At the end of June, Patrick and I spent three days in Barcelona. It was heavenly! It wasn’t too hot yet and honestly didn’t feel crowded. I was worried about the crowds since the end of June is part of the high tourism season but we didn’t have any problems at all. Three days was enough to see all of the main sights in Barcelona and spend some time relaxing, but there are some awesome day trips you could do if you stayed longer like Montserrat or the vineyards outside of Barcelona for a cava tasting.
What to do in Barcelona:
Bike Tour: We did a Fat Tire Bike tour and really liked it. The tour started at 11am and ended at 4pm. We’ve done Fat Tire Bike tours in Berlin and Munich and have enjoyed them each time.
La Sagrada Familia: La Sagrada Familia is probably the most famous monument in Barcelona. It was designed by the famous architect Gaudi. Constructed started in 1882 and it’s still unfinished! It’s expected to be finished in 2026. You can book tickets to go inside here, or your hotel may offer to secure tickets for you as ours did. Without pre-purchased tickets, you risk waiting up to two hours in line to enter the Sagrada Familia.
Parc Güell: Park Güell is another Gaudi design and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s another colorful spot in Barcelona with buildings that resemble gingerbread houses and a long, tiled bench designed to represent a serpent.
If you plan on visiting Park Güell, definitely purchase your tickets in advance here. The number of people admitted per hour is limited and tickets sell out early during peak season. Even with the limit on the number of people, it felt crowded.
Casa Batlló: Casa Batlló is one of Gaudi’s most famous designs. This colorful building is located on Passeig de Gràcia, one of the major streets through the city. If you are short on time (or money) view Casa Batlló from the outside. For those with an interest in Gaudí and his architecture, it may be worth paying to enter the house.
Beach: We spent a few hours relaxing at Barceloneta beach by the W hotel and it was great! The most popular beaches among visitors are Barceloneta, Mar Bella, Nova Icaria and Bogatell. There are a lot of little places to get a drink, snack, or even a meal all along Barceloneta beach.
Where to eat in Barcelona:
I liked the food way more than I thought I would! Here are some of our favorite places we ate:
Pez Vela: This was my favorite! Our friends from Munich happened to be vacationing on the beach an hour outside of Barcelona, so we met up with friends for dinner and drinks one night. This was my favorite part of the trip. We went to Pez Vela for dinner and ordered two different kinds of paella and way too much sangria 🙂 Pez Vela is on the end of Barceloneta Beach, right by the W hotel.
Monvinic: Really great wine bar with a huge wine list.
Vinitus: Great classic tapas restaurant. We liked it so much we actually ate here twice.
L’olivera: Another great tapas place with good pricing.
La Flauta: Really great seafood tapas
Where we stayed in Barcelona:
We had some points to use up (thanks work travel!) so we stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Barcelona. This is hands down the nicest Crowne Plaza I’ve ever stayed in! They had an amazing rooftop bar and pool, and the hotel’s location is perfect. Also they have American grade air conditioning which we really appreciated after a hot day of biking and walking around Barcelona. Get $25 off your booking here.
