By: Elizabeth Wilding
My friend Maddie and I dreamed of dancing to Ed Sheeran's song Barcelona in the streets of Barcelona throughout college. We decided to make that dream a reality and it was just as dreamy as the Cheetah Girls made it look!
Day 1
3 flights, 4 countries, and 16 hours later, our flight touched down mid morning! We took a bus from the airport to our air bnb (air bnbs are budget friendly in Barcelona!). Travel tip: Apple Maps will show you the exact directions for bus routes and subway systems; it is super user friendly and the cheapest way to travel.
We got dinner at a cute cafe in the gothic quarter (we didn't do any research, we wandered until we found something!), in which we had to order patatas bravas and croquettes.
Afterwards we went postcard shopping until we hit the Barcelona Cathedral. There were street performers and clowns making balloon animals (they act like it's free, but they are expecting you to pay!) in the front of the cathedral.
We explored the gothic quarter and got a few cute pictures to celebrate making it to Barcelona! Of course no night is completed without a sweet treat so we stopped to grab gelato and sat to soak up the European summer commencing.
Day 2
We started day 2 off bright and early with tickets to Park Guell! Park Guell (the location where the Cheetah Girls filmed the song 'Strut') was a 15 minute walk from our air bnb, so we grabbed coffee and pastries on the way. I wanted to book the first available time to enter Park Guell due to the high volume of tourists; if you want pictures with nobody in the background, this is a must! Barcelona is known for their gothic architecture and tile work, in which Park Guell did not disappoint with the views.
Travel tip: Barcelona is a lot of uphill walking so wear comfortable shoes. I always travel with a small backpack so I can carry water bottles and snacks.
After Park Guell, we took the subway over to the Sangrada Familia (Apple or Google maps will give you detailed directions on which subway to take, how to get to the entrance of the subway, etc.). The Sangrada Familia was under construction while we were there (sad face), but we still got some cute pictures! You can purchase tickets to go inside the Sangrada Familia, but we opted out of going on a tour (I really wish we would have!).
After the Sangrada Familia, I was on a mission to find paella and sangria for lunch. We wondered around and stopped at a restaurant with a cute outdoor patio area. It was delicious and an easy to share lunch!
After lunch, we headed over to the Arc de Triomf, just like in Paris, but in Barcelona! The Arc de Triomf is located in front of a gorgeous park called the Passeig de Lluís Companys, which is filled with benches and palm trees, perfect for an afternoon stroll or a break to journal in the shade.
Located across the street from the Passeig de Lluís Companys is Ciutadella Park. You could spend hours in Ciutadella Park; there is a pond you can rent rowboats, visit the Zoo de Barcelona, see the Parlament de Catalunya, but we went specifically for the Plaça de Sonia Rescalvo Zafra monument (pictured below).
After a long day of sightseeing, we went back to the air bnb to nap and get ready for dinner and drinks! First, we went to Hotel Colon Rooftop Bar to grab sangria and aperol spritzs. You cannot make reservations for the rooftop (there is no food offered, just drinks), however, there is a line out front of the hotel where you can wait to get a table (fills up fast so get there early!). The view was absolutely incredible!
After drinks, we wanted to find a local restaurant to grab tapas. We ended up at this restaurant made up of 5 tables (once they were full, they closed and locked the doors) - the menu was completely in Spanish and was written on boards hanging on the walls. We shared a variety of appetizers, including fried octopus balls, croquettes, bread with tomato, nachos with guacamole and our favorite, patatas bravas.
Day 3 - Costa Brava Day Trip
On day 3, we decided to get out of the city and head to Costa Brava, where we went to Lloret de Mar to have a beach day. We booked train tickets, but realized it would have been easier to take the bus (we ended up taking the bus back to Barcelona!). On the way to the train station, we picked up baguettes, sliced meats and cheese, and a few snacks so that we could have a picnic. We weren't paying attention when picking out chips, we assumed yellow was original flavor, but it ended up being egg flavored (I do not recommend, LOL). Lloret de Mar was so dreamy, the pictures speak for itself!
The beach had an amazing hike along the coastline and we brought towels from the air bnb to lay out on the beach on. A woman on the beach heard us speaking english and she was saying that only 1% of travelers that visit Costa Brava are American, so if you want a less touristy day trip, this is the place for you.
After a long day at the beach and an hour bus ride back to Barcelona, we were starving. We ended up finding a cute restaurant that had tableside carbonara tossed in a parmesan wheel, so of course we had to go.
After dinner, we headed back to the air bnb to shower and pack, then we headed out one last time to souvenir shop and soak up the last moments of exploring the city.
There were still so many things to see and do in Barcelona, so my recommendation is to stay 4 days instead of 3. We were sad to leave, but excited for our next destination, Portugal!