Admittedly, my first time in Barcelona didn’t live up to my expectations. That doesn’t mean it’s not a great city, but rather I poorly planned everything and didn’t do my research, so I can only blame myself, not Barcelona.
If you want to know what to do, and more importantly, what not to do in Barcelona, this little guide might actually be useful to you!
First, let’s get the bad bit out of the way….
Before I carry on, let me save those of you planning a trip to avoid staying in Ramcat Hostel. Please don’t make my mistake by staying here! I know with a hostel I’m never going to expect a 5-star hotel, I can handle basic, but this place was beyond bad.
Adding salt to the wound, it wasn’t even good value for money either. I’ve stayed in hotels that are more affordable. However, price aside, the biggest issue I had with this place was the cleanliness or lack of more precisely. This is a bit gross to share, but the towels were black and smelled really bad.
Moreover, we paid for an en suite which translated to a tiny bathroom located at the other end of the corridor outside our room. Since when was a bathroom outside of your room advertised as en suite?! The list goes on, but I’ll spare you further details.
There was, however, one redeeming feature of Ramcat Hostel; its location. First-timers in Barcelona will benefit from staying near La Ramblas, due to its good access to transportation, and surrounding museums.
Update: Now that I’ve been to Barcelona several times, I have put together this neighbourhood guide to ensure you stay in the area that suits your interests and budget.
Now the good bits of Barcelona…
The Museums
There’s a trio of brilliant art museums near La Ramblas – the Picasso Musuem, the Contemporary Art Museum and the Centre of Culture.
They can easily take up several hours to get around depending on how mad you are about Picasso and contemporary art. I’m saying this because I ended up running around like a headless chicken trying to cram in as many exhibitions as possible. Don’t make the same mistake.
It’s therefore not a surprise to hear that I can’t remember many of the artists I saw. In retrospect I should have just visited one or two museums per day, but my desire to see everything took over. Some day I will learn to what taking things in at a leisurely pace…
La Boqueria Food Market
Another benefit of staying near the main street is that you’ll have Barcelona’s most famous food market, La Boqueria, on your doorstep. This market is a food-lovers dream, stocked full of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and the most exquisite tapas. It’s easy to say you’ll never want to go anywhere else for breakfast!
Here are some fun facts about La Boqueria food market:
- Barcelona’s biggest food market with 40,000 visitors a day – my advise is to get there early!
- It dates back to a 1217 meat market in the same location.
- Named after boc (‘goat’ in Catalan) meaning ‘place where goat is sold’.
- Most of La Boqueria’s top food stalls owned by fourth and fifth generation heirs.
Green Spaces
One of my favourite things about Barcelona are the abundance of parks and green spaces. Barcelona can get busy so these places provide an escape from the crowds. However, Park Güell is pretty much always busy.
Don’t miss: Located near the city centre, Parc de la Ciutadella is one of Barcelona’s largest and most impressive parks. It features lush gardens, a large lake where you can rent rowboats, and several important landmarks including the Catalan Parliament. It’s huge so you’ll find plenty of quiet spots if you fancy reading a book in peace or having a picnic.
Highlights: The Cascada Monumental (a grand fountain), the boating lake, and the Umbracle and Hivernacle greenhouses.
Description: Montjuïc is a large hill overlooking Barcelona, offering extensive green spaces, gardens, and historical sites. The park is home to several attractions, including the Montjuïc Castle, the Magic Fountain, and the Joan Miró Foundation. It’s a great place for a leisurely hike with stunning views of the city and sea at the top.
Highlights: Montjuïc Castle, the Magic Fountain, the Botanical Garden, and the Olympic Stadium.
Hop on Hop off Bus
If you only have a few days to explore the many winding streets and architectural masterpieces, then I suggest hopping on the city bus. The price of this is 33 Euros for two days… so it’s not difficult to see which is better value for money.
These buses enable you to hop on and off at the city’s key destinations. On the bus you can also grab some free headphones and hear about the city’s extensive history – great if you’re feeling too lazy to open up a guidebook.
Buy your Hop on Hop off Bus ticket in advance here.
With its cobbled streets, delicious bakeries and abundance of parks, I personally preferred the north of Barcelona. But with its harbour, panoramic views and faster pace of life, the south definitely has its charm. However, I would need to return if I wanted to experience a more ‘local’ Barcelona, something I would really like to do.
Antoni Gaudí
The striking thing about Barcelona is of course its buildings, which are synonymous with the work of Antoni Gaudí and Gothic architecture. The great thing is that you can see so much of his work for free just by admiring the colourful and unique exteriors.
The profound affect his work has had upon the pillars of architecture was acknowledged further in 1984 when UNESCO declared his buildings as a World Heritage Site.
Work on the Sagrada Família has been under construction since after Gaudi’s death in 1924 when only less than 1/4 of the building was complete. This picture depicts the newest side of the Sagrada Familia, due to be completed in 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi’s death.
Needless to say with all the scaffolding I wasn’t really taken aback by its splendour. My slight disappointment may have been relinquished had I gone inside but I was low on funds so opted out.
Looking back, I regret this because the photos I’ve seen of the interior look incredible, sometimes it’s really worth spending a bit more for a truly memorable experience, eh? But now I guess I’ve another reason to return. Barcelona and I have unfinished business… If you want to head inside, you can book tickets in advance here.
Update: Be sure to add Casa Vicens on your list of Gaudi buildings to visit. It only opened up to the public in 2017 and it’s absolutely dreamy inside. It’s also less visited than his other buildings which makes visiting more enjoyable.
Further reading: Inside Gaudí’s Casa Vicens in Barcelona: Bold, Bright & Beautiful
