Mariam Shibly

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Spain Travel Blog | Barcelona - The Modern City

Mariam Shibly

Barcelona is unexpectedly my favorite city we visited in Spain. I love how the city has so many different areas with diverse vibes and activities to do. You could be in a historic and artistic park, in a commercial high end shopping area similar to the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, or on the best beach you can find in Spain! I adore the fact that it’s a humongous city, which can be explored through on foot.

Honestly Barcelona is the perfect city for me! The beach is the best and SO fun, the shopping is AMAZING and their efforts in moving towards a healthier lifestyle by offering such healthy and delicious food is the BEST part. You can find the best food options here from vegan to late night tacos. We stayed for 3 nights and 3 days and it still wasn’t enough to see everything. I would recommend 4-5 days especially if you’re into shopping and spending time at the beach! Unfortunately, we did experience a little bit of racism here, but it did not take away with how much this city has to offer.

How do you get here? Barcelona is one of Spain’s biggest and busiest cities. It is very easy to get here whether it’s by flight, with one of the largest and commercialized airports in Spain, train or by renting a car. If you do decide to go with a rental car, make sure you show up on time because they can easily cancel your reservation and most of the time they’re sold out of rental cars.

Park Guell is an artistic and family friendly park situated on Carmel Hill in Barcelona. The whole park is designed by Gaudi who was hired by Guell to enjoy nature artistically and the best views of Barcelona. I would definitely visit especially if it’s a nice sunny day, there is a lot to see and do. We were blown by the art structures and creativity by Gaudi, this is definitely not your typical park. If you’re interested in seeing Gaudi’s house who lived within this park, you’ll need to buy tickets and they sell out the day of so you’ll need to purchase them in advance!

  • When: Open year-round from 8:30 am - 6:15 pm

  • Cost: Outdoor park entrance is free, Gaudi’s House Museum tickets are about 30 Euros (buy them in advance, they sell out quickly the day of).

  • Duration: A walk around the park can take up to an hour or less depending on your stroll. Many people bring their kids and pets, and explore the park at their own leisure.

  • Tips: It’s not a stroller friendly park, I recommend using baby carrier if you are bringing your kids. If it’s a sunny day, bring lots of water since it’s on a hill it gets hot fast. Bring sunglasses, SPF, walking shoes, and your camera!

    Personal experience: My camera died right when we got here so I wish I could show you all of it’s beauty! It’s worth visiting when you’re not in a rush, so you can truly enjoy the park’s purpose. My 3 year old son loved it since there was little vendors here and there creating large bubbles for kids to play with, even a unique bird to sit on your shoulder or arm (make sure you discuss price before letting the guy put it on you, they haggle FAST)! Our stroller kept getting stuck on our rocky steps, so unless you plan on walking to other areas afterwards—I’d stick with leaving it at your hotel. The whole park is gorgeous, clean and well-kept giving you the best views of Barcelona.

La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished basilica also designed by Gaudi. You can easily run into it as you roam Barcelona, and it’s not too far from Park Guell. It’s an intricate structure that you will stun you as you walk by.

  • When: Open year-round from 9 am - 7 pm

  • Cost: It’s free from the outside (which many people do) if you’d like to purchase tickets to go inside it’s about 18-22 Euros.

  • Duration: Outdoor it’s up to you how long, but indoor tours last usually about 45-55 minutes.

La Rambla is the most poppin’ area of Barcelona. You’ll always find a lot going on. For starters, located on this street they have the largest shopping stores, cute floral stands, and a diverse seafood and fresh food market. Among all this, there are music festivals, small protests, school activities and concerts constantly being performed here. It’s perfect for all ages from kids to adults.

  • When: Open year-round (most shops close at 9 as well as they’re closed on Sundays)

  • Cost: Surprisingly everything is usually free (of course not the shopping or food) unless it’s a specific music festival

  • Duration: You can spend a whole day here or as little as time for shopping or a meal at the fresh market.

  • Tips: On the weekends it gets crowded very quickly. It’s a hot tourist spot, so bringing a sleek stroller is your best bet. Try to watch the news before heading over just in case there’s a protest going on and to avoid the walking traffic on those streets (you cannot get through). I recommend bringing a chain/hook for all the shopping bags, you’ll find the biggest selection at these stores only!

La Pedrera also known as Casa Mila is the last private residence designed by Gaudi and built in 1906-1912! It is a magnificent structure still standing in great condition. We were honestly impressed with how well Spain has maintained all their historic sites and still use it to this day for certain activities, in my opinion that’s the best way to maintain it.

  • When: Open year round from 9 am-6:30 pm & 7-9 pm

  • Cost: 22-34 Euros, purchase your tickets here

  • Duration: At your own leisure until closing

Barceloneta Playa is the most interactive and poppin’ beach out of all the cities we visited. It’s also my favorite beach! The pier has a little French style market with delicious fresh empanadas, corn and other foods to eat, little trinkets shops and also a bunch of cute restaurants like Brunch and Cake. There’s also a little amusement park on the side for kids, it’s seriously amazing! It doesn’t stop there, there’s a outdoor gym on the beach and the closer you get to the W hotel — the more fancy restaurants and lounges you find. Ok, but ‘et’s talk about the actual beach now. The waves are so much fun — they’re very strong, enough to surf on so I’d be very careful with young children, holding their hands and interacting with the waves from far. Sometimes the waves go pretty deep onto the sand, where everyone’s sunbathing. Don’t be alarmed to see nudity here, you’ll see plenty of it. All beaches in Spain are public and nudity is allowed. It’s different and can be entertaining.

MORE SITES TO SEE:

FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS: (I LOVED the fact that Barcelona offered healthy and vegan food at their restaurants, so that’s what we did 99% of the time and it was outstanding!)