Things to do in Barcelona

Barcelona is a beautiful city with an amazing amount of activities and things to offer. Depending on your preferences, you might prefer to relax one afternoon at the beach or at the park, or you prefer to go for a drink at a café. Here you are going to find a few options available.

PARKS AND GARDENS

We all know that we are not in London, but the English are not the only lovers of parks. Here in Barcelona, the residents prefer to hang out in the main parks while waiting for summer. It might not be warm enough to go to the beach but it’s really nice to lounge at the park, with your towel, book and drink. Usually, you have people selling food and drinks to the visitors.

BEACHES

Keep in mind that we know that the Barcelona beaches (4,2 km in total) cannot compete with the ones in Costa Brava or the ones in Costa Dorada. In fact, because of the amount of pollution in the city, the quality of the water and the sand is inferior. But they are ideal for a lazy stroll one afternoon or for jogging. The most visited beaches are Vila Olímpica and Barceloneta. But you have many others to choose from. There are some street vendors (legal or not), in case you want a cold beverage or a foot massage.

GASTRONOMY

Spain is known for its food and food culture, so we want to give you some guidelines so you can have the best experience here in Barcelona. If you want to know where to go to eat, you can check out our blog post about bars and restaurants in the city.

Gastronomy is one of Catalonia’s many fortes, driving thousands around the globe to experience its fine Mediterranean cuisine. From culinary innovation to Catalan rustic dishes, Barcelona is home to some of Europe’s finest chefs.  With the Mediterranean diet including lots of olive oil, seafood, vegetables, meats, garlic and red wine, there are 5 different eating hours and plenty of time to savor the great cuisine Barcelona has to offer.

To tip or not to tip?

Out of courtesy, we can tip the waiter but there is no established system in Spain like there is in some other countries, such as United States and Italy. In bars, you never tip but if you want to leave some extra money after you have a coffee or after a meal, then it is completely normal. You can leave one or two euros but not more. In fact, if you don’t want to tip or you are not use to do it, don’t worry because normally no one does it.

When to eat?

Gastronomy is one of Catalonia’s many fortes, driving thousands around the globe to experience its fine Mediterranean cuisine. From culinary innovation to Catalan rustic dishes, Barcelona is home to some of Europe’s finest chefs.  With the Mediterranean diet including lots of olive oil, seafood, vegetables, meats, garlic and red wine, there are 5 different eating hours and plenty of time to savour the great cuisine Barcelona has to offer.

Breakfast 7:00am – 09:30 am

If you want a more traditional and savoury option, order a tostada, pan con tomate, tortilla or a bocadillo in your nearest breakfast bar. This can vary from anything between 3.50€ – 5€.

Midday 10:30am – 12:00pm

A Midday in Spanish is “almuerzo”, time to have a quick snack before lunch for an extra boost of energy to help you get through the day. This is usually anything from a little sandwich to a piece of fruit.

Lunch 2:00pm – 3:30pm

Lunch is the main meal. In many places you can find the option of “Menú del día” per 10€ aprox. These Menus usually consist of a first plate, a main dish and dessert including the drink.

Merienda 5:00pm – 6:30pm

Merienda is the time for another little snack. You can buy some fruit from one of the many beautiful markets, sit down and treat yourself to some “churros con chocolate” or eat a refreshing ice cream.

Dinner 9:00pm – 11:30pm

Dinner is usually late here and due to this, the portions are usually smaller to those of lunch hours. This is an ideal time to enjoy a typical glass of red wine over a selection of “tapas”.

Vermut

On Sundays, between 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock, Catalan people like to get out for what they so call “vermut”. Even though “vermut” is an actual drink, it also became an activity. It’s a small appetizer before having lunch, when you go out for a beer or vermut, and you can also enjoy a few tapas.

CINEMA

If you are feeling like going to the cinema but don’t want see the Spanish dubbed versions available here in Barcelona, don’t worry. There are many cinemas that offer the original versions but with Spanish subtitles.

• Filmoteca de Cataluña (Plaça de Salvador Seguí, 1-9)
• Meliès (Villaroel, 102)
• Verdi (Verdi, 32 and Torrijos, 49)
• Renoir (Floridablanca, 135)
• Icaria (Salvador Espriu, 61, El Centro de la Vila)
• Maldà (Pi, 5, Galerías Maldà)

MARKETS

Barcelona is very famous for its variety of markets: secondhand, vintage, food, flowers, etc. If you want to know more about them, read the following blog posts: Barcelona – Land of the Second Hand Markets

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Survivor Guide

But just in case, you want a simple guide on to survive your first days here in the city, you can check out these blog posts: Survive in Barcelona and Culture Shock