41.386730° N 2.169972° E
101.9 km² City Area
1.602 million Population
6753 Miles away from Singapore
Barcelona, the cosmopolitan representation city of Spain and also Catalonia. From the sunny and vibrant Madrid to the quirky and medieval Barcelona, these are the two most visited places in Spain and of course the representation for the country! From Luxury shopping, fine dining, the historical central Boqueria market to tiny tapas bar, you could find anything here and this fine city fits all sorts of travellers, from family oriented to the adventurous! Of course, we could not leave without checking out some of the products of the great architect Antoni Gaudí’s! If you ever ask yourself why Barcelona is so gorgeous when you first step foot in the city, he is probably the answer you are looking for! From the fantastic Sagrada Família unfinished church to normal streets and buildings, his legacy is everywhere.
If you have never ever been to Barcelona, you couldn’t have said to be ever been in Spain. Let me do some promotions for Singapore Airlines, SQ flies to Barcelona 5 times a week! Some basic interaction tips first, tourists should never say or even suggest that Catalonia is the same as Spain, as the locals hate it! They rather respect that both are different, as a simple rule of thumb, avoid speaking about political and regions when interacting with a local, people are friendly and you would have a great time! The central of the city revolves around Plaza Catalunya and La Rambles, with the rambles being the most amazing street in the whole of Barcelona, leading straight down, linking Plaza Catalunya to the gorgeous seafront, where it lies the iconic W Barcelona and also La Barceloneta the most famous beach in the city! Travelling around the city is extremely convenient with well linked public transport and numerous taxi around, I have also find the prices more fair than other major European cities! Although I have to say, if you do stay in the city centre the chances of you taking the metro or cab is extremely rare, the city is extremely walkable,, which is why I didn’t take any metro or bus at all! Given the perfect weather, sunny and cooling, I even walk from Plaza Catalunya to Sagrada Familia, which is about 30 mins away! Besides, if I visit a cold countries, I will always choose to walk, given that it immerse you so much more, taking in the sights, seeing the local life and of course snapping some pictures. The city is also well connected to the airport, which is probably the only time you will require transportation, the well known and most convenient Aerobus, which provides direct connection to the airport is situated right on Plaza Catalunya, taking 35 mins and at a affordable price of 5.90 Euros. Operating 365 days a year, A1 goes to terminal 1 while A2 goes to terminal 2. Another option would be cab, which is at a flat rate of 29 Euros, which probably took like 15 mins?
With this special Travel Blog of mine, I would share with you guys which are the sights and places I visited and highlight which are the various ones that can’t be missed! In the other related posts, I have already covered the various specific attractions and the more famous one. In this, I will share the other places that I have been to! It goes without saying, La Rambles is a must visit in Barcelona, along with Plaza Catalunya and Passing de Garcia, this three places marks the shopping arch in Barcelona. From Zara to Hermes, anything can be found! Rambles is also awfully gorgeous, a tree lined street, with the pedestrian in the middle and the traffic on the side!
Next up would be the seafront of the city, decked under the shinning sun and cool breeze this place is great. If in luck, you could also checked out the massive cruise ships in port, given that the cruise centre is just right next to it! Barcelona is a major cruise destination, if interested, this might be another way to get into this outrageous city! Besides gawking at those luxury yacht and seeing how people spending their leisurely afternoon, there is plenty to do here. From the 5,000,000L Aquarium to the numerous restaurants in the vicinity. And if nothing comes up, the best would be taking in a stroll here, soaking up the sun and the atmosphere all accompanied by the sea breeze!
Lastly, you definitely got to visit Placa Reial and the twinning streets behind it. I would recommend visiting Placa Reial for an alfresco lunch followed by some exploring of this amazing place, outlining the square and the streets lies amazing boutiques selling all sorts of stuff, from jammon museum to various small handicraft and stores selling stuffs that you have never seen before. Before heading to these seductive alleys and streets, explore Place Reial first, it lies fountains, sculptures all under tall trees giving us the mexico and the southern american feels. The place is lively and bustling, full of both tourists and locals! Right after that proceed on to the streets behind the plaza, continue on, do not afraid to get lost! After all, the final destination that I would like you to go to is pretty visible, just look upon it and you shall arrive! Sometimes, it is a luxury to go somewhere unplanned, just walk and see what that route brings you to, enjoying a no fuss and relaxing stroll. I guess the phrase “All Routes Leads to Rome” makes sense now. The place that I would like you guys to go is a definitely must visit in Barcelona. Another great representation of this city lies the Cathedral of Barcelona. I was kept in awe during my short stint here! Actually, I have not planned to visit the cathedral although I have heard many good reviews about it! I was just taking a lazy stroll after my hearty lunch at Plaza Reial. That’s why sometimes life is always full of surprises, you never know what lies ahead for you.
Speaking about gorgeousness, this cathedral definitely lies in the top few, seemingly could be comparable with the Milan Duomo. But, when you speak about imposing, I would say that Cathedral of Barcelona is hands down, NUMBER 1! Standing 90 meters tall in the region, surrounded and accompanied by the historical buildings on Barcelona. This Gothic style cathedral is absolute most impressive one that I have seen, together with the steps at the bottom of the cathedral, the place is perfect for some people watching and definitely instaragamable pictures! If you are worried that you are lost, no worries, just walk straight down, pounce on the huge amazing stores and the road will naturally bring you back to Plaza Catalunya!
I hope you guys enjoyed Barcelona as I do, even the most writer could describe as well as being there personally, not to say me! If possible, definitely check this place out before you do not get the chance to do so! Personally, I will definitely return one day to check out the completion of Sagrada Famila and that is a promise I made!
Seeing The World In Steps 