This is the last trip report for The Corona Way. After a long 45 days around Europe, I finally made my way to Barcelona, this is my second time in the city and the first time since 2015. Barcelona is sort of like an unfinished city for me and I am determined to visit some of the places that I miss out on back then. Another look at Sagrada Familia is on the books as well. It would be interesting to see if anything changed and I am surely going to be back once it is fully completed. Barcelona is the crown jewel of Spain and the top tourist destination in the country. While this is a bustling city to be in summer, it is still equally amazing in the low season. I visited in January and absolutely love it. It is less crowded and the weather is much more pleasant for sightseeing. Barcelona is an international metropolitan that has everything, world-class shops and restaurants, culture and history, and a choice between the beach and the mountain. This s a city that I would love to live in for a bit.

Public Transport

Barcelona is a huge city and it is not one that you can get around on foot alone, especially if you would like to visit all of the attractions. Thankfully, Barcelona has a well-connected public transport network consisting of trams, metro and buses. The system works on a zone basis and for the typical leisure tourist zone 1 is all you need. I will recommend you to get the T-casual ticket which gets you 10 journeys for 11.35 Euros. You can use it throughout the network and it is super easy to use. The metro gets you to most places and it is efficient. Pickpocketing does happen as with any other major European city metro, you just got to be aware of your surrounding. If you are not in a rush, I will recommend the bus, it is much easier and you do not have to climb up and down heaps of stairs, especially when you are changing lines.

Barcelona

I drove into Barcelona from Valencia and the views are especially gorgeous as we are driving in. As we approach the outskirts of Barcelona we stop briefly in Vilanova i la Geltrú for lunch and then took the C-31 in. The views are impeccable as it winds around the hills. We stop by a rest stop and look at these pictures. These are the kind of places that you will never be able to visit without a car.

This time around I will be visiting places that I didn’t manage to do so back in 2015 when I was last here. Barcelona is a huge city and there are plenty of places to do and go. This is a city where you can comfortably spend 1 week here without feeling bored. First up on the list would be Placa d’Espanya and the Magic Fountain of Montjuic.

The magic fountain is located below the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. This place is great both during the day and in the evening. It is a magical sight. I would love to be back in the evening here one day. They have a water show in the evening usually around 8 to 9pm.

This time around, I also manage to check out the La Barceloneta area. La Barceloneta is one of the most authentic neighbourhoods in Barcelona. It is just by the beach, you have the promenade lined up with palm trees and the entire water right in front of you. I love the vibes here. It is more rustic and down-to-earth. I love seeing the locals going about their life here and one very good place to see so would be the Barceloneta Market. The area is packed with seafood restaurants and tapas bars.

No trip to Barcelona would be complete without visiting the Beach and Barcelona is renowned for its beach. Barceloneta is the city’s most famous and traditional beach. It is a stroll away from the city centre. The sand is powdery and fine. Even when I visited in the low season there are still plenty of people here. While the waters are too cold to swim at this time of the year it is still great to lay on the sand and gather with your friends, especially when the weather is so good. Do bring your towel or scarf if you would like. Many peddlers are coming by selling or renting scarfs but they are way overpriced. I took so many pictures here. From here you can get a lovely view of the striking W Barcelona building too. One of my bucket list hotels to visit.

I finally got to visit Park Guell! I miss out on this big time the previous time around and I am determined to visit it this time around. Park Guell is one of the most popular attractions in Barcelona, in my opinion, the second after Sagrada Familia. It is known as the Gaudi playground! The park and garden are full of stunning Gaudi creations and elements. This place is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The place measures more than 17 hectares.

I have always made it a point to check out Sagrada Familia whenever I am back in this city. Another view of this magical creation. Another Gaudi creation. The Sagrada Familia is famous for being unfinished. It has been “under renovation” for more than 140 years. I have previously already visited the interior and you do need to get a ticket. It is quite a good experience and I would recommend doing it at least once.

Here is another look again! This is an update after 7 years and yes, the Sagrada Familia is still unfinished. I promised to be back to see it when it is complete. If you would like to get a good view and picture of the entire basilica from the two parks on both sides of the basilica. There are plenty of good spots here. You can get many lovely pictures here. There are plenty of nice spots in the core city centre such as Plaza Catalunya and La Rambla. These are also the core shopping areas. I like the Barcelona Cathedral and you should check it out when you are here.

Eating in Barcelona

The capital of Catalan has some of the best food that you can find in the world. Barcelona is a culinary haven. From amazing tapas to seafood and wines from the region. I love everything. Some fresh seafood and cava! I can have this every day. I had some of my best meals here and would love to share the places that I dine at during my time in Barcelona. Spanish food never disappoints. This is my favourite cuisine. The first place that I would like to share would be Bar Jai-Ca.

Jai-Ca is located in La Barceloneta, near the beach. I love this quirky tapas bar that is near the market. It is divine. We ordered a huge amount of food and everything was so good. The prices are fair here too. You can check out their menu here. We got the garlic prawns, clams and some cod fritters. Pairing it with Estrella limon! Yums.

No trip to Barcelona would be complete without a visit to La Boqueria and El Quim! This is the place that you have to visit when in Barcelona. It is an affair and the best thing to do in the afternoon. El Quim is the famous stall in La Boqueria, the renowned market just off La Rambla. You can certainly spot it with the bright yellow look of the stall. It is open from Tues to Sat and starts early in the morning till around late afternoon. It is an itinerary to come here and check out the market, do your shopping and then have a great lunch here.

El Quim is famous for its seafood and tapas. A lot of items depend on what is fresh on the day. Prices are definitely much more than similar places outside but the ambience and vibes totally make up for it. I love this place.

Check out the menu here. You should also check out the specials that change day to day.

We went for the peking bao and the seafood platter. The peking bao was ok and I felt it was a little too expensive.

In the meanwhile, the seafood platter was marvellous and out of the world. It is so good. It came with mussels, clams, salmon, sea bass, squid and bamboo clams. The seafood is so fresh and they were just cooked simply on the grill. Each item was exquisite and we love the sea bass that we went for a second serving. I am missing the food so much as I am writing this. I can’t wait to be back.

Tapas 24 is another renowned place to visit when in town. I went there for dinner and the food is pretty good. I do feel that it is a little overpriced and the food isn’t as good as what others have raved about. The prices are also on the high side. They do execute the basics well. Some of their favourites that you definitely have to try include the bikini and the Huevos estrellados con jamón ibérico! The dish that you have to get in Spain. Broken eggs over potatoes and Jamon. Yummy!

The last place I visited was Taller de Tapas, another great place near Barcelona Cathedral. I have been having way too many good meals in Barcelona. This place is great for lunch or dinner. It is open till late at night. They have an extensive menu of tapas and almost anything that you can think of. Prices are very affordable. We got several dishes to share among us.

The Iberico Secreto with quinoa was divine! As with the usual favourites like garlic prawns and calamari! I love it! I would recommend this place anytime. The place is comfy and cosy for meet-ups. It is not too expensive and fancy too.

Conclusion

O Barcelona O Barcelona! I miss you so much and I have always had a good time here. It always feels that I do not have enough time in the city even though I had 4 nights here. This is one of the cities that I endear. I promise to be back one day when the Sagrada Familia is complete. Barcelona is always a city that I do not mind being back to, it is also one of the two major entry points into Spain. There are still a couple of places that I had not visited. It is a perfect place to visit right before flying home too with the plethora of shopping options. I am looking forward to being back one day and doing more exploration. I would also love to visit Girona and Montserrat from Barcelona.