The Official Travel Guide to Barcelona

UPDATED: AUGUST 2023

This blog post is all about Barcelona and is the Official Travel Guide to Barcelona, Spain. It’s all about what to do in Barcelona, where to go in Barcelona and the best vegan restaurants in Barcelona.

What are the best things to do in Barcelona? Follow along and you will find out what our favorite activities and places to eat are in Barcelona.

Barcelona is such a fun city, but it’s also extremely busy with tourists! We spent a week in Barcelona in June 2019. I have a few friends who live there and was excited about being able to meet up with them after not seeing them for 20 years! It was like no time had passed.

 

where to stay in Barcelona

Check out this amazing list of places to stay in Barcelona: HOTELS AND APARTMENTS IN BARCELONA, SPAIN

Here are my top recommendations for things to do and places to eat while in Barcelona:

best Things to do in Barcelona:

NOTE: Next time we go to Barcelona, we will absolutely buy this special ticket good for public transportation and museums. It’s such a great deal! BARCELONA CARD

1. Parque Guell – very whimsical area and really fun to explore and see the city. We took an Uber to get here. See photo above – such a cool place to experience! SKIP THE LINE WITH THIS SPECIAL TICKET!
2. Sagrada Familia – we didn’t go in to explore, but we saw the outside. Next time we will DEFINITELY do this tour: Skip the line tickets!! It’s truly amazing to see in person.
3. The Miro Museum – we absolutely loved this museum and highly recommend it! This special deal is amazing for entry to the top museums, including the Miro Museum, in Barcelona! MUSEUM CARD
4. Walking tour of Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas, Casa Batlo, El Born area and Palau Guell. CASA BATLO TIX We walked around this area with my dear friend, Scott, who I hadn’t seen in 20 years. Despite his not wanting to be a “tourist” in his own city, he played the perfect tour guide and took us around this area.
5. Ciutadella Park – this park is lots of fun and great to people-watch. We were amazed to see a Vegan outreach group in the park!
6. Castell Montjuic – see more info below. This fortress was amazing and not far from the Miró Museum. You could also do the awesome hop on/hop off bus tour to hit all the local hot spots. BUS TOUR If you go to the Miró Museum, I highly recommend a visit to this castle too.

   BEACH TIME:

7. Go to the beach – the beach is beautiful and lots of fun, but beware of thieves and pickpockets! We made a new friend in Barcelona and while she was at the most touristy beach (Barceloneta), the bag that was right next to her was stolen by some guys on bicycles so of course, she couldn’t catch up with the thieves. It was a huge ordeal!
8. NOTE: We were extremely cautious and smart about keeping our things close to us and not carrying important documents, such as our passports, around with us. The most popular beach (read: super crowded and rowdy) is Barceloneta. Most locals avoid this area and go to beaches farther away. While in Barcelona, we mostly got around the city via bus. It was actually really fun to ride the city buses as we got a feel for the city and the way of life there.

Where to stay in Barcelona:

1. Amazing Barca apartment near the beach
2. Stylish Flat near the beach
3. Highly rated hotel by Casa Batló
4. Sustainable and highly rated hotel
5. Awesome stay in Grácia area

Booking.com  

fun paid experiences in Barcelona:

 

Vegan eats in Barcelona:

1. Cat Bar Cat (the patatas bravas are fantastic!) – we had the burgers and the famous patatas bravas. They were delicious and it was fun to talk to the British woman behind the bar, who I believe may have been one of the owners. At any rate, the food is great and worth a visit!
2. Santoni – this was the first place we ate at and it was delicious! We got pizzas and empanadas and took more back to our Barcelona apartment rental.
3. Vegan Junk Food Bar – the best late-night junk food! This place was packed and for good reason! It was simply spectacular. We highly recommend it! The prices were decent too.
4. Bar Celoneta Sangria Bar – this place was our favorite! I still salivate when I think of the paella and patatas bravas that we devoured here. The drinks are spectacular too. This is a must-visit!

Hot tips for Barcelona:

Let’s talk about getting to the Miró Museum, which was one of our favorite things to do in Barcelona. The Miró Museum is in the Montjuic area of town. We took a bus, which was seriously awesome because we could see so much of the city on our way to the museum. You can also take a funicular to get to Montjuic, which is where the museum is. We saw many people on the funicular/cable car and it looked like fun. This area has a lush forest part and is beautiful. Here is more information about getting to the Miró Museum.

renting a car:

If you want to explore outside of Barcelona, for example, Costa Brava, I highly recommend that you use Discover Cars. We always use this site to rent cars in Europe.

Montjuic Castle:

We also went to the Castell Montjuic and we highly recommend a visit here as well. You can take a bus or Uber from the Miró Museum. The views from the top of the castle were majestic and surprising. Here’s more information about Castle Montjuic. 

Overall, Barcelona is such a fun place to visit! We highly recommend it. Next time I visit, I am going to make time to see a Flamenco show! Have you been to Barcelona? What was your favorite thing to do there?

This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

OUR MUST-HAVE ITEMS:

1. Merrell women’s light hiking shoes – these are amazing because they are lightweight, but are extra grippy and helpful for walking on cobblestone! I also have this pair that I always get compliments on: Merrell Rainbow shoes. Fernando loves his Asics trail runners which are also grippy and perfect for walking in Spain and Europe!
2. Thermoflask water bottle – like a Hydroflask, but more affordable! We don’t go anywhere without these water bottles full of purified water.
3. North Face Aphrodite 2.0 capris – I seriously wear these pants every.single.day! I couldn’t live without these ultra-comfy, lightweight pants that dry so quickly. They are 100% worth the money!
4. Osprey Day Pack – this is an awesome lightweight backpack that we can easily put the belongings we need at hand for traveling around the city and on public transportation.
5. iPhone – we couldn’t live without our iPhones. We use them to navigate, for photos, and videos, to find vegan restaurants, and more! Do you use your phone for eve
    
   rything too?

 

This blog post is all about Barcelona and is the Official Travel Guide to Barcelona, Spain. It’s all about what to do in Barcelona, where to go in Barcelona and the best vegan restaurants in Barcelona. 

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