“Everywhere is in walking distance if you have the time.” – Steven Wright
Barcelona is a city teaming with life. Every corner you turn offers you something different, whether it’s the beautiful sandy beach at the end of Las Ramblas, La Boqueria, the Gothic Quarter (Barre Gothic), or any of Gaudi’s beautiful works of architecture. Barcelona has something for everyone. And the beauty of it, it’s completely walkable.
Mind you there is an excellent hop-on-hop off bus option, to help you see all the sights at lightning speed, but there is nothing like experiencing a city on foot. It’s where you find the best restaurants, wander through gardens, and meet some incredible locals.
So, as one bartender told us, walk the city and just get lost.
La Boqueria
Las Ramblas is always alive with people, tourists, police, locals, and street hustlers. The overwhelming crowd at times made me feel like a herd of cattle but the street is lined with restaurants (which I was told to stay away from because it does not represent local cuisine that well and is overpriced).
Just off Las Ramblas on a little side street we discovered a new craft beer bar with great beers on tap, though a little pricey. For more restaurant suggestions check out my top picks.
However, La Boqueria is worth visiting more than once. This is a huge market filled with a plethora of foods from seafood, to cured meats and cheeses, to fruit stands, nuts and candy, and small restaurants to stop at for a tapas or two. This place is an absolute zoo but its a fun zoo.
I loved their fresh fruit juices and we always went there to buy cheese and cured meat (called Jamon – which when I say that word in my head it kind of sounds like Micheal Jackson…go figure). The image below is a 4 year cured pig leg and my mouth still waters every time I think about how good that tasted.
The Beach
Las Ramblas also leads to other wonderful places like the beach, which if you have never been to a European beach be prepared for nudity. I was not. I was shocked into silence as older couples walked hand in hand down the beach in their birthday suits.
But all nudity aside there is a great walkway along the beach where people can bike, skateboard, or just go for a nice walk. There are also a few places to grab a bite to eat and a drink but again it was all way over priced so I don’t recommend it.
Montjuïc Castle
Taking the cable car from the beach to Montjuïc can be a little unnerving but worth the trip. Being terrified of heights and subsequently squished into a small cable car like a can of sardines made me just a little uneasy. But the views of the city, the beach, and the ever approaching Montjuïc is worth the heart palpitations.
Montjuïc castle is an old military fortress dating back to 1640 that saw it’s first battle during the Catalan Revolt. Walking from the cable car to the castle is a bit of a haul but it takes you through a beautifully manicured garden and a park filled with trees and flowers. This hike is all uphill to where Montjuïc Castle presides over the city.
Now a museum, you can read all about the castle’s history as you walk around the battlements, catching views of the sea and port beyond.
Park Güell
If you want to go into Park Güell I strongly recommend buying tickets online, in advance. Everyone will tell you that you cannot walk there but I promise you it is possible. Taking your time you will walk through the older part of the city, the more residential section. This is where you get a real taste of the city of Barcelona.
It is also very easy to get lost here and completely turned around. Take your time, stop for beer and some lunch (super cheap in this area outside the tourist zone).
I explored Park Güell without a ticket and saw everything except the iconic lizard statue. Walking through the arches and gardens surrounding Park Güell. You can also get great views of Gaudi’s home.
After taking your iconic photographs, take a walk along the maintained footpath that takes you to some of the best views of city you could ever hope for. And although peddlers dot the walkway and the path is choked with tourists, the surrounding foliage, birds, and views make it a nice break from the over-stimulation of the city.
Sagrada Familia
You cannot talk about Barcelona or Gaudi without talking about the Sagrada familia. Seeing the enormity of this building and the massive undertaking is a heart stopping experience.
Purchase the audio tour to ensure you don’t miss any of the minute details of both the exterior and interior of this magnificent cathedral. From the interior pillars sweeping upwards, designed to portray that of a forest of various types of trees and the upper canopy, to the color of the light as it rises red on one side of the cathedral and sets blue on the opposite side.
It is one of the most magnificent works of art I have ever seen and produced such a quiet inside that only a place like this can do. Now, I am not a religious type, spiritual yes, religious no, but this place emanates spirituality from it’s very core. It’s like religion on steroids.
Casa Batlló
When deciding which of the Gaudi buildings to check out (because I didn’t want to spend the money to do all), Casa Batlló intrigued me the most. With it’s skeleton balconies and out of place blue exterior in the midst of the “expensive shopping area” I couldn’t resist.
Purchased by Sir Joseph Batlló, he granted Gaudi complete creative freedom to the redesign of the home. And let me tell you no detail was left undone, not even the roof.
Again, do the audio tour, there are so many little details throughout this home, you don’t want to miss their meaning or the chance to see them. Like the Sagrada familia, Gaudi’s creativity is taken to a whole other level.
If you’re up for it, Barcelona is completely walkable. Allow yourself the time to slow down and just enjoy it at a walking pace. You never know what you might stumble upon and what experiences this could open up for you.
For more suggestions and another perspective check out this post by Museuly.
