Barcelona Things to Do

While there may be loads to see and do in the city of Barcelona itself, no trip would be complete without a visit to its shoreline. Here are few of the city’s most famous beaches worth a sandy stroll.

Barcelona is a city blessed with incredible viewing points. Surrounded by a ring of mountains, it has hilltops and parks and an aerial tramway to give visitors plenty of opportunities to gaze over the rooftops of this lively and beautiful city. Here are some of the best places for a breathtaking view of the city.

Barcelona is blessed with parks and beaches and the sort of weather that lures you outdoors, but if you need to stretch your wings further than the city allows, heading just out of Barcelona will provide everything you can want from mountain climbing to alpine hiking to beach strolling.

Montserrat
The name translates as Serrated Mountain and this jagged peak is forbidding which makes it even more impressive that there has been a monastery located high up on the mountain since the 11th century. 30 miles (48km) from Barcelona, the monastery itself makes an excellent day’s outing and there are walks further up via a cable car, or down to the sacred grotto. But if it serious climbing you want there are a huge range of routes here. From sporty bolted single pitch routes to classical multi pitch routes of between 200 – 300 metres, there are well over a thousand routes in all. The Gorros area is a good place for first time climbers here. Read more about Exploring Montserrat and Costa Brava.

Gloria Rodriguez was born and raised in vibrant Barcelona and loves touring her city. Art Historian by degree, Gloria has acquired the perfect training to complement any tour of this European masterpiece. Her main goals are to be welcoming and empathetic, but to most importantly act as the perfect cicerone – a private Barcelona guide that’s able to point out places of interest, importance and historical value to tourists.

The history of Barcelona stretches way back to the ancient Romans and beyond, but most visitors to this Mediterranean port have just one name on their mind: Antoni Gaudi. The exuberant and eccentric architecture of this devout Modernista artist has become a signature byword for the city, from the spiky towers of La Sagrada Familia to the snaking roof line of Casa Batllo.

Maybe you’re heading to Spain to escape the grey skies and northern winter – but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun of ice skating. There is a temporary rink at the Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona until 8th January, at 40×30 square metres it’s the biggest outdoor ice rink in Europe, topped with a semi-transparent dome and a special section for kids. Strap on your skates and get swirling on the ice at Plaça Catalunya.

Eating and drinking aren’t just enjoyable things to do when you travel – food and wine reveal so much about a culture and its people. Well, that’s our excuse for doing so much of both on Grantourismo, a contemporary grand tour we did. (Read more about Grantourismo here.)