Barcelona Bucket List
Eating dinner at 10 p.m. or going to the beach at midnight might sound crazy before you experience it, but after a few days, you’ll be questioning how you ever did it differently. Find out the Best Things to do in Barcelona!
Why Barcelona belongs on your bucket list
Gaudi was a true visionary. He created blocks of stone that look like they are alive. The facades vibrate, the balconies flow, the chimneys molt. No other city has such a distorted and organic skyline. But be careful, because the city is not only strange buildings. The Gothic Quarter keeps Roman ruins 2,000 years old in bars. El Born reinvents itself more times than Madonna in wine bars, galleries, and nightlife in general each year. You also have the beach. A major European city with sand beach. Plus food. Bread with tomato is so simple that a good cry could leave a grown architect. They give you the molecular gastronomy and if you're not careful, your head will explode, and you have everything your heart desires.
When to go
The most suitable months to travel to Barcelona are May, June, September, and October. You can enjoy the beach and still stroll around the city without feeling you’ve just finished a marathon in the Sahara desert. September is perfect because you can also enjoy the Festes de la Merce festival – an 8-day street party including fire runs, human towers (castells), and free concerts everywhere. As for July and August? Hot as hell, full of tourists, and hotel prices go through the roof. In the summer, everyone who can take the day off hits the beach – that goes for the Barcelonins too. It's not the same city. Nor does it look good.
Must-visit places in Barcelona
Sagrada Familia
Colorful sunlight shines through windows of red, pink, and yellow flames, which are reminiscent of the flames and the message of Jesus in this church that's unlike any other you've visited before. It is believed that its imperfections are what make the temple so beautiful, and that it was purposely designed to never be finished before 2026. To see the best view of what the church will look like, upon completion bring an image of the proposed design with you.
Park Guell
Originally envisioned as a housing development, that idea clearly didn’t pan out. Instead, it’s now one of the most Instagrammed places in Spain. Up top, the serpent-like mosaic bench provides panoramic views over the city and the sea. You need to reserve a timed entry ticket for the monumental zone (months in advance), but the free parkland and gardens around are just as gorgeous and a lot less crowded. Visit at sunrise or sunset to avoid the hordes.
La Boqueria Market
Inside the market, you’ll find the most surreal space in the city: walls of juicy tropical fruit stacked impossibly high, pig legs hanging en masse from the rafters, fresh juice for less than two euros, and the most knock-you-flat-on-your-back perfume. Save your time and your euros plus escape the tourists out front, and spend your money within elbows’ reach of the locals, throwing back a glass of ice-cold cava. Fried eggs with baby squid, chickpeas with blood sausage at El Quim de la Boqueria. Get there before 10 a.m. or go home.
Gothic Quarter
Get lost on purpose. Take a left where you normally take a right. Lose your sense of direction. The Gothic Quarter is an old-fashioned maze in Barcelona where cellars lead you down onto Roman temple columns and upstairs you'll be standing beneath Gaudi-esque mosaic balconies. In the same simple vein I mapped my area, it wasn’t all ancient Roman hospitality the Rodondo family discovered in a cold bar, high on chandeliers designed for a palace. There are leafy squares with Spanish guitar buskers and vermouth's glass jugs squirting into tumbler glasses. The cathedral is located nearby (not the Sagrada Familia – the same city, a completely different structure) home to 13 pure-white geese in an interior cloister. But, to my mind, it is the tiny, wincey network of streets that surrounds Placa Reial and the almost invisible Placa Sant Felip Neri that comes closest to capturing slump, poverty, and vitality.
Casa Batllo
The architecture of this building is truly unique. It has an organic and almost surreal design, with arched windows and doors that seem like they are melting in the sun. The rooftop offers a wonderful view of the city and the Sagrada Familia. Inside, the apartment is beautifully decorated with a mix of classic and contemporary designs. There is also a small museum on the top floor dedicated to Gaudi's work. Buying tickets to get inside the building can be a little pricey but it's worth it if you appreciate art, architecture, and design.
La Barceloneta Beach
Do you like live music, fresh paella, cold beer, some delicious patatas bravas, and having the sand between your toes? Chiringuitos, the beach bars of Barceloneta have it all.west-facing beach. If you're not a fan of all this sharing, don't be put off by the chiringuitos. Beach season is only six months long. There are another six where they're just short of shuttered. This beach sprawls along a former fishermen's neighborhood, and it still can be the most convenient to reach from the city center. Feeling a little overwhelmed by how popular it is? Bare your teeth and whale your way through the throngs. Then scuttle north to Bogatell or Mar Bella.
El Born
This is the El Born district. It’s like a warren with Medieval lanes. It’s where every cool indie bar, tapas joint, and boutique shops packed together. You just crash from one to another, enjoy a drink or two, just soaking in the hip vibe. It’s also the arts district and you’ll find galleries, theatres, and old-school artisans hand-crafting beautiful things. Flex your credit card in one of the many unique shops. Then go bargain hunting at El Rasto – a somewhat posher flea market that’s just off every Sunday morning. Flip the credit card.
Montjuic & Magic Fountain
The Olympic Games came to Barcelona in 1992 and since then, there's been a hilltop love affair with all things Olympic. The MNAC art museum hosts the world's most extensive collection of Romanesque frescoes - they were literally stripped from churches in the Pyrenees and hoiked here en masse to keep them safe. Miró’s eponymous Fundació has an impressive collection, but the weekend night-time Magic Fountain show beats the lot. Water, light, music and perfect synchronicity, and it's free. Cable car to the port is obligatory. Then take a lovely walk back down through the terraced gardens.
Camp Nou
Barcelona's motto is "Mes que un club" which means more than a club. And you know what? Even if you are not interested in football at all, entering a 99,000-seat stadium is impressive in itself. The museum offers a great overview of Barca's history, from the political rebellion of Catalonia to world success. Getting tickets for a real game is rare and expensive, but the stadium tour (pitch, tunnel, pressroom) is the next best option, and it's not half bad.
Palau de la Musica Catalana
The roof appears about to bloom. Not an exaggeration; there is a dome of upside-down colored glass above the room, and in sunlight, the entire room is filled with color. Stained glass windows, walls, and columns of flowers. The most decadent "concert hall" you'll ever be in. They give daytime tours, but come back for a show. Any chamber music playing will be heavenly in this room. Book in advance.
Barcelona insider tips
- Pickpockets: To be honest, this is a problem anywhere, not just La Rambla and the Metro. Be vigilant, use a cross-body bag, keep your phone in your front pocket, and remember that there are always people watching. It's the biggest headache for tourists, but the easiest for thieves.
- Meal times: Lunch is served between 1:30-3:30 p.m. You won't find dinner service starting before 9. Officially, restaurants may open at 8, but there won’t be anyone else to eat with. Just adapt to the timetable – it’s easier.
- Vermouth hour: On weekends between noon and 2 p.m., the vermut bars are packed with locals knocking back vermouth from the barrel, served with olives and conservas (canned seafood that is some of the best you'll ever taste). Join them. It's a game-changer.
- T-Casual card: You can take up to ten rides on the Metro, bus, tram, and also the airport train with this. It's the cheapest way to get around, you can buy it at any Metro station.
- Book Gaudi in advance: To visit Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, and Casa Mila, you must buy tickets beforehand as they are frequently sold out days before your visit, especially during high season. Try to book tickets at least a week in advance.
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