Barcelona, as the capital of Spain, offers a wide range of fun activities for both nature and sea lovers. We decided to travel to Barcelona spontaneously, even though we didn’t know what interesting things were waiting for us.
In February, we bought two plane tickets through WizzAir for 195 euros. We paid an additional 40 euros for specific seat reservations. It is important to check in online. Otherwise, you need to pay 40 euros for check-in at the WizzAir counter.
For so many people in Barcelona, transportation is well organized. Metro lines are all over the city, and the average wait for the metro is about 5 minutes. With a metro line, you can easily reach all the attractions and parks.
One of the important things that I liked was the connection between the airport and the city center. From the airport, we took the L9Sub metro line. At the airport, after leaving the terminal, you go through the tunnel. There, you have directions on where to go for the train, bus, or metro. For the metro, you go down the stairs to the bottom, where you pick up tickets from the red TMB machine. The fine for not having a ticket in the metro is 100 euros.
Barcelona Public Transport
We decided on a 5-day tourist ticket, which costs about 50 euros per person. The transport ticket is valid for 120 hours. In addition, you have the option of buying a tourist ticket for 2, 3 or 4 days. You can pay for tickets online via the tiqets.com website and pick them up at the TMB red machine. The machines are located before entering the metro at the airport. You need to enter the numbers below the QR code of your ticket in the TMB red machine. The card can be used for all types of transport except Aerobus and NitBus.
Food and Stores
It takes about half an hour to drive from the airport to the center of Barcelona. The good thing is that when you arrive later, there are still shops and fast food places open. One of the places we went to for lunch several times was Prime Kebabish. The employees don’t speak English very well, but the food is good, and you can sit down to eat. They were quite correct when they did not understand and made the wrong order, and gave us the correct one.
The food store has several locations, but I recommend the Mercadona megamarket. There is a large assortment of products, and where you can buy ready-made, freshly prepared meals. The water is not drinkable, so it is good that there are many shops in the area. Another thing that I liked was that you could pay by card in any place, even in the bakery. It makes it a lot easier for tourists.
Accommodation
We booked the accommodation at Rooms Calabria through booking.com. The accommodation is about two km from the center, so the price is correct. While researching accommodation, I saw that there are several accommodation options. Some were with shared bathrooms and kitchens, shared rooms, etc. For comfort, it was important for us that the room had a bathroom. The kitchen is shared with several options for preparing food, and above all, hygiene is at an excellent level. As we arrived after 8 pm, we had to pay for late check-in. In addition, a daily tax for stay is paid. The accommodation is about 100m away from the metro line L1, which goes to the center.
Transport in Barcelona is fantastic. The metro is branched in all directions, and you can reach a more distant location in 45 minutes. The metro is not fast, but there are frequent stops, which is potentially good for people who cannot walk much. You can reach every tourist attraction by metro. On average, the wait for the metro line is a maximum of 5 minutes. Buses connect the center with locations outside it. For example, we used the bus to go to Park Guell. The whole city is community-oriented, as you have beautifully landscaped parks on all sides, good access for people who can’t walk, outdoor escalators, and access to the metro station.
Barcelona Parks
We set aside the first day of our stay in Barcelona to get to know the surroundings. I had previously made a rough plan of what we would visit, but we visited many more parks along the way. The parks are well organized. Almost every quarter has greenery and a park where you can walk, run, sit, and listen to the birds. We visited the parks: Parc de Joan Miró, Parc de l’Espanya Industrial, Turo Parc, Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes and Parc de Cervantes.
Parc de l’Espanya Industrial is one of the most beautiful urban parks in Barcelona. It has interestingly built buildings and fun slides with industrial design. You can walk, run, or sit by an artificial lake. Because of the good views, people drew in this park. This park represents a combination of industry and nature.
Turo Parc is already a peaceful oasis for people who want to be in a city. Although it is located in the town, the chirping of the birds makes you feel calm and isolated. You do not feel like you are in a city full of buildings.
Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes is a large park with many flowers, trees, and walking paths. It is open to the public until 5 p.m. There are many benches, so it’s a perfect place to rest from walking, have a picnic, or relax.
Parc de Cervantes
Parc de Cervantes is a mini botanical garden with lots of flowers and trees. It is public and is used for an international competition in the display of roses. The park is also good for trail running, as it is a bit hilly and its mostly dirt trail.
All parks are accessible by walking, and the distance we covered for this day is about 10.5 km. As I come from a country where parks are not well arranged, it was interesting to confirm how important it is to create small oases of nature in a city with many people.
In the afternoon, we visited the center of Barcelona. The central street where Gaudí’s house and other sights are located leads to the sea. Placa de Catalunya is the central square with two fountains. On that square, you can feed pigeons. We visited the cathedral and looked at Gaudi’s house from the outside. We wanted to focus more on other interesting places. During this period, it is dry, so the fountains in Barcelona have no water.
Torrons Vicens is a good place for chocolate lovers. The assortment of chocolates is huge, and the prices are affordable. I also recommend a visit to the Hofmann pastry shop, where you can buy interesting chocolates and pastries.
The Decathlon store is located near the central street. It is interesting that they also offer Salomon sneakers. Throughout the entire street, there are famous brands of clothes and fast food. One of the important things about Barcelona is that it is a capital of diversity, so everyone fits in. Along the main street, many people are performing in costumes. This is the first city where I didn’t feel strange as a tourist.
Museu de la Ciència CosmoCaixa
In addition to all that wonderful nature, I also wanted to visit the Science Museum. Because of its location, locals usually visit it.
The Museu de la Ciència CosmoCaixa is an interesting museum with various settings. It includes a technology setting, a dinosaur park, and an Amazon forest.
Entrance is six euros. It is best to buy tickets on their website to avoid the huge crowd at the counter. Entry is possible even half an hour after booking. The ticket is scanned at the machine at the entrance. You will scan the QR code received in the reservation confirmation email. You need about two hours to visit the museum.
The most fascinating things in the museum were the technological experiments and the video presentation of the Big Bang. Mindball is something you have to try. Two people individually put bands on their heads that monitor brain activity. On the table, there is a ball in a tube that moves towards the person who has more brain activity, i.e., is less calm. At the start, I was excited, and I was up against a person who meditates regularly, so the winner was expected. Consider bringing something to eat and drink in order to eat discreetly. The reason for that is that it takes a lot of time to go through all the interesting things in the museum.
You can see some of the interesting settings on my YouTube channel.
Parc del Laberint d’Horta
After the museum, we went to the Parc del Laberint d’Horta, which is outside the city. You can get to the park by taking the L1 and L3 metro lines. Entrance is free on weekends, while on weekdays it costs two euros. The maze is interesting and not complicated for beginners. Walking in this park reminds me of light hiking because of the hills.
Barcelona is a city where you can visit many places on foot. It is not surprising that you need good fitness and an average of around 20,000 steps per day to get around.
Park Guell
In the morning, we headed to El Carmel Park, which is located near Park Guell. We climbed numerous stairs and then a dirt road to a small peak, Carmen Hill. From this small peak, you can see all of Barcelona. As we bought tickets for Park Guell online, we still had time to explore around.
From Carmen Hill, we went down the path towards Park Guell, and then we did a running training session. We ran through the Parc del Carmel, which is open to visitors. Then we went all the way down to below one of the main entrances to Park Guell. One of the disadvantages is still the unavailability of public toilets. An outdoor escalator is currently being installed on the way up to the entrance of Park Guell. It is good that there will be an option for people who find it more difficult or can not walk uphill.
Park Guell is interesting, with lots of palm trees and Gaudi buildings. There is also a huge landscaped park for walking. The crowds are huge, so it’s important to buy tickets online. You need about two hours of easy walking to explore the park. You can also visit Gaudí’s house. The line in front was long, so we skipped it. When you visit a large part of Barcelona, you see that there are many beautiful parks. This is the reason why we were not completely enchanted by this park.
After Guell Park, we went to see the Sagrada Familia Cathedral and its architecture. You can also buy tickets online and visit the cathedral inside. We visited the main tourist attractions quickly because we focused more on visiting nature, parks, and places outside the city center.
Barcelona Aquarium
Among the other planes, we visited the aquarium. The entrance fee is 25 euros, which is more expensive than what the aquarium offers. One of the interesting things is staying on the moving platform while looking at the sharks and fish. In one part, you can sit and watch the fish.
During our visit, they were renovating the part with the penguins, so that part was not active. Another interesting activity is feeding the fish, and you can buy bottles for four euros. If you want, you can take a picture at the entrance and buy it as a souvenir. As I do not have the opportunity to visit the aquarium in our country, the chance to visit should be used. However, due to the fact that certain parts of the aquarium are not working, the price is still high.
Parc de la Citadella
After the aquarium, we went to the Parc de la Citadella. This park is interesting because of the central terrace with the fountain. There is also a huge area of the park for picnicking, walking, and jogging. Within the park, there is also an artificial lake where you can rent a boat for half an hour for six euros for two people. We also visited the Arc de Triomphe. Palm trees everywhere make the city center beautiful and relaxed.
We set aside this day to go to the beach. Even though it was February and the wind, the beach near the center was full of people. There were waves due to the wind, but that didn’t stop some people from swimming. After a short rest on the beach, we continued walking along the water. The path that runs parallel to the beach is long and fantastic for running long distances. We had a little problem finding cafes and places. It was lunchtime, and they only accepted guests who ordered food. If you come at lunchtime, look for a place outside the main beach to sit. You can easily walk to the Museum of Natural Sciences, from where you have a metro line to the center.
Montjuic
We left the last day for a visit to Montjuic Hill. We wanted to ride the cable car, but at that time, it was not working because of maintenance. Access is good, and there are outdoor escalators. Montjuic Hill is interesting in itself, with lots of parks and nature. As we did not want to visit the castle, we focused on the surroundings. We visited the Jardins de l’Umbracle Park, the Jardins de Laribal, and the Jardins del Teatre Gretz, where the old outdoor theater is also located.
Barcelona’s Botanical Garden
After those parks, we headed uphill. We found out on the map that there was a botanical garden nearby. Barcelona’s botanical garden is huge and has a variety of plants and trees. The entrance fee is three euros per person. It is really worth spending the afternoon in such a place. In the middle of the botanical garden, there is a restroom where you can get a snack or coffee from the vending machine.
After the botanical garden, we headed back to the center. It was interesting to walk along the well-kept boulevard. Also, the outside of the city center is tidy, and there is no garbage.
Olympic Stadium
On the way, we noticed a bigger stadium. We stopped by and saw that it was the Olympic stadium and the park. The Olympic ring, a modern sculpture with the Olympic flame built in 1992 in honor of the Olympic Games, is interesting. The rest of the park is relatively empty and concrete.
After the Olympic Park, we visited the passing parks. One of the parks, Mirador del Llobregat, offers a view of Barcelona’s residential area. You then go down the sandy boulevard to the main roundabout in Barcelona, Placa d’Espanya.
We went to the center to have lunch and buy some souvenirs. I have to admit that on the last day, we were very lucky to find a toilet.
After lunch, we went to the Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes park to rest. Since the park is only open until 5 p.m., we headed further towards the transport to the airport. By the way, we visited the part with Camp Nou. The Camp Nou stadium is under renovation, so unfortunately, we could not see it.
Before going to the airport, we visited the nearby Parc Nou. This public park has a huge area. During all those days in Barcelona, I concluded that it is great when, even in smaller parks, there is a place to sit. Although it is a local park, it is well-maintained and well-lit. One of the interesting things is the small pine forest next to the park.
Barcelona Diversity
After all the planned and unplanned tours that day, as well as the darkness and cold, we headed to the airport. Traveling and staying in Barcelona requires walking, which takes many thousands of steps. If you are not able to walk that much, a metro is a great option. I liked this city because of the diversity of people, nature and parks, and well-organized transportation. After all, prices are not much higher than in Serbia. For all these reasons, I plan to return to Barcelona one day.
