Barcelona

Besos a Barcelona!

Barcelona offered amazing tapas, unique buildings, and lively music—a perfect mix for an incredible trip.

Where we stayed:

The Black Swan Hostel was both central and stylish, with a sociable atmosphere that eased my first-hostel nerves. A female-only dorm helped us feel comfortable and safe, and friendly guests made the stay enjoyable. I highly recommend this hostel for anyone wanting a relaxed yet fun base, with comfortable beds and nightly bar crawls.

Day 1: Walking tours and Tapas

Exploring on foot kicked off our first day—after checking in, our hostel's walking tour led us to see the Arc de Triomf, a beautiful city landmark. Walking through the arch brought us straight into Ciutadella Park, full of gardens, ponds, sculptures, and great people-watching.

The Tipsy Tapas tour, which we booked through Viator, was a highlight. This tour took us through Ciutat Vella—Catalan for “old city”—covering Barcelona’s oldest neighborhoods between the Mediterranean Sea and the L’Eixample district. We wandered the famous Gothic Quarter full of history, and while here, we visited the Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar, a stunning church rich in history.

We visited three quaint restaurants and sampled Spanish classics like croquetas, patatas bravas, Pa amb tomàquet, escalivada, and gambas al ajillo, all perfectly paired with wine, and of course, the popular sweet vermouth aperitif. Our friendly guide and tour group made the night even more enjoyable.

We ended our night at Dow Jones bar in L’Eixample with some new friends we’d met during the tour. This bar is themed after the New York Stock Exchange, with décor and digital boards that display drink prices that change in real time based on popularity. The atmosphere made for a memorable first night in Spain, letting us celebrate with a nod to home.

Day 2: Park Guel and Tourist Sights

Today was filled with sightseeing some of the most popular spots in Barcelona. Starting with Park Güell, designed by Antoni Gaudí, a famous architect who left his mark on this city. It truly combines art and nature, showcasing beautiful mosaics throughout the park, with vibrant sculptures and trees everywhere. A highlight was seeing a local dancer tap-dancing to a street performer’s guitar under an archway. From the park’s viewpoint, you can see the whole city with the Sagrada Familia in the distance, setting the stage for our next stop.

Our next stop, the Sagrada Familia, impressed us with its massive size and beauty—even in its current state of construction. We enjoyed a cappuccino and a ham-and-cheese sandwich at a nearby café, then visited Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. The outside of Casa Batlló is something to see, with rich blue ceramics and stone, and balconies with white stone made to look almost skull-like. During our tour of Casa Batlló, we admired its marine life and fantasy-inspired design, blue color scheme, and vibrant, scaled roof. The unique interior architecture made the tour well worthwhile.

We had dinner at a restaurant in L’Eixample called Vinitus, where we feasted on delicious tapas like seared tuna and truffle gnocchi, and pistachio ice cream for dessert. My friend and I sat there drinking sangria for a while, and reflecting on our amazing second day.

Day 3: Boqueria Market and Speakeasies

Day three centered around discovering Barcelona’s food scene, especially at local markets. After a slow start and lunch near our hostel, we walked over to Las Ramblas, a lively 1.2-kilometer boulevard. It’s famous for local stalls and the huge La Boqueria market, one of Europe’s most famous food markets, offering everything from candied fruits to dried meats and antipasto. We sampled olives and cheeses as we wandered.

After taking in the market, we headed nearby to Palau Güell. It’s a Gaudí-built mansion from 1885, and its striking features blend Gothic and medieval architecture. We were able to do an inside tour and spent time in awe of the cathedral-like hall with soaring dome ceilings, an incredible music room featuring an organ, the ‘hall of lost steps’, and unique chimneys on the roof's terrace.

We took some time to refresh at our hostel, then headed back out for dinner. We dined at Boro Bar in the Quadrat D’Or neighborhood. We sipped on espresso martinis and shared tapas, including a coconut fish ceviche, Korean barbecue pork sliders, and patatas bravas. It was excellent. For a nightcap, we headed over to Bobby’s Free, an elaborate barbershop-themed speakeasy, with a classy prohibition vibe inside. Accompanied by swinging chandeliers above the bar and a disco ball in the corner, it was the perfect spot to chill to the music and chat over cocktails while meeting some new people.

Day 4: More exploring and relaxing by the beach

We began our last day by heading straight for the ocean and the Barceloneta area. There, a promenade along Port Vell and Moll de La Fusta let us enjoy sparkling water, palm trees lining the highway, and city views with a mountain in the background.

We hung out at Saint Miguel beach for a little while. It’s one of Barcelona’s oldest beaches, named after the 18th-century church of Saint Miguel del Port. We people-watched for a while, sitting underneath a tree to hide from the on-and-off again sun showers. It was nice to just relax and take in the water for a couple of hours.

Wanting to stretch our legs, we were off again, heading back towards Ciutat Vella, which became one of our favorite areas. We walked to the Cathedral of Barcelona, a gorgeous Gothic-inspired church. The area was lively, with shops all around and people painting or listening to music. We then headed over to Mural del Beso, the kissing mural, hidden in a back alley. It was a really unique mosaic of two lips kissing, made up of tiny pictures of people, couples, and others kissing.

We kept walking down skinny streets filled with shops, doing some window shopping and stopping in a couple of jewelry stores. We found the I Wear Dolls jewelry store, which specializes in permanent bracelets, and my friend was excited to grab hers. It was right next to Saint Joseph Oriol Square, a cute circular area of the neighborhood where we stopped for a glass of wine and a quick bite. We sat there for a bit, taking in the pretty buildings with balconies surrounding us.

That was the end of our last day, as we went back to the hostel early to collect our things and get a good night's sleep before heading off to the next country in our adventure the next morning.

We left Barcelona feeling grateful to have experienced such a vibrant culture and to have made new memories. Can’t wait for the next adventure!