Travel Logs: Barcelona, Spain 5 Things to Know Before You Go
We’re often asked how we end up on such cool adventures during our trips. The truth? I spend months ahead of time researching my upcoming travels through blogs and Instagram, searching for the must-see and do aspects of a new city. One of our favorite things about traveling to new cities (besides finding all the hidden beauty, food, and adventure) is sharing what we discover with all our friends. Whether you’re planning your own trip or just have a case of wanderlust, we’re bringing you our top five tips we learned on our travels across the globe. After spending four months living abroad in Barcelona, we have the inside scoop on this incredible city.
Ready…Set…TRAVEL!
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Explore the City by Foot
Barcelona is an extremely walkable city, which is one of the reasons we love it so much. With its wide pedestrian boulevards, cobblestone alleyways, and superblocks, exploring the city by foot is both easy and enjoyable. The city is beautiful, so why not wander around and take it all in? Stop at one of the various sidewalk restaurants as you wander the beautiful streets, walk up and down the several-mile path along Barceloneta beach, or wander through Las Ramblas…the walking options are endless.
Keep it Local
The city of Barcelona is filled with tourist attractions, but we recommend you keep it local. While the famous attractions are incredible, we love wandering the streets to find the markets, shops, and bars that all of the locals love to enjoy. This immerses you into the city and the culture, making for a better experience. Barcelona is an extremely popular city to travel to, so it is easy to get lost in a sea of tourists at the more popular attractions. Explore and talk to the locals, the city has so much more to offer than the typical sight-seeing destinations.
Prepare to Adjust Your Schedule
The locals of Barcelona have a different schedule than we are used to, but we love it. The eating hours are quite different in Barcelona, and siesta is a real thing. You can expect many shops and businesses to close between the hours of 2-5 pm, and restaurants 4-8 or 9 pm. Meal times are different as well. Long extended lunches from around 1:30-3:30 pm are the norm, and dinner before 9 pm is unheard of. Mini-meals and drinks between meal times are always acceptable. Adjusting to the schedule of the city will allow you to enjoy a good nap at siesta time, and even better food during meal times.
Get Ready to Dance the Night Away (it’s worth it!)
Residents and visitors of Barcelona do not mess around with their nightlife scene. The city is notorious for late nights, a lot of dancing, and a whole lot of fun. There are so many things to visit and explore while in Barcelona, but planning for at least one late night is worth it. The scene is unlike anything you will see in the US. There are clubs and bars all along the Barceloneta beach strip as well as clubs and bars scattered throughout the city. Heading out on the town earlier than 12 AM is unusual, it is a much later scene here. You can expect bars to start getting crowded around midnight, and clubs around 3 AM. Don’t plan for much exploring the day after your night out!
Fútbol is a Way of Life
Soccer is a critical component of the culture in Barcelona. FC Barcelona, the official team, is one of the greatest teams out there, and the city takes pride in this. While visiting the city, watching a game is critical (if you are there in season). Whether you splurge on tickets for a live game, or watch in a bar with all of the locals, watching a Barça soccer game is a key event when in Barcelona. The energy and excitement in the stadium, or even just in a bar full of fans, is contagious. Whether you are a soccer fan or not, watching an FC Barcelona game will transform you into a Barça fan in no time.
