Hello everybody! This week I’m off to Ibiza to enjoy some sunshine, beaches, & fiesta. So instead of my regular posting, I have a couple of guest posts lined up. This one is from freelance writer Harriet Freeman, who lives in the Catalan capital too and shared her favorite things to do in Barcelona. All images are mine. Hope you enjoy!
“Everyone has their own personal favorite city and mine is Barcelona. I fell in love with the Catalan capital so much that in the end I decided to live there. The first thing that you’ll realize when you come here is that there are just too many things to do in one visit, so you better have a plan before you come! In order to get you started, I’ve listed my personal favorite things to do in Barcelona.
1. Visit the Sagrada familia… early!!
This one obviously deserves to be mentioned on its own. It’s by far the most visited tourist attraction in Spain, but there’s good reason. It’s a stunning work of architecture, and your visit to Barcelona will not be complete without at least forming an opinion of it for yourself. Imagine someone asks you what you thought of the main landmark of the city and all you have to say is “I don’t know…”
The problem is there are usually massive queues to get inside, but you can combat this by arriving early, a little before the attraction opens at 9AM.
Masses are usually done in the small underground crypt, and are free to attend. Some of the masses actually take part in the main building. If you don’t mind sitting through a religious ceremony, then this is one way that you can enter the attraction for free. Check the official Sagrada Familia mass schedule for more information.
2. Stroll through Parc Laberint d’Horta.
If you’re beginning to feel overwhelmed with the large crowds of tourists and the hustle and bustle of the city, then hop on the metro to Mundet and visit this tranquil park. This is the oldest garden park in Barcelona, and it’s a real hidden gem. With a maximum limit on visitors at 750 for any one time, this 9.1 hectare park will guarantee you a peaceful time. It’s incredibly romantic, so take note guys!
I love to spend my time here taking photos, and if you’re going with kids, they will enjoy traversing the labyrinth in the centre of the park.
3. Grab a coffee at one of the oldest cafés in Barcelona.
If you’re a fan of coffee then one of the best places to get a traditional top-notch coffee is at Cafés el Magnifico on Argentería, 64. This café has actually introduced certain bean varieties to Spain, and is one of the best places to get coffee.
If you’re looking for more modern and artisanal coffee then you may want to try Satan’s Coffee Corner on Del Peu de la Creu, 25, where they create their unique blends, another of my favorites.
4. CosmoCaixa
Maybe it’s the inner child within me, but I really like the science museum in Barcelona. CosmoCaixa is full of interactive exhibits, a lovely little mini-rainforest to walk through complete with animals, and a planetarium with shows in English. It’s a bit awkward to reach, but you can grab the bus via links 17, 22, 58, 73, 75, 60, or 196. You can also take the tram to Avinguda del Tibidabo.
5. Visit all of Gaudí’s works in Barcelona.
There’s more to Gaudí than the Sagrada Familia; in fact, in Barcelona there are 9 main projects of his that you should visit. Casa Vicens is one that’s often missed. You can only snap photos from the outside, but it’s well worth the visit as it was his first-ever commercial project.
So apart from the main ones like Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, and Parc Guell, you now know where to find the less-frequented Gaudí attractions.
Harriet Freeman is an expert on northern Spain and Barcelona. If you have any questions about the content of this article, or Barcelona in general, get in touch with Harriet via her Google Plus Profile.”
Let me know what you thought of Harriet’s post! If you’ve visited, what are some of your favorite things to do in Barcelona?
P.S. Have you liked Hola Yessica’s new Facebook page yet? I’ll be eternally grateful if you do. 🙂
Besos!
-Jess
That’s good to know about Parc Laberint d’Horta – I’ll make sure and visit there next time I’m in Barcelona.
One thing I always do in Barcelona is stroll along Las Ramblas and pop into La Boqueria market – I love it!
Yes, definitely – it’s such a cool park!
I love the Boqueria too, though it always ends up being an interesting trip for my wallet. Everything is just so tasty!
After over 8 years in Barcelona, I’m ashamed and embarrassed to admit that I’ve seen neither Batlló nor la Pedrera from the inside. I’ve always been put off by the queues. On the other hand, I do go out of my way to pass Casa Vicens several times a week on my way to work.
Ahh Casa Batlló was just free to go into last week as well! Next time. 🙂
I pass Casa Vicens on my way to work too, actually.
We cobbled together a Gaudi walk from a couple of travel books, and it was one of our favorite things. Your interior shot of the Sagrada Familia is wonderful. ~James
Thanks James! 🙂 A Gaudí walk sounds great. He’s got so many interesting buildings, and most of them aren’t too far away from each other either.
mucho bonito fotgrafia, Yessica
Gracias!
I’m off to Barcelona on Friday for the weekend and as I’ve already seen most of the tourist spots, there are only two things that I want to do next weekend: eat tapas and go to the beach! Which beaches would you recommend?
Oooh nice! The beaches in the city aren’t the best ones, but anything to the north of Nova Icaria is less touristy and cleaner than Barceloneta and Vila Olimpica (though if you go far enough north, you hit the nude beach.)
The prettiest beaches near Barcelona I’ve been to are Sitges and Ocata, which are both about a 35-45 train ride away and very easy to get to. You can look at the Renfe site for the timetables.
Yes someone else mentioned Sitges as well so we’ll make a beeline for that. Think I’ll steer clear of the nudist beach though! ha!
One of my favourites (apart for Labyrinth in Horta) is the Palau Guell. Love it and this isnt so often on the tourist route.
I had a great time visiting Barcelona in 1991, but had trouble staying awake until the restaurants opened for dinner! Right about the time dinner was finally available, I was so ready for bed!
I was like that too at first! The schedule is so different, but now that I’ve adjusted I actually like it better.
Hope to make it there in August so I can head to those 5 places and have a nice Spanish latte 🙂
Ooh Spanish coffee is the best! Feel free to get in touch when you’re here if you want. 🙂
Beautiful perspective!
Thanks! All kudos go to my guest poster Harriet. 🙂
Beautiful Barcelona! I was there last year for 4 months to take Spanish classes in Barcelona, and it was an amazing time. It was an very good experience, although I had to study a lot. Study abroad in a nice country and city is a good choice to learn spanish.
Kate
Yeah, it’s definitely a fun place to learn Spanish! I had an amazing time studying here so it’s nice to hear from somebody who had the same kind of experience.
My wife and I are traveling to Barcelona on July 7th and will be there until the 10th. We really like to shop and buy local art. Do you have any recommendations?
I do! A few months ago local artist Xavi Julià from BarcelonInk did an interview for my blog. He’s super nice and I love his work:
http://holayessica.com/2013/04/15/barcelon-local-artist-xavi-julia/
http://barcelonink.com/
There’s also a fabulous ceramics shop by the Palau de La Musica on a street called Verdaguer i Callis, although finding it open can be a challenge. It’s right across from the Antic Teatre, and my dad found it open last week between 6.30 and 7.30 p.m. Here’s the Yelp review of it, which has a phone number listed (they speak English):
http://www.yelp.com/biz/vic-5-artesania-popular-barcelona
Let me know if I can help you out with anything else Barcelona-related! 🙂