1. Park Guell
This park is so monumental to visit in Barcelona! The colors of the tile match the view of the colorful city and is truly breathtaking. So, when you go, make sure the weather is sunny and you a dressed for the photos. Also, if you are a Cheetah Girls fan girl like me, you’d know this is the “Strut Like You Mean It” scene in the movie.
2. Eat seafood paella and papas bravas
When you travel to another country, one of the best ways to learn the culture is try their food. Paella is a delicious meal that EVERY restaurant will make for you in Barcelona. Paella comes as seafood, chicken/meat, or vegetables, over rice and a sauce. IT IS ADDICTING. Another meal that is necessary to try is papas bravas. Papas bravas is pretty much French fries or potatoes with cheese and a sauce melted on it. I think I ate paella and papas bravas once a day after first trying it the first day.
3. Sagrada Familia
You cannot go to Barcelona without seeing the Sagrada Familia. It is one of the most incredible creations on this planet and was created in Barcelona. The Sagrada Familia was made by Antoni Gaudi, who is also the creator of Park Guell and other colorful architecture in Barcelona. When looking at the church, you can see all the specific detail and meaning behind Gaudi’s plans in creating it. Sadly, he died before seeing the finished masterpiece but the city plans to finish it by 2026 (which will be 100 years since Gaudi started it) in his honor.
4. Go inside the Sagrada Familia
Many people travel to Barcelona and only walk pass the church to admire its outside views. But the inside architecture will blow your mind with its white marble and colorful stained-glass windows. When walking in, one side of the building has warm colors (pink, red, orange, and yellow) while the other side has cool colors (green, blue, and purple). He purposely did this so that when the sun shines in the morning, it will shine through the warm colors windows. When the sun goes down for the day and the moon comes out, the cool colors take over the church on the inside to create a night and day effect. This creation was genius and is truly breathtaking because the inside of the church is so different from the inside. This was also purposeful because Gaudi wanted the world to see that the outside of something does not mean the inside would be the same (talking about people).
5. Go to a museum
If you choose to travel to Barcelona, it is good to know that the first Sunday of every month is free for students to go in and tour. When I went on my trip, we chose to see a museum full ships and artifacts from the wars the city had at sea. The ship was probably half the size of a football field and took up the whole museum! I recommend it for its years of history and information about those years on sea.
6. Go to the Boardwalk
Nothing makes you happier than going to the beach, right? Barcelona has over five oceanside beaches with the softest sand and the boardwalks have food, shopping, beaches, and a circus was in town. We chose to walk around the boardwalk in March but the weather never dropped below 60 degrees. Also, the sky would turn pink at night by the ocean and was a beautiful to walk around the city with these views with gelato in our hands.
7. La Rambla
Las Rambla has all your favorite stores, drinks, and food to shop for. But be careful! This is the biggest pickpocketing spot in the city! Make sure that your phone isn’t in your back pocket and your money is hidden away. Other than those safety necessities, La Rambla is a fun place to spend your day! (Another Cheetah Girls reference) This area was also in their dance scene from “Strut Like You Mean It” and it was hard to not want to sing it in public.
8. Mercat de la Boqueria
When your sweet tooth is coming out and you’re craving sugar and chocolate, take one of the side streets off of La Rambla to this market place. There are little stores within the market with different kinds of candy, chocolate, smoothies, and a fish market in the back! I spent so much money here because they give you a plastic bag to look around and take as much candy as you want. But it was all delicious!
9. Go on a gondola
There is a gondola trip that is 17 Euros that is worth every cent! The gondola takes you up and over the whole city to see it from bird’s eye view. The view is breathtaking and you can see from the ocean to the mountains of Barcelona. If you are scared of heights (like myself) make sure to stand in the middle of the gondola but do not say no to taking this trip because once you are in the air and looking at the whole city, you realize it is worth it!
10. Take A Hike!
On my last night in Barcelona, my friends I made in the city took us to the top of Can Baro. It took us about thirty minutes to hike up the top and it was worth climbing the steep hills. We had to hike up to a little town on the top of the mountain and after passing the adorable tiny houses, there is a 360-degree view of the beautiful city of Barcelona. We chose to go up to watch the sunset and it was the best time to go! Bring snacks and drinks and watch the sun go down and change to pink before the city lights up for the night. Hiking to the top and watching the sunset was the best way to end the trip, and never want to come home.