Barcelona Guide – What’s Hot and What’s Not

Not got long to visit a city? Then you need a guide on what to miss, and what you can’t miss out. Barcelona makes a perfect summer city break, especially if you’re taking a day trip from Catalonia, or backpacking through Europe. Plus with hostels in Barcelona and other Spain hostels part of our summer sale, it’s even cheaper to make the trip there this summer.

Our guest blogger Gizelle Lau knows what makes the city tick, and recently gave herself 24 hours to sample the best of Barcelona. Here’s her guide to Barcelona’s hot list, with not a dud tapas bar or tourist trap in sight:

What’s Hot:

Jamonisimo. For a taste of some of the best ham in the world and a uniquely Spanish treat, this is the place to go. The ham served here is high-end Iberico ham: pigs raised in the Spanish countryside that are fed on acorns. With my limited Spanish and the shopkeeper’s limited English, when I managed to ask for a tasting plate (35 EUR), the shopkeeper’s face lit up. He took me to a room in the back of the shop where two small tables were set up. He brought out a bottle of Rioja, toasted tomatoes on bread, and sliced some of the most delicious ham I’ve ever tasted.

Gaudi: La Sagrada Familia is the most-visited attraction in Barcelona and packed with photo takers and bus tours. Although other Gaudi sights like La Pedrera, Park Guell, and Casa Batillo are worth the visit, La Sagrada Familia is one of the most fascinating structures I have ever seen. Only partially completed when Gaudi died, this unfinished temple is haunted by construction cranes and scaffolding, not to mention a lack of funding for its completion.

Tapas & Chocolate Cake: Bubo is best known as the purveyors of the World’s Best Chocolate Cake – although I would urge you to try their other amazing treats, which are even more delicious. Visit the shop for a delicious break of homemade marshmallows, macarons, mousses, and specialty cakes/pastries. Bobu Bar next door is also one of Barcelona’s top tapas bar right next door in the Old Quarter, just across from the Basilica Santa Maria del Mar.

Nighttime Entertainment: The Magic Fountain of Montjuic is located in the Montjuic area where you can find attractions like the Archaeological Museum and the National Palace. You can spend more than 1 day in this area alone, but if you’re short on time, be sure to visit on a day that the fountain’s synchronized water-lights-music show takes place at night. Built in 1929, it’s the first show of its kind (eat your heart out, Bellagio!).

The Bus Turistica: The easiest way to see Barcelona, especially if you’re short on time is to just give in and take the Bus Turistica. For a 21 Euro fare, you can hop on and hop off the bus at 24 of the city’s top sights all day until 9-10pm. Buses arrive every 15 minutes and traverse 3 different zones (east, north, and central) of Barcelona, taking you from Montjuic Mountain to Tibidabo Mountain, Olympic Stadium, Sagrada Familia, the Barri Gotic, and many more.

A Hip Hotel
If you’re planning on spending the night, Casa con Estilo is one of the chicest pads to crash in Barcelona. This small boutique hotel only sleeps 12, so has a homely but super cool feel, housed in elegant 19th century building, with funky decor and a terrace overlooking the city. (Ed. Stay at the Casa con Estilo for less with our summer sale!)

What’s Not:

Las Ramblas, the city’s busiest area: A tree-lined pedestrian avenue that begins in the heart of Barcelona leading to its port, it’s packed with shops, tourists, vendors trying to sell to tourists, tourist trap restaurants that serve low-quality food, and people looking to scam tourists, especially near the port-end of the avenue. It’s nonetheless one of the popular attractions – just beware of pickpockets and people looking to lure you into their shop in dark alleys. Go spend your time at the Barri Gotic instead.

Tibidabo Mountain: The top of Tibidabo is great for families because it has an amusement park. The cathedral is stunning and the views of Barcelona at your feet are great, but not worth the time and money to get to the top.

Need more travel inspiration? Discover more great Europe travel reads from TripAtlas.com, like the top European Destinations, the best of Rome, or Why Copenhagen is the Capital of Cool.

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Women Travel Survey

We know traveling as a woman alone can sometimes be tricky,  from worrying about safety to finding an all-girl dorm. So if you’re a female backpacker or solo traveler, have been traveling or are planning to hit the road alone in the near future, we want to hear from you!

We’re looking to find out what makes female backpackers tick, so why not help us out by telling us about yourselves – share you travel plans, travel tales or top places to visit, in our biggest ever survey of female travelers!

What’s more, anyone who fills in the survey can enter our prize draw to win a copy of High Heels and a Head Torch: The Essential Guide for Girls who Backpack by Chelsea Duke, courtesy of Pan Macmillan publishers. It’s the essential guide for any girl on the road!

The three girls that send us the best travel tips will all get a copy of the book – enter at the end of the survey, or send your answers to competitions@hostelbookers.com, with the title ‘Women’s Travel’ in the subject line). The results will be published here on the 24th-30th August.

We’ve also got some exciting stuff coming up in the future for all single female travelers - so check our website or our new blog for more information!

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