The sun is shining, it’s 32 degrees celsius and on the table is a can of sangria. The tapas taste delicious and you enjoy watching the people on the street. Welcome in Barcelona! The past few days you’ve walked around for hours. The Sagrada Familia, the Ramblas and Park Güell: you’ve seen it all. But now it’s time to relax and to go to some hidden gems. And because I’ve been to Barcelona a few times, I know those hidden gems. Here are my tips!
Drink some cocktails at Alsur Café
Let’s start with my favorite place in Barcelona: the district El Born. It’s not in the city centre but it’s close to the main streets. El Born is kind of a hippie neighborhood where it’s all about relaxing. Boutique shops, vintage clothes and musicians: that’s what it’s all about. Go to the Alsur Café for some good (and cheap!) cocktails and just enjoy the sun. And if you’re hungry, order avocado on toast or red velvet and carrot cake. It’s absolutely tasty and you’ll get A LOT of it. Believe me: when you see the menu, you want to have it all!
The best tapas in town: La Luna
If you’re in Spain you have to eat tapas of course. And that’s exactly where I want to talk about. Go to La Luna, which is actually a cocktail bar, but it was a church in the past. You can find this restaurant in an ugly street, but that’s what makes it so fantastic. The locals call this bar the pearl of Barcelona so it’s definitely a must go!
View from El Carmel
If you want to escape the chaos of the city, just head to El Carmel, some bunkers outside the city centre. These bunkers are not very interesting, but the view on top is great. Just go up at the end of the day and watch the sunset from above. You’ll see the sun disappear behind the buildings, so magical! Or visit El Carmel in the morning or afternoon and just enjoy the view.
A quiet beach near Barcelona
You’ll definitely go to the beach in Barcelona, because it’s a nice place. Just stroll down the boulevard, have a drink, go for lunch or shop in the many shops close to the beach. But if you don’t want to share the beach with many other tourists, I recommend to go the beach near Matáro, a little town close to Barcelona. You have to go here by bus, which will take you there in one hour, but you’ll share the beach with only a few other locals. Love it!
Wraps, wraps, wraps!
Go to restaurant Santa Piadina if you want to eat something else than tapas. It’s not a very known place, but the wraps are delicious. It’s a cool spot if you don’t have a lot of time to have lunch or dinner. The best part about this restaurant is that you can leave a message on the walls. You’ll see hundreds of post-its on the walls with comments from people who have eaten here. Leave a message and just enjoy the food!
Relax at Plaça Reial
Ok, so this one is a little cliche, but I need to put in on the list for sure: go to Plaça Reial to chill and have a drink. This square is not very huge and it has a few palm trees and a fountain. You’ll find a lot of restaurants here, which are a bit more expensive (but they are totally worth it). A lot of artists are showing their skills and it’s very entertaining. Really a must see!
Perfect setting and delicious food at Touché
Are you looking for a good and nice restaurant to have dinner? Go to Touché, right in front of the boulevard and the beach. The setting is lovely: a quiet place where you enjoy the fountains and where you won’t be disturbed by many tourists. The food looks perfect, it tastes delicious, it’s affordable and it’s the perfect spot to relax.
Go to Barcelona Zoo
Are you traveling solo to Barcelona? That’s totally fine, because it’s a good city to explore solo. Lay on the beach, go shopping, get some food and relax at the many squares, but you can also go to the zoo! I spent hours in the zoo by myself and I loved it.
Have you ever been to Barcelona and do you have some more tips? Let me know in a comment!
Are you excited to go to this great city? Check out some accommodations in Barcelona!
2 comments
This is a wonderful guide, Barcelona is colorful.
It is! Really love Barcelona!