What to do and what not to do in Barcelona

by Michael Donelly

Without doubt Barcelona is one of the all time greatest weekend break cities offering a mix of sea, urban sprawl, a gorgeous old town area and of course the most famous (and over rated landmark, La Rambla.

Photo Credit: Guillaume Cattiaux - Flickr

La Rambla, a long shopping street with over priced cafes and restaurants is probably the least interesting of all the things to do in Barcelona but its legendary name draws in the crowds of foreigners who pay a hefty premium for their Barcelona accommodation just to be located within spitting distance. For better value consider staying in Eixample, an are a little to the north of the centre which the locals consider the best place to live.

Below we have split the attractions into 2 sections: Over-rated and worth seeing.

Over-rated attractions:
La Rambla: Enjoy being overcharged or having your wallet stolen? This is the place.
Poble Espagnyol takes an hour to get to and it's just two fake buildings with some artisan workshops and admission fee. Don't waste your time.

Sagrada Familia is a cathedral half built by Barcelona's most famous artist, Gaudi. It's wonderful and you should see it, but don't get ripped off and go inside. Nothing to see there.
The Picasso Museum might be interesting to visit for aficionados but his best work is not on display here. It's packed with tourists and tour groups and getting around is an unpleasant experience.

Maremagnum by the port. It's pleasant enough in the day but avoid the area after dark. The clubs are overpriced and are only interested in your money. They also seem to be competing for the loudest stereo award. A great place to meet people with the lowest IQ from the UK.

The Nicest Attractions

Parc Guell is a park north of the centre which Gaudi worked on for several years. You can even see the house he lived in there. It's a wonderfully exotic place.

The cable car to Montjuic starts at the port. It's a great way to get photos of the whole city. Once you are on top of Montjuic you can walk down and catch the metro back home. You only need to pay for a one way ticket if you don't mind some walking.

Sagrada Familia. As mentioned above, a top attraction of the city, but don't pay to go inside.

The Aquarium is a great place to go with the kids. A view of life as if you were under the sea. Absolutely stunning. The magic fountain of Montjuic, offering a light and water extravaganza. Open only in summer.

Finally a few great places to eat: Sagardi offers a standing only sandwich tapas experience. Pay for each sandwich by the toothpicks collected on your plate (one per sandwich). A great place for beer and snacks. And for those with a huge appetite: Monchos on Travesera de Gracia 44-46. All you can eat buffet but it's best on Sriday and Saturday evening when the most people come as they roll out the special foods like oysters. Look out also for the all-you-can eat salad bars dotted around the city. Run by chinese owners these places offer lovely fresh food for an all-inclusive price of around 8 euros.

The author, Michael Donelly also writes for his own blog Anotherway and the Apartmentsapart blog, for Apartmentsapart,  company specialising in vacation rentals and short term apartment accommodation