Set in a natural bay and surrounded by mountains, El Port de la Selva is a small fishing village on the Costa Brava, just twenty kilometres south of the French border. Although there are a few hotels in the village as well as a campsite, some holiday apartments and several good restaurants, El Port de…
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Sant Pau del Camp: The Oldest Church in Barcelona
The church of Sant Pau del Camp (English: Saint Paul of the fields) is the oldest Christian church in Barcelona and was built between 897 AD and 910 AD. It is also one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture to be found in the city. Located in the multicultural Raval neighbourhood and off the…
The Controversial Monument to Slave Trader Antonío López y López
Many of Barcelona’s squares and plazas feature large and impressive statues. Some of the statues are decorative works of art, while others are monuments which honour famous people. Some of the monuments honour kings or heroes of yesteryear. Others feature famous artists, writers, politicians and wealthy businessmen. One such monument was the statue of Antonio…
The Martinet Valley, Aiguafreda de Dalt and the Dolmen de Cruïlles (Montseny Natural Park)
This easy, nine-kilometre hike in Montseny Natural Park is best undertaken in spring or early summer when there will be water in the Riera de Martinet. You can also walk it at other times of the year, but the pools and waterfalls near the start of the trail will likely be dry. The circular route…
Monument to Lluís Companys (Statue of a girl with a handkerchief)
Born in Tarrós in 1882, Lluis Companys was one of the founding members of the Catalan political party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and served as president of the Generalitat de Catalunya from 1934 until he was executed in 1940. The first part of the twentieth century was a time of political unrest and upheaval in…
Doing Laundry In Barcelona (Laundries, Laundrettes, Dry Cleaners & More)
If you are staying in Barcelona for more than a week, or are visiting the city as part of a more extended trip, then chances are, you’ll need to find somewhere to wash your clothes. Doing laundry when travelling has the advantage that it allows you to carry less luggage, but it does require some…
Monument to Santiago Roldán (The Ass Monument)
Barcelona is well known for its public art. Wherever you go in the city, you will see statues and monuments decorating plazas, parks and other public spaces. Designs range from classically styled monuments and busts to more unusual, modern and even surreal creations. One of Barcelona’s most unusual and quirky statues is the Monument to…
Taxis in Barcelona: Information, Fares, Apps & Tips
Taxis are a quick and easy way to get around in Barcelona. The distinctive black and yellow cabs operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and in most areas, you will only usually have to wait a minute or two to flag one down in the street. Alternatively, there are more than two…
Contactless Payment in Barcelona (Credit & Debit Cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay & Samsung Pay)
Contactless payment has been available in Barcelona since 2012 and has become so widely available that you no longer need to carry cash. All shops and supermarkets in Barcelona now accept contactless payment, and you can pay with credit cards, debit cards and smartphones at bars, restaurants and tourist attractions. The only caveat is that…
Where to Buy Alcohol in Barcelona on Sunday (with map)
Most shops and supermarkets in Barcelona don’t open on Sunday, which is good news for people who work in shops, but not so great for tourists, especially for visitors who arrive in Barcelona on a Sunday or simply weren’t organised enough to get the beers in on Saturday. Fortunately, there are exceptions, and whether you’re…
Steel Pergolas on Avinguda d’Icària (Poblenou)
When Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games in 1992, they needed an area within the city to build an Olympic Village to house the approximately 10,000 athletes who took part in the games. Barcelona sits between the hills of Collserola on one side and the Mediterranean Sea on the other. The only area with enough space…
Barcelona Low Emission Zone: Everything You Need To Know
The Barcelona Low Emission Zone (Catalan: Zona de Baixes Emisions) was introduced in 2020 to reduce the adverse effects of vehicle emissions on the health of Barcelona residents. Access to the Barcelona Low Emission Zone is restricted from Monday to Friday between seven am and eight pm. During this time, vehicles entering the area must…
How to Check if a Holiday Apartment is Legal in Barcelona
Short term apartment rentals are an increasingly popular alternative to hotel accommodation. Whether you are visiting Barcelona with your family, on holiday with a group of friends, or planning an extended stay, renting a holiday apartment is often cheaper than staying in a hotel. You can also save money by shopping at local food markets…
Banyoles & Estany de Banyoles: What To See & Do
Banyoles is a small town built on the shores of L’Estany de Banyoles, the largest lake in Catalonia, and hosted the rowing competitions for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The lake was formed two hundred and fifty thousand years ago by the tectonic activity which created the Pyrenees mountain range. The area has been settled since…
Peratallada: A Pituresque Medieval Village Near The Costa Brava
Peratallada is one of the most picturesque and best conserved medieval villages in Catalonia. Unlike most medieval villages and towns, which have grown and expanded over the centuries leaving the original village centre surrounded by newer buildings, Peratallada has retained its original defensive walls and remains largely untouched. Indeed, apart from the three pay and…
Castellfollit de la Roca: What to See and Do
Perched precariously on the edge of a fifty-metre basalt cliff, Castellfollit de la Roca is one of Catalonia’s most picturesque and instantly recognisable villages. Built during the twelfth century on a rocky outcrop at the confluence of the rivers Fluvià and Turonell, at its narrowest point, the medieval village of Castellfollit de la Roca is…
Santa Pau: A Mediaval Village Surrounded By Volcanoes
Santa Pau is a picturesque medieval village in the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone, 100km north of Barcelona. The village dates back to the ninth century when the region was a no man’s land on the frontier between Christian and Muslim controlled territories. With its narrow cobblestone streets and stone buildings, Santa Pau would be an ideal…
Visiting The Croscat Volcano (La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone)
The Croscat Volcano is the highest volcano in mainland Spain and is one of forty volcanoes located in the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone, 100 km northwest of Barcelona. At this point, I have to point out that you shouldn’t come here expecting to see the likes of Krakatoa, Mount Fuji, Cotopaxi or other impressive volcanoes which…
Visiting the Gorg de la Plana Waterfalls (Brugent Nature Reserve)
Ninety kilometres north of Barcelona, the Espai Protegit del Brugent is a small nature reserve that follows the course of the River Brugent, just south of the La Garrotxa Volcanic Area. There are seven waterfalls and natural swimming pools located along the length of the river, all of which can be visited by following marked…
La Fageda d’en Jordà Beech Forest (La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone)
The Fageda d’en Jordà is a beech forest located in the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone, approximately one hundred kilometres northeast of Barcelona. The forest is a popular day trip from Barcelona, especially in mid to late November when the leaves turn golden brown, making the area incredibly photogenic. Whatever time of year you plan to…
How To Book Spanish Train Tickets On The RENFE Website (Step-by-Step Guide)
The Spanish rail network is among the best in Europe, with a fleet of modern high-speed AVE trains connecting major cities at speeds of up to 300km/h. Tickets for the AVE trains typically go on sale ninety days before that date of travel, and if you book in advance, you can get a discount of…
How To Claim Compensation If Your Train Is Delayed In Spain
Public transport in Spain is good value for money, easy to use and efficient. In major cities like Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia you can choose between buses, trams, metro and urban trains. When travelling between cities, you have the choice of long-distance buses or trains. The Spanish national train company is called RENFE, which stands…
Buying A Prepaid Spanish SIM Card At Barcelona Airport
Buying a Spanish SIM card at Barcelona airport can save you money on roaming charges while ensuring that you stay connected throughout your stay. Free Wi-Fi is widely available in Barcelona, but the connection is quite slow, and with prepaid SIMs available for as little as fifteen euros, it makes sense to buy a local…
Electric Scooter Rental In Barcelona (Read Before Hiring A Scooter!)
Scooters are a familiar sight on the streets of Barcelona. A practical way to beat traffic jams and travel quickly around the city, the combination of good weather and easy parking make electric scooters an increasingly popular choice. If you’re visiting Barcelona for a few days and fancy having fun exploring the city on two…
The Miralles Gateway By Antoni Gaudí (Portal Miralles)
Antoni Gaudí was the architect behind many of Barcelona’s best known and most iconic buildings. From the groundbreaking design of Casa Milà to the spectacular beauty of the Sagrada Familia, there’s no denying that he left his mark on the city. But Gaudí didn’t limit himself to designing palaces and churches; he also worked on…
Monument to Simón Bolívar
Sometimes referred to as the George Washington of South America, Simón Bolivar was a Venezuelan soldier and politician who fought to liberate Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama and Bolivia from Spanish rule. The bronze statue of Simón Bolívar by Julio Maragall, which stands near the seafront in Barcelona, is replica of a similar monument in…
Where To Buy A Beach Umbrella & Other Beach Accessories In Barcelona (with prices and map)
If you visit Barcelona during the summer, the chances are, you’ll want to spend some time on the beach. The city boasts over 4km of sandy coastline, and Barcelona’s beaches are great places to relax after spending the morning visiting the city’s many cultural attractions or after a long night partying at one of the…
Júlia, the Life-Sized Concrete Mammoth Statue in the Parc de la Ciutadella
The Parc de la Ciutadella is Barcelona’s oldest and most central public park. Located on the edge of the old town, the park dates back to 1869 when the eighteenth-century citadel, which had previously occupied the site, was handed over to the city council. Home to Barcelona Zoo, the Catalan Houses of Parliament, a small…
Barcelona Tram System Guide | How to Use the Tram in Barcelona
The Barcelona tram system is divided into two separate networks which run through the suburbs to municipalities north and southwest of the city. To the south of the city, the Trambiax consist of three lines (T1, T2 and T3) which run from Plaça Francesc Macià to Espluges de Llobregat, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Feliu de…
Hercules Fountains & The Origins Of Barcelona
According to legend, Barcelona was founded by the Greek God Heracles, who, together with his brother Hermes, accompanied Jason and the Argonauts, searching for the Golden Fleece. The brothers set sail with a fleet of nine ships, one of which was lost in a storm somewhere in the Mediterranean. After days of searching for the…
