The title of this blog is a little bit deceiving. While Megan and I walked Barcelona- literally from Port Olimpic to Parc Guell and everything far left and right of that IN A DAY- we would never recommend that anyone do the same! In fact we highly suggest you don’t for the sake of your feet, legs, mental sanity, and the fact that we were unable to move for two days after. I just want to make it clear that we never had any intentions of walking Barcelona. I don’t know why anyone would do that- except if you’re training to walk in a marathon- in which case Put us in Coach We’re Ready. This fate happened to fall on us after we missed about 10 different buses because no one could point us in the right direction. Either that or they enjoyed watching us sprint like lost chicken in-between bus stops while the sun unrelentingly beat down on us. It was then that we gave up on the bus system- which is very misleading- and took off on foot to see the wonders that make up Barcelona.
Note: There are other blogs that suggest you take Barcelona by foot because “it is not very big.” Just to put things into context, Megan and I walk about 25,000 steps a day in Rome so we are familiar with sore feet and the art of toning calf muscles. Walking Barcelona is NOT for the faint-hearted. There are bikes you can rent for €4 a day! You can thank me later.
If you have never been to Barcelona, and you only have a few days to take in the modern architecture that makes up this city and the absolutely phenomenal works of Antoni Gaudi, here is a list of MUST- SEE’s.
Sagrada Familia
One of the most breath-taking pieces of architecture I have ever seen. This unfinished church designed by Antoni Gaudi towers above the streets of Barcelona. The €15 entrance fee goes towards finishing the church!
Parc Guell
A favorite of all those who instagram. Parc Guell is a masterpiece in itself.
Cattedrale di Barcellona
Casa Batlo
Arco di Trionfo
Font magica de Montjuic
Its like being at the World of Colors water show in Disneyland except in Spain and without Mickey!
Montserrat
Monserrat was the only location we couldn’t walk to nor do I think I would have wanted to if we could have! If you have time, Montserrat is simply sublime and worth the hour train ride! Here is a link to a guide on how to get there that anyone can follow (even us):
https://www.montserrat-tourist-guide.com/en/transport/barcelona-to-montserrat-train.html
If you are ever lucky enough to find yourself in Barcelona , do yourself a favor and make time to see even one of these! You won’t regret it!
Now I know I already mentioned that Barcelona isn’t for the faint-hearted walkers. I must also add that Barcelona isn’t a city for those who like to sleep (except maybe during the day), and it also isn’t prime for those looking not to expand their waistbands.
Barcelona is home to paella, tapas, churros with chocolate, and some of the most incredible Mexican food I have ever had (and I’m from San Francisco- I know my Mexican food!) Mix all four of those together and you’ll find yourself buying new pants! That being said, not every place that sells these items does it well. Our first night in Barcelona we were told to try the seafood paella at a place just down the street from our hostel. Never again! The seafood wasn’t cleaned properly, and instead of meandering the streets of Barcelona we were searching the hostel for the nearest bathroom! If you want good paella go to one of the many restaurants near the coast- you won’t regret it. OR you can eat some of the most phenomenal Mexican food I’ve ever had at Rosa Negra for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their fresh ceviche, guacamole, and chicken enchiladas with a spicer green sauce and sour cream were out of this world. 10/10 would recommend! If you get there later than 7:30 you will wait an hour to get a table! Oh and don’t worry about missing dinner, almost every place that serves food in Barcelona is open until 2am so its safe to say that you will never starve!
As far as sleep goes, I think whoever printed the dictionary for Spain forgot to put that word in there!
Barcelona is renowned for their nightlife…which might I add doesn’t start until 2am! If you can manage to muster up enough energy for at least one night it is worth it! All their nightclubs are on the beach which is cool in itself, but many people use that opportunity to watch the sunrise from the sand after a long night of partying. I wouldn’t know because I was definitely fast asleep by the time the sun came up! If you are staying in one of the many hostels in Barcelona most of them like to take as many of their guests as they can bar crawling before which is a great opportunity to meet new people! We have lots of new friends from Germany, Norway, and England.
All in all, Barcelona was definitely an experience! If we had to do it all over again we would have rented bikes, skipped the paella the first night, and maybe invested in ear plugs so we wouldn’t have heard the people who sounded more like elephants coming in and out our 10 person hostel room at all hours of the night!
Until next Wednesday, Ciao!