not super thrilled. I ended up booking one with Mark from Vayable and I could not have made a better choice! The site allows locals to propose tours and authentic experiences. It was so great not being part of a huge tour group with an unfriendly guide. Mark brought some of his friends and we had a lovely tour of the winery, including learning how the make Cava, the sparkling wine Barcelona is known for. The view was spectacular as we enjoyed a few glasses of wine during the tasting after our tour. It was a wonderful afternoon and one of my favorite things we did all trip.
Days in Barcelona: 2
Transportation: Public transportation including a bus a few times, plus a lot of walking (once we accidently walked up this uber steep hill for 40 minutes and it was a nightmare). We had some people recommend NOT taking public transportation due to pickpockets, but we did not have any issues with this. I am sure they are out there however!
Accommodations: We stayed at the Hotel Granvia - it was a beautiful hotel with lovely amenities. The water pressure was the hardest I have ever experienced in a shower before and I absolutely loved it, random I know. The location was stellar and they had a breakfast buffet for like 14 euros or something but we had better food out and about.
Things to Know: Barcelona is known for its pickpockets and theft. The only thing we encountered were a bunch of people trying to sell us weed, and those annoying guys selling the selfie sticks and other junk around town. Otherwise things did not seem so shady. Also the beach was beautiful and I wish we would have scheduled more time to lay out and relax, but there wasn't enough room in our suitcases for swimsuits for one afternoon :)
Hotel Granvia
Waffle Grilled Cheese with Bacon from Alsur Cafe
Day 1
La Sagrada Familia: This church was designed by Antoni Gaudi. I had purchased reserved time tickets online (without the elevator trip). Walking up to the church we were already in awe. The intricate detail of the exterior was enough to take your breath away. As Dustin had kindly pointed out, this trip was pretty much about the food and visiting a million churches throughout Europe- but this church was SO different and absolutely stunning! Once we got inside, the colors took my breath away. The way the light shines through the stained glass windows that focused on colors and no pictures were so peaceful and beautiful. We could have stood there for hours just staring at the windows and the light. I cannot emphasize enough that you MUST go here if you are ever in Barcelona. Make sure you leave a few hours, this is not a quick church walk through similar to other places. We toured the church, museum, and small school that Gaudi had build for the children of the workers. One of the amazing things about the church was that it was built by locals and funded by the community. It is slated to be finished in 2026 and I am really hoping we will make it back to see the finished product!
The beautiful glass!
The altar
Light filling the nave
Beautiful doors
Park Guell
After leaving Gaudi's church, we decided to walk up to the park/community Gaudi had designed, but failed to thrive. It used to be free to visit, however they now charge admission and you have to reserve a timed ticket. Needless to say I would NOT recommend walking from the church to the park! It is a BRUTAL hike uphill. We did get to see some neat scenery, but I think coughing up the few euros for a bus would have saved our legs in the long run. We stopped at Guelly Sandwiches and grabbed a bag lunch and took it into the park to eat. FYI there isn't any "grass" like a typical park and we ended up eating on a few rocks. The bread was delish! We then headed down to enter the portion of the park where you needed tickets, got there 20 minutes early and had to wait until the exact time to enter. Once in, we were seriously underwhelmed. The area is quite small and it honestly was not worth the money. There was a cool view of Barcelona, but you could get the view from the free section of the park. Maybe we missed something? But I think I would skip this if returning. I should also note that we did not walk the big loop around the park, mostly because I pooped myself up hiking all the way up to the park haha
Beach
Following true Spanish flare, we headed back to the hotel for a brief siesta before heading to the beach. I was surprised at how crowded, beautiful, warm, and clean the beach was! The water was crystal clear and warm. There were tons of people swimming, sunbathing, and hanging out. Barcelona seems like an amazing place for young people. We also snagged some popsicles from a stand near the beach. Yum.
toes in the ocean!
clear water
Las Ramblas Walk
We followed Rick Steves' Las Ramblas walk and explored the shops, restaurants and bars. Stopping for some tapas and sangria along the way. Fantastic places to snack and explore!
Day 2
Breakfast at Alsur Cafe
After Dustin lived in much regret for not getting my grilled cheese on waffles, he insisted we go back for breakfast. He ordered a breakfast sandwich on a donut and I got french toast. Once again I picked the better meal. Regardless it was delish!
Explored the Gothic Square
Bags en tote, we explored around barcelona for a few hours before we headed out on our winery tour.
Winery Tour at Alta Alella
The ocean view from the winery
Gracias for an amazing visit Barcelona, we will surely be back!
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