Because of Zack’s crazy work schedule, most of our trips lately have been pretty last minute, which makes it feel exciting and spontaneous. We recently took a trip to Barcelona where we spent 3 relaxing days exploring the city. The plan was to see most of the big sights, but also have some time to relax.
Sometimes vacations leave you feeling exhausted, so it’s nice when you can balance the fun with the relaxation.
Check out our 3 day itinerary below:
DAY 1: HOLA, BARCELONA
We took a train from Madrid to Barcelona and arrived around lunch time. I fell in love with the city almost immediately. We walked around for the entire afternoon and evening and checked out Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, the first of many Gaudi designs we would see over the next 3 days. We checked out Las Ramblas (which was a little too touristy for me), enjoyed a long dinner (with a pitcher of sangria), and strolled through the Gothic Quarter after the sun went down.
DAY 2: PLAY AT LA PLAYA
Another day of sightseeing ahead:
After an amazing brunch, we walked through the Gothic
Quarter again (because some things are worth exploring during the day and night), where we checked out the Barcelona Cathedral.
From there we headed to the La Barceloneta neighborhood for a day at the beach. We strolled around Port Olímpic and along the boardwalk soaking in the sunshine.
DAY 3: OH MY GAUDI
We woke up early and headed to Park Güell. While there is a free area you can explore, I highly recommend buying a ticket for the Monumental Core (book online in advance to guarantee entry) where you can check out a huge collection of Gaudi’s work.
And since today’s theme was Gaudi, La Sagrada Familia was next on our agenda; a HUGE church designed by Gaudi that is still unfinished since construction began in 1852! Again, I recommend buying advance tickets online if you want to check out the interior. Since our trip was a little last minute, they were already sold out for the whole weekend, but just seeing its exterior was still worth it.
RESTAURANT GUIDE
BRUNCH & CAKE
Best. Brunch. Ever. And the presentations were creative too. There was so much on the menu we wanted to try that we actually went twice.
CARAVELLE
They smoke their own meat, brew their own beer, and pickle their own vegetables. Oh, and the elderflower sangria was incredible.
TIPS
• Beware of pick-pocketers, especially in very crowded and touristy areas.
• Try to buy advance tickets online for big Tourist attractions, like Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia.
• You can get by fairly easily with English or Spanish, but the official language of Barcelona is Catalan.
If you ever have the chance to travel to Barcelona, I recommend it! Three days was the perfect amount of time to see a lot without feeling overwhelmed, BUT even if you only have a day to explore. . .pick your top sights and go!
Have you ever been to Barcelona? What were your favorite things about the city?
– Courtney
Restaurant Links // Caravelle // Brunch & Cake
hardys on holiday 