3 travel sins in Barcelona
One of the major reasons to travel is to get to know different cultures, and I am sure you agree with me on this one. You want to get to know how people live in the place you travel to.
Hovewer, in a city like Barcelona that enjoys a big number of visitors all year around, this can be quite difficult.
The visitor turns into a tourist and I think we all know that this term has somewhat of a negative side note, as the tourist is the ignorant visitor that stays within the “tourist guide” territory. For the time that you will stay in one of the Barcelona hostels here are the most striking travel sins and some much better alternatives…
Sunbathing at the Barceloneta Beach
Yes, it is magnificent to be in a city that has the beach right there. And to be honest, very few big cities have nice beaches but Barca is definitely one of those that can be proud of pretty decent beach. In summer, the mediocre tourist spends all day in the sun at crowded Barceloneta Beach finding a square meter to place his towel and always in danger to get robbed. The further you move from the center, the less crowded it gets and you will spot more surfers in the water.
Dare to hop on a boat yourself or even go fishing? Also there are many other beautiful places to enjoy the sun: on one of the many terraces in the city with a cold drink or for more adventurous ones, grab a bike and climb to the top of Tibidabo to get a great view of the city.
Tapas, Paella, Sangria and exotic fruit
Don’t get loured in by the sweet talking clerk in the street that claims the paella at his restaurant is the best in the city, because it most certainly is not. Stay away from the restaurants in the crowded areas and look for the small rustic, local restaurants around the corner that will serve you Pa amb tomàquet, excellent seafood and much more. And my personal tip is to have a dinner with locals in Barcelona where you can meet more interesting like-minded people while trying out something very Spanish or Catalan.
And definitely find time to go to a local market, for example Mercat Santa Caterina or La Boquería, to buy fresh ingredients you can prepare in your kitchen. The market has excellent little restaurants as well. Among locals, sangria is best known as the tourist drink.
Go out to the big clubs by the beach
Barcelona is notoriously famous for its vibrant nightlife and the long nights that turn into mornings. Do not make the mistake to go into one of the big clubs right by the beach. Start of your night with a couple of drinks at one of the many small bars. Just walk around and choose the one that seems most inviting to you. Order a gin and tonic (or a fresh smoothie if you are trying to stay fit like me) and start mingling. Without a doubt you will find out where the night will continue afterwards.
TIP 1: Definitely check out my list of 30 things to do in Barcelona :)
TIP 2: There’s many things you can do in Barcelona. For many of them, such as museums and other attractions, you would need to wait in line for quite some time just to buy the ticket in person. If you’d like to skip lines, you can book your passes here online to save time. It’s very easy to book and you can even book 10 minutes before you enter and thus skip the whole line. All you will need then is your mobile phone so no printing of documents needed. I recommend you to do the following while in Barcelona:
- Barcelona museum pass online
- Camp Nou experience
- Casa Batllo entrance
- Casa Milá – La Pedrera
- Chocolate Museum
- City tour Barcelona
Rose
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You forgot to suggest to watch a football match with the home Team Barcelona against a visiting team, locals love their football club Barcelona.
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Comment@ Rose@disney scooter rentals:
I am not into football any more after I had to spend 3 years watching all the matches with my ex boyfriend football player :D
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Comment true, @ Someday I’ll Be There – Mina:
It is not true, Barcelona is much better than Madrid, it has more things to do than Madrid, and the beach :P ABd I didnt complained about the sangria there at all haha
Someday I'll Be There - Mina
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Comment@ Someday I’ll Be There – Mina:
oh and the sangria, tried that in the local bars of villages in northern spain, and sangria in barcelona is nothing. it only looks like sangria, tastes nothing like it
Someday I'll Be There - Mina
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Great advice, I found Barcelona to be less appealing that Madrid because of the amount of tourists there! It had some beautiful places and amazing spots but not full of the Spanish culture.
crazy sexy fun traveler
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Comment@ D.J. – The World of Deej:
Barcelona is my absolutely favorite city in the world :)
D.J. - The World of Deej
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Great tips…Barcelona is one of my favorite cities in the world…