Your Guide to Barcelona: A City with Something for Everyone

This summer I was fortunate enough to visit Barcelona for the first time! While I was only there for three days, I was able to experience many of the wonders of Barcelona and truly get a feel for this amazing city. I definitely plan to go back to Barcelona and spend more time appreciating everything it has to offer, but in the meantime we created a list of our favorite places to go and things to do in Barcelona.

Here are a few of the essential things to during a quick trip to Barcelona:

Admire the Art and Architecture

As soon as I arrived in Barcelona, its art and architecture immediately took my breath away. Antoni Gaudi is the most famous architect in Barcelona with good reason; his work is unlike anything I had ever seen before and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. I recommend dedicating some time to explore his famous creations such as Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia.

Park Güell is an incredible park with unique mosaics made from colorful ceramic pieces and has some of the best views of the city. This picturesque park is a perfect place to get your steps in while admiring some of Gaudi’s most famous work. We recommend buying tickets to enter the park online and going later in the day to get a great view of the sun setting on the city.

La Sagrada Familia is another one of Gaudi’s breathtaking creations. Construction on this Roman Catholic basilica began nearly 150 years ago yet remains unfinished. While La Sagrada Familia is stunning from the outside, we strongly recommend buying tickets to go inside. The symbolism behind the architecture and the detail, space and lighting found inside is remarkable. Remember to cover your shoulders before going inside the basilica, but no worries if you forget, because there are people selling scarves right next to the ticket booth!

There are also plenty of museums to explore in Barcelona. One of my favorites was the Museu Picasso, with extensive collections of artwork by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. After learning about Picasso and studying his work while growing up, it was remarkable to see some of his most famous creations in-person.

Indulge in Delicious Food and Drinks!

If you like fresh seafood, Barcelona is the place for you. One of my favorite foods that I ended up eating 24/7 was seafood paella, a classic Spanish rice dish made with rice, saffron, vegetables and seafood cooked and served in one pan. You may be asking yourself, what drink goes best with paella? The answer is Sangria. This was a necessary refreshing drink since we visited in July when it was sunny and high 90s. We didn’t have a bad meal in Barcelona, and some of our favorite places were El Nacional, La Boqueria and Can Ramonet.

Does this seafood paella make your mouth water, too? Photo by Margaret Jacobs.

Explore the Beaches

As an avid beach lover, having the city of Barcelona and the beach right next to each other is truly a dream come true. The coastline of Barcelona spans about three miles and has several popular beaches including Barceloneta, Mar Bella, Nova Icaria and Bogatell. Since I was only in Barcelona for a short amount of time, we went to Barceloneta which is one of the more popular and crowded beaches. Here you can find plenty of entertainment, from live music to people playing beach volleyball and hanging out with their friends. One evening we enjoyed a quick swim in the ocean and then a nice sunset while eating dinner at Arenal Restaurant, one of the many restaurants with beachside terraces, fresh seafood and great vibes. This area comes even more alive at night with popular nightclubs such as MOOG, Razzmatazz and Shoko, where the afterparties continue on the nearby beaches.

If you are looking to escape some of the large crowds, we recommend taking a day trip to Costa Brava, located about 40 miles north of Barcelona where there are beautiful sandy beaches and crystal-clear water. I booked a day trip through Get Your Guide, and had a great experience kayaking, snorkeling and cliff jumping! There are plenty of things to do in Costa Brava, depending on whether you prefer laying on the beach all day or doing something more adventurous.

Take in the Best Views of the City

While I thoroughly enjoyed roaming the beautiful streets of Barcelona, we highly recommend seeing the city from some different perspectives. The Montjuïc Cable Car to the Montjuïc Castle is one great way to do so. The gondola ride is about 10 minutes long each way and has spectacular views of the city. When you reach the top, you can walk around the Montjuïc Castle, an old military fortress to see more panoramic views of the city.

Another fun way to see the city is from the ocean. You could get lucky and meet a local with a boat, or you could book a cruise through one of the many online platforms such as Airbnb, Trip Advisor, or Get Your Guide. Make sure to check the reviews before booking any trips to make sure other people had positive experiences. If you decide to go, also make sure to go there early, because trust us, sometimes it can be challenging trying to find a boat in a filled port. We might or might not have missed our first boat trip, because we were two minutes late and the boat left without us (we blame our slow taxi driver)!

Experience Barcelona with Locals

After doing plenty of the touristy things such as walking down La Rambla, we highly recommend trying to experience Barcelona as a local. One of my favorite memories in Barcelona was doing an Airbnb Experience, where a local family hosted a paella cooking class. We learned how to make paella while drinking Spanish wine and ended the evening by eating our delicious paella. The food was great, and learning about Barcelona’s culture from a local’s perspective and meeting new friends from around the world was truly unforgettable.

There’s so much to see and do and Barcelona, we highly recommend planning a trip! We hope this list helps you with your planning.