I resisted traveling to Spain, and in particular Barcelona, for years. Why you might ask? Honestly, I have no idea, other than it just never really appealed to me, the beaches in Barcelona didn't look great from the pictures, and everyone (and I mean everyone) just loved Barcelona, so it was a little bit of a turn-off for me. The other thing I had read when researching Barcelona, was that the city was a bit dangerous relative to muggings and theft, particularly at night, and that of course, was definitely a deterrent. Having finally made it to Spain and Barcelona this past summer of 2021, I am happy to report that some of my preconceived thoughts about Barcelona were indeed false, though some, however, were quite spot on. Here are 8 things I learned while visiting Barcelona that you need to know before you visit. #1 - Barcelona "is" a foodie paradise I relent...everyone was right! Barcelona is truly a foodie paradise. That isn't true for all of Spain (more to come on that in another post!), but for Barcelona, hands down, the food is incredible. The best thing you can do when visiting Barcelona is plan on hitting as many tapas bars as you can. Yes, Barcelona has breathtaking architecture, museums, cathedrals and parks (notice I didn't say beaches!), but let's be honest, the food is why anyone should come to Barcelona. What I loved about the food in Barcelona, and the tapas in particular, is that you can try so many different kinds of tapas because they are indeed "small plates of food" to enjoy with your drink...and that was right up my alley. I literally ate my way though the various neighborhoods in Barcelona (Gothic Quarter, Born, Barceloneta and Poble-sec), trying a different tapas bar in each neighborhood, it was honestly a great way to not just see the city, but to experience the cuisine. #2 - The Beach is not great Well, I was right on the money with this one. The beaches are not great in Barcelona, and that's a strong statement for me to make, but an easy one, based on what I've experienced in other counties like Italy, France and Greece. If you're one of the top destinations in the world, located literally on the Mediterranean Sea, with an incredible food scene, and amazing weather during the summer, then of course, you should have some of the best beaches and beach clubs in Europe, right? Wrong. So, here's what's going on with the beach scene in Barcelona, why I'm not a fan, and a few tips on how they work that will help minimize your disappointment. If you're not concerned about hitting the beach, then just skip this section. The Skinny On The Beach Scene For starters, La Barceloneta, Barcelona's famous beach, is a public beach. There are no organized beach clubs with chaise lounges and umbrellas and waiters coming by to bring you a drink and food. Nope...bring your towel, find a spot, plop down and don't go alone. It's important to go to the beach with someone so that you can each take turns going into the water, this way, one of you can watch your belongings on the beach as theft can be an issue. I didn't experience it, but totally can see it happening and beach security will warn you to keep an eye on your stuff. The first thing I did when I visited the Barceloneta Beach (because I was already fearing my ultimate disappointment) was to head to the W Barcelona Hotel. I mean, for $500 - $600 a night, they MUST have a private beach or beach club. Nope. There is a very small, oddly shaped beach area just outside the hotel, however, it isn't clear that it's associated with the hotel and it seems open to the public. Chaise lounges were stacked one on top of the other, and there was no beach service. So, do not waste your time. From there, I walked the entire Barceloneta beach, which is 4 kilometers long (or 2 miles), in search of anything that resembled an organized beach club, and what I found was that there are none. One very expensive alternative to the beach scene is the Hotel Arts Barcelona, which is the Ritz Carlton hotel. For 100 € per person, you can use the hotel's private pool area, you get towels, poolside seating and changing area, and a 20€ credit per person that can be used towards food or drink during your visit. As we came with our filming gear in tow, we were not permitted to enter the hotel, so I can't tell you much more about it other than I think it's too expensive and I'm glad that we didn't do it. So, here is how it works if you're looking to relax on the Barceloneta Beach in a sun chair with an umbrella and something delicious to eat or drink. Sporadically along the beach, you will find some trendy-looking cafes and restaurants that are right alongside the beach. Some have sections with lounge chairs and umbrellas in front of them or close by, but they are not associated with the restaurant. Sun chairs cost 15€ each. You first have to pay the guy sitting outside the sun chair section, and then one of you can stay on the beach while the other runs to get drinks and food at the neighboring restaurant. I visited two different beach areas outside Platja Ca La Nuri and Sal Mar restaurants. That's where I would go again! Don't expect anyone to take your order, you need to go up to the open window at the restaurant and order your drinks...it feels like walking up to a drive-thru window...a little unconventional but we got our drinks! So, my conclusion as to whether or not to spend time at the beach in Barcelona, yes, if you're ok with how the beach scene works in Barcelona, or consider heading north to Costa Brava which is lined with charming seaside towns and beaches. I'll do that next time! Oh, and one last thing...prepare to see a ton of nudity on the beaches in Spain, from top to bottom, men and women, everything is bared...it was an eye opener! Check out the video of my time on the Barceloneta Beach: #3 - Which neighborhood to stay This is an easy one, the Gothic Quarter is the only place I would stay in Barcelona. The architecture is truly unlike any European city that I have visited. It's dark and romantic, full of wrought iron balconies, cobblestone streets, water fountains, cathedrals and plazas lined with cafes. It's simply magical. #4 - Be smart about safety I had read a lot of articles about Barcelona and crime, specifically how it could be quite dangerous at night with frequent robberies in the El Raval neighborhood. I was out and about all day and night in Barcelona and never once felt unsafe. Now having said that, I "think", key word, I avoided the El Raval neighborhood (but most surely walked through it at some point), and definitely didn't walk down narrow alleyways at night, I mean, would you do that anywhere? We predominately stuck to taxis to get us from point A to point B and wandered main pedestrian areas and tapas bars, so I always felt pretty safe. Like any city, keep an eye on your bag, hold it tight when you walk, don't put anything in your back pockets and when you sit down at an outdoor cafe, one thing I do is wrap the strap of my bag around either my chair or the leg of the table to deter a quick getaway. Most importantly, always look alert and in control. The one thing I read was never to leave your cell phone sitting out at an outdoor cafe table...I never tested that theory and guess what, I came home with my phone. #5 - Siestas are real The word "siesta" in Spanish means a short nap, and let me tell you, these things are real. I wouldn't say they're short, and I'd also say they seem to carry over into the morning. At midday, you'll be walking the streets and seeing a ton of closed garage doors sprayed with graffiti and some even with bars or cage like doors. Now, you might think "wow", there are a lot of closed down businesses here, or "is this a safe neighborhood?". Well, the truth is that those are shops behind those closed doors and they're alive and well and will open back up after siesta...it's just not quite clear as to "when" the siesta will end as that seems to be a bit discretionary, with shops having inconsistent hours of operation in general. I learned this all the hard way when I had to do some laundry. First tip DON'T get your laundry done at the hotel, it's outrageously expensive. Second tip, hold out and don't get your laundry done in Barcelona period. Finding a laundromat where they do your laundry for you and you come back and pick it up when ready was not easy to find. Most are coin operated, do-it-yourself, and you know that's not for me, so I did find one laundromat about a 10 minute walk from our hotel in the Gothic Quarter just outside of Plaça de la Mercè. So, here's what happened. I dropped off my clothes and a pair of tennis shoes (they were white, or were white, and were caked in red dirt from a recent hike in Greece), they said to come back the next day after 1pm for my clothes and the following day for my shoes. So, I decided to just wait and get everything at once. I showed up right when they were to be open at 9am, and well, you know where this is going...they weren't. After waiting almost 15 minutes, the dread of panic started to set in as we were leaving Barcelona early in the morning for Mallorca, and the thought of leaving without my clothes was not an option. So, I decided to leave, said a few prayers and tried coming back later around 1pm, since that seemed to be the magic hour that they were open, and luckily, they were, and I got my clothes back. #6 - The people are amazing Get ready to meet some pretty remarkable people. Everyone in Barcelona was so polite and so proud to share their love of food and culture. My advice, engage. Talk to the people you're sitting next to at a cafe, or on the beach, share in the travel experience together, make new friends, and most importantly, create that memorable moment. The picture below is of a woman I met while filming at Cerveceria Vaso de Oro (a don't miss restaurant for tapas by the way). Her name is Montse, which is a traditional and popular Catalan name given to girls, short for Montserrat, or the Maria Montserrat (the Virgin Mary of Montserrat). It was the second most popular name given to girls in 2014. #7 - nobody speaks english Ok, so maybe a slight exaggeration, but not by much. I could not believe how much I had to rely on my Spanish in not just Barcelona, but all over Spain. From taxi drivers to waiters, knowing some Spanish will definitely make your life easier. I honestly have to say I was quite shocked by how little English was spoken, especially for being such a popular tourist destination, that said, it isn't the US or the UK so one should not expect English to be spoken, which is why it's always a good idea to either brush up on your Spanish before you go or learn some key words and phrases in preparation for your trip. #8 - How Many days to stay This can be said for both Barcelona and Spain as a whole...not enough. I spent 3 days in Barcelona and honestly, I could have easily spent 5 - 7 days, there's just too much to see and do, it's a huge city and everything is spread out and you really need to take taxis to get around. But, if you just want a "taste of Barcelona", then I think 3 days is the minimum and it will definitely leave you wanting to come back Check out some of the best tapas bars in Barcelona, watch my Barcelona travel video: Please remember to subscribe, like, comment and share the video. See all the ways you can engage with me and my content: https://linktr.ee/eurotrot
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