Barcelona Travel Guide

I’m so excited to be writing this Barcelona Travel Guide. We came here with our sweet friends Demetric and Aungel to celebrate her birthday and it was such an amazing vacation. It’s such a beautiful city that has stolen my heart. This cosmopolitans capital of Spain’s Catalonia region is known for its art and architecture and is home to many masterpieces of some amazing architects. One, whom you may have heard of is Antoni Gaudi. His work is very much admired by architects from all over the world as he has a distinct and unique style of modern art. When you see it all, it will blow your mind.

Barcelona is a very lively place that’s best to see on foot. Wander the narrow Barri Gotic alleys, along the pedestrian’s streets, called Las Ramblas, then be sure to head to the bohemian quarter called El Born. The beaches are super chic and very lively with so many active people playing volleyball and working out at all hours of the day. I admired so much with how people lived their lives. Every place we dined at, people were dressed to the fullest. Throughout the evening, people were out running and being active. Be prepared to get lost in this city’s charm.

So let’s dive into the Barcelona Travel Guide. For starters, whenever you plan a big trip, my biggest recommendation is to do your research ahead of time. I love all the travel books by Rick Steves. Click HERE for the Barcelona book.

Barcelona Travel Guide

Where we stayed

I wish I can take credit for choosing this beautiful hotel, our sweet friends actually found and picked this place and it’s gorgeous. Hotel Arts Barcelona is a Ritz Carlton hotel that was absolutely breathtaking. Located right on the beach, this hotel’s architecture had me wanting to move in. The staff were all so accommodating, they had multiple bars and restaurants we frequent every night, their tapas at the bar were so delicious. Side note, they had the best burgers ever! I had them twice and I’m still dreaming of them. Truly a spectacular hotel that I would most definitely stay at again.

You can definitely opt for renting an apartment in one of the lively areas mentioned above, but this hotel had everything. Including converters and adapters which means no need to pack extra’s of those praying they work or don’t blow your iron out.

Where to Dine

Can we talk about food now? AH-MAZING! I think we ate nothing but tapas everywhere we went at all the hours of the day. Like I mentioned earlier, the food at the hotel was amazing but here are some other great spots I recommend outside the hotel. Side note: if you have any allergies, Barcelona was very accommodating to all of that. In fact, they even had gluten-free bread every place we dined at.

Nuba Restaurant Lounge: This was the first place we went to on our first night and this was probably one of my favorites. It was a restaurant and in the evening around midnight, they have a DJ and it turns into a lounge. The outdoor part of the restaurant is stunning. String lights, green backdrop, and such a lively spot to hang out after dinner. We were here all night. The food was AMAZING and the staff was so much fun. Their sushi with the truffle was amazing. We literally ordered everything.

El Nacional Barra De Vins: Another winner in my book. I highly recommend coming here either for dinner or for tapas. It’s a huge beautiful indoor building that has 5 different tapas places to choose from and some 4 bars including an oyster bar. I would definitely come back to this spot as well as Nuba hands down. The place we dined at was La Braseria.

Tapeo Born/Gracia: This little hole in the wall is actually a local favorite. Such a cute location in the Gotic Bari area and filled with by locals. Their patatas bravas was amazing here.

MediaManga: This was a Michelin star-rated restaurant and very delicious. We sipped on cava (sparkling wine) and basically ate what the waiter recommended. There wasn’t a dish that came out that I didn’t enjoy. Very delicious and very accommodating to gluten-free. In fact, all places were accommodating to gluten-free.

Billy Brunch: Probably my favorite breakfast spot we ate at while we were here. They had a delicious avocado toast and matcha tea latte (you know I was in my happy place), but I also got the Shakshuka dish which was phenomenal.

W Hotel: Definitely a place to go to for tapas. Their drinks were delicious but their tapas were out-of-this-world. Very Asian inspired type of food. Their dim sum was definitely my favorite.

L’Ostia: This was actually recommended to us from the people at the hotel and it did not disappoint. It was a local spot right on a square which was beautiful. They had some amazing zucchini and eggplant dishes and some real local style tapas.

Things to do

Las Ramblas: This place is filled with shops and people and probably the place most definitely to avoid eating. They are filled with over-priced food with low-quality produce and meats. La Boqueria Mercato, the most famous market is located here and it’s huge and so beautiful. I was in foodie heaven and in my element here.

El Born: Also known as La Ribera is filled with chic funky shops and a ton on amazing sidewalk upscale cafes and wine bars. It also has a market hall called Santa Caterina Market which is less crowded than the La Boqueria Market but very nice. It’s also home to the Picasso Museum…advanced tickets are recommended.

Bari Gotic: This area is so cute and one of my favorite parts of Barcelona. The one thing you MUST do in this part of town is to check out the Barcelona Cathedral. This part of town was so cute and this church was so stunning.

La Sagrada Familia: Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece is a showstopper of the entire trip. Very beautiful and designed in a way that will leave you thinking about how someone thought of all the intricate ideas that went into this stunning church. It’s estimated to be completed in 2021 last I was there, but you can certainly tour the church. Advanced tickets are very much recommended and booked at least a few days in advance. We did the guided walking tour which was perfect to fully understand the design and history of this beautiful cathedral. Your jaws will drop when you see and hear about it in person.

Montjuic: This gorgeous hilltop is a free city view highlight. There is a rooftop bar at the Catalan Art Museum that has a tremendous view. The best time to go is at sunset.

La Pedrera (Casa Mila): One of Gaudi’s trademark works, this house is an icon of Modernisme. It’s got this rocky jagged exterior which is my favorite part of the building, but it well-worth going inside to see the interior of his designs. We bought our tickets HERE.

Casa Batllo: One of the amazing works of Antoni Gaudi and a MUST see place for sure. The interior is amazing but the rooftop is mind-blowingly beautiful. There’s a cool place where you can actually see the Sagrada Familia through a large rock. It’s pretty amazing.

Park Guell: Another Gaudi masterpiece that I HIGHLY recommend you paying the small extra cover charge to see his work. I mean…he is very talented. If you did not care to view his artwork, the park is free and totally kid-friendly. Definitely, a place I would be hanging out at if I brought my kids because they have so many playgrounds.

FC Barcelona Game: Even if you are not a huge soccer fan, there is something to be said about experiencing a soccer game featuring Messi for that matter in their own turf. The fans were so amazing and engaged that had us all engaged with the game. My hubby is a huge soccer (Futbol) fanatic so this was on his wishlist. We had amazing seats in the bottom section right by the filled in the center. It was a good time.

Wine Tours: We had a wine tour booked for our very last day in Barcelona and it got canceled the night before. The company had something come up and unfortunately, we didn’t get to do this. The tour started with getting on a boat to take us over to the wineries. It looked absolutely beautiful and would have been amazing. I would try again if we go most definitely.

In Conclusion

Barcelona is also the perfect place because you have the beach life, the nightlife, the city life, and of course, that European life with cobblestone alleyways and gorgeous balconies. I hope you put this place on your bucket list, and when you do, check to take notes from this Barcelona Travel Guide.