Fun in Barcelona

If there is one Spanish city that reminds me of Cebu, it is Barcelona. I love the laid back and relaxed feel of this place. Like Cebu, the beaches and mountains are nearby. There are great outdoors stuff to do as well.

But the unique thing about Barcelona, for me, would be, how it was designed. You can see it clearly when you get a map of the place.

So, as I always tip my friends from the Philippines who ask me of the cheapest way to get there, there's nothing like calling travel agents, going through several websites and calling the airlines to find good deals. There usually are, depending on the season.

I always advise people to check on the weather and the season you decide to fly. Barcelona is not as cold as other cities like Madrid but it can still get cold. Well, that depends on a person's own definition of "cold".


Just pack everything you need, and more importantly, be prepared. Do a lot of reading about Barcelona before your trip, and not during! You may spend a lot of time asking around what to see and do first, thus wasting a lot of precious time.


I think that Barcelona is not as cheap as Madrid, but relatively cheaper than many European cities. So, you may be able to find a reasonably priced hotel, pension or hostal. But the problem would be finding a vacant one. Barcelona is packed with tourists. That is why, I suggest to always booking way in advance.

The next thing to consider is where would you prefer to be located. Personally, I prefer a place that is more central and accessible to most of the sites. You may be the type who would want isolated but peaceful locations but some areas can be inaccessible, but not me.

These are some of the different areas of Barcelona, Montjuic, Eixample, Ciutat Vella or Barri Gotic, Les Corts, Passeig de Gracia, Sagrada Familia, San Marti, Gracia, Sarria San Gervasi, Horta Guinardo and Nou Barris San Andreu.


I would say that the area of Las Ramblas is centrally located in terms of tourists spots and activities. This area is a bit too noisy for my taste. If you want a more quiet area, then El Born could be an alternative.

Barcelona's airport, El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto can be reached by metro, taxi or bus. Being the budget traveler that I am, I take the metro. It may be a bit difficult to drag your heavy luggage all around, but that's the budget traveler in me.

If you don't fly in and take the train, remember that Barcelona has 2 train stations, the Barcelona Francia and Barcelona Sants (the main station). The main station is big and a bit confusing, but just go to the nearest information counter to help you make your way to your nearest exit point. From there, you can take a taxi or the subway to your hotel.



Being the Cebuano that I am, I could spend more than a month in Barcelona. It feels a lot like Cebu, for me. There is so much to do in this city!

But if you only have less than a week, here are the must see things to see and do while you are in Barcelona.

Of course, check out Gaudi’s Temple de la Sagrada Familia or his famous Parc Guell and also the Casa Batllo.


There is also the busy Las Ramblas which is the hip place to be at. From Ramblas, explore Barri Gotic where you can find the Catedral de la Seu, Plaça del Rei, the Catalan and Barcelona government palaces in Plaça Sant Jaume.


Set a few hours to reach the top of Montjuic. There you will see the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, which has an impressive collection of Romanesque art. But what is more amazing would be the view of the city of Barcelona below. In that area, one can see the Olympic venues where the summer games where held in 1992.


I love parks and open spaces of Parc Joan Miro, Parc Guell, Plaça Catalunya, Plaça d'Espanya or Parc de la Ciutadella.


Remember I was talking about the city’s unique development? So check out L'Eixample. It is a fascinating part of the city.

I love the Barceloneta because of the beach, people watching and the seafood restaurants.


You will surely see the Columbus Monument, the Zoological Museum, the Maritime Museum, Port Vell, Boqueira Market, the Chocolate Museum, because they are all near each other.


You can do all this on your own, or take the hop on and hop off bus. You can find many of these at Plaza Catalunya. The tourist office is at the basement of the park, the entrance steps would be the one facing the big building complex of the department store, El Corte Ingles. Translated, means, the English Cut.

If you want go around by yourself, it is cheaper if you buy the T-Dia Pass, for unlimited bus and metro ride. You can ask about this from the tourist office.


For some good Catalan specialties, try the "esqueixada" (salad) "escudella i carn d'olla" (stew) or the "espinacs a la catalana" (spinach).

The locals would recommend to try the "zarzuela", the local fish stew or the ever famous, "paella"


If you like sweets, then, "crema catalana" (a yummy custard) is something you could fall in love with. For any Filipino, we would recognize this as "leche flan". By the way, the street "Carrer de L' Argenteria" has a great ice cream shop!

From what I could tell, there were many shopping areas along Passeig de Gracia and the pedestrian zone. But there were many flea markets at the Ramblas as well.


Just keep your eyes open for the word, MERCAT, which means, Market. You will definitely enjoy yourself in those places.

Barcelona is what it is, a city of fun. I recommend you just take it all in, night or day.