The Ultimate Barcelona Travel Guide

SITES:

La Rambla: A long, blocked-off tourist walkway filled with souvenir vendors, tapas bars, and tons of characters running right down the middle between the Gothic Quarter and Raval neighborhood. Fun to walk down but to avoid overpriced meals and drinks, avoid eating here.

La Boqueria: This famous covered-outdoor market has been around since it’s first mention in 1217. Numerous butchers and fishmongers set up shop here. The market not only has extremely fresh produce and poultry but there are several ready-to-eat stands, serving everything from tapas to smoothies. There’s also small bites, like meats, cheeses, breads, fruits, and seafood. You can get food and walk around or sit down at one of the many bar-like, counter-serving stands and sit down for a meal like a bowl of mussels and chorizo with dipping bread, YUM! Closed on Sundays.

Parc de Ciutadella: This park is one of my favorite places to relax and bask in the sun in Barcelona’ beautiful sunshine. There’s this massive water fountain with a gold horse chariot on top. Across from the fountain there’s a pond where you can rent rowboats. You could spend hours in the park, walking around or having a picnic on one of the many grassy areas.

Sagrada Familia: This Gaudi church started in 1882 is still in the process of being finished. This unfinished church is a world masterpiece unlike ANY church on the planet. If you’re in Barcelona you cannot miss out on Sagrada. It’s original, visually astonishing and futuristic. Make sure to buy your entrance tickets early to avoid very long lines; a day early will be just fine.

Catedral de Barcelona: Barcelona’s Gothic Cathedral located in the Gothic Quarter. With free entrance most hours of the day, this church is spectacular inside and out. Once you finish walking through the inside you must not miss the outdoor courtyard with gardens, fauna and swans!

Parq Guell: Gaudi Park. This cool Gaudi Park has remarkable really neat mosaics with breathtaking views of Barcelona. You can see the whole city from this park. Google how to get there it’s a few metro stops toward the Gracia neighborhood…

NIGHTCLUBS: Honestly I haven’t gone to a “club” in Barcelona since I was 20, but for the beach clubs I suggest Opium, Pacha, and Shoko. The beach clubs are a little further down on Barceloneta, right near that huge gold fish looking thing if you look down the beach. Located a little bit more in town the big club is Razzmatazz. Before 2am the clubs are free; you can also join guest lists on facebook groups to reassure spots. Just look up the names of clubs before you go and join the guestlist via facebook groups. Dress nicely! If you’re a girl, wear heels and a dress, if you’re a guy, make sure you have on nice shoes and a collared shirt, they don’t let you in if you’re wearing flip flops.

NEIGHBORHOODS:

The Gothic Quarter: This is where I’ve lived the entire time I’ve been in Barcelona. It’s a loud, always happening neighborhood with massive remnants of the old Roman walls scattered throughout. It’s visually gothic, and sort of creepy-feeling at night but the loud and always packed streets and bars are what the Gothic is best known for. It’s right in the middle of the city with close walking distance to everything, like the beach and all the surrounding neighborhoods and sites.

El Born: The Parc de Ciutadella is right near the neighborhood of Born. This is an up and coming very chic little area of Barcelona and one of my favorite place for tapas bars and outside dining/cocktail sipping etc. It’s a little bit more charming/boutiquey than the Gothic. It only takes 5-10 minutes to walk to this neighborhood from the Gothic.

Gracia: Look up where this neighborhood is and walk around a bit. There’s much better/higher-end shopping in this area and some cool shoe stores but you gotta search around a little bit to find the good ones.

Barceloneta: This beach is the nearest beach to the Gothic and pretty much where everyone goes. It’s honestly not the most attractive beach in the world but it’s fun to get some sun and drink some beverages while people watching. If you’re looking at the water the farthest side to the right is the gay beach, fun to see all the naked people but if you keep walking left you’ll notice it’s more young people playing music and drinking, etc.

RESTAURANTS:

LA MALANDRINA: Steakhouse! This steakhouse is my second home; literally, I’m here 3 times a week. Located just by Barceloneta (the beach) this steakhouse is the best food you will eat in Barcelona, yes, I’m claiming that. Order the *Sirloin with creamy potatoes, with your steak cooked “a punto”-medium rare. It’s around 10 euros total, for the steak and a bottle of the vino de casa, tinto-red, or blanco-white. SO good. They also serve you a full basket of bread with two dipping sauces in the beginning, although it’s delicious, don’t fill up, you have tons of food on the way. Also, if you don’t want the creamy potatoes, cause they are pretty heavy…you can opt for a house salad, fries, or a baked potato, but seriously…the creamy potatoes are the bomb. Make a reservation on weekends; closed on Mondays.

EL Tropezon: Authentic tapas place in the Gothic Quarter. This place is kind of a hole in the wall with delicious authentic Spanish food!!! I always order the garlic shrimp, grilled mushrooms, bombas (large meatball/masher balls) and tomato toast. The papas fritas is known as the best in Barcelona. The waiter gives you a piece of paper and you just write down the # listed of the food item you want, so that’s what they’re doing when they give you that slip of paper just a heads up.

Churros: In the fall/winter season especially, eat some churros with chocolate. You can pretty much go into any café and see a sign for them. Get them.

El Rabipelao:  Amazing Mohito bar in the Gothic Quarer.

Avesta:  A milk/absinthe bar in the Gothic.  For 10 Euro you can order a bottle of milk mixed with absinthe that serves about ten shots of this delicious combo.  I often frequent this bar a few times a week!

Things to do right out side of Barcelona:

1: Sitges-Great Beach town 40 minutes South of Barcelona.

2: Costa Brava– Coastline of world famous beaches just North of Barcelona.

3: Tibidabo– Great Hike right on the outskirts of town. At the top there’s a huge amusement park.

4: Montserrat-Famous hike where you can take escalators to the top.

5: The Bunker-Old WWII bunker with great views of the whole city.

6: Parc de Mont Juic-A hike right outside of the PobleSec neighborhood with views and fauna.

Hannah Marsala