travel

Barcelona Travel Guide

Barcelona instantly stole our hearts and made us feel at home from the moment we arrived. This vibrant city, with its mix of modern urban life and rich history, shares a kinship with Los Angeles in terms of density, culture, and climate. We found Barcelona incredibly walkable, averaging 20k steps a day as we explored its stunning architecture (my Urban Designer husband was thoroughly impressed). From the friendly locals to the endless culinary delights—our girls couldn’t get enough of jamón and pan con tomate—we immersed ourselves in the culture and effortlessly navigated the city on foot. In this guide, I’ll share my top tips on where to eat, stay, explore, and, of course, indulge in some vintage shopping.

STAYS

Finding a walkable and family-friendly apartment was super important to us as we stayed in the City for 6 days. Airbnbs are not popular in Barcelona as they contribute to increased rent, but for our family, it made sense to have the space over a hotel room.

Airbnb: Our apartment was super roomy (2 bedrooms), cute, and had a shared pool which was super vibey! The location was ideal! It was in Eixample, the Catalan Art Nouveau center of the city. It’s a safe and walkable neighborhood close to the metro, shopping, and dining. I highly recommend staying here especially if you have kids.

BARCELONA EATS

We did a lot of eating and walking. In our opinion, this is the best food in Barcelona: 

• La Pepita: a hip dinner spot where you’re encouraged to draw on the walls, tables, and windows. Makes it fun for the kids!
• Xurreria Trebol: An after-dinner chocolate con churros! Yum! (Right next to La Pepita)
• Casa Lolea: Delicious and adorable tapas spot great for lunch or dinner. They’re known for their sangria so make sure to order! 
• Gresca: A Michelin-star culinary experience… Best not to bring the kids (Alan and I made that mistake although we still had a good time)
• Nomad Coffee: one of the best coffee spots recommended by locals. 
• Be Chocolat by Michel Clement: beautiful chocolate shop and has the best churros which are made to order!

BARCELONA ACTIVITIES

There is no shortage of family friendly activities in Barcelona so we managed to do a lot of them on our trip. 

• Tibidabo: this is an old school amusement park with a Ferris wheel and amazing views of Barcelona! Buy tix ahead of time to scan and get in quickly (ticket includes a funicular ride up the hill). There were a ton of families, couples and teens so even if you’re traveling without kids, make the trip because it is so much fun! If you have your tickets ahead of time, you can take a shuttle bus at Plaça de Catalunya square up the hill to the funicular station. We didn’t know this on the way up and walked, but we were so ready to take the shuttle down the hill at the end of the day. 
• Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Pavilion: If you love architecture, you must visit the pavilion which is an important building in the history of modern architecture. Our tour guide Toni and I joked a ton because he was wearing a t-shirt that said “less is more” and I said those are fighting words! Tickets here.
• Parque Güell: A private multi-level architectural park designed by famous architect Antoni Gaudi. It has many gardens and features wild sculptures and other architectural elements designed by Gaudi. You don’t want to miss it. Get tickets ahead of time as it will sell out and you can’t walk in on the day of!
• Basílica de la Sagrada Familia: arguably Barcelona’s most famous landmark. La Sagrada Familia is a sprawling untraditional Catholic church most notably attributed to the works of Antoni Gaudi. Fun fact: it is still technically under construction. You absolutely must visit the church in the afternoon to experience the afternoon sun coming through the stained-glass windows. Words can’t describe the experience. We didn’t do a guided tour because kids get bored and we felt like it was the right choice as we could spend as much or as little time we wanted in each part of the church. Get tickets here.  
• Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau: amazing art-nouveau-style hospital that was functioning until the 90s; but is now a UNESCO architectural site. It’s next to Sagrada Familia so definitely stop here on your way 
• AirBnB experience photographer: We hired Mike to take candid family pictures in the city. While his specialty is not family photography, he was so good with the girls and we got some beautiful pictures. 
• Parks & Playgrounds: You’ll find small playgrounds or open spaces/parks nearly every block in Barcelona so take advantage when traveling with kids! We loved stopping by a different park every day and the girls would play and make friends while Alan and I had a moment together!

DAY TRIPS FROM BARCELONA

If you have a car and want to take a day trip from Barcelona, below are two recommendations. You can also take a city bus or book a tour to these spots as well. 

• Girona: Game of Thrones fans have to visit this medieval city since a lot of scenes were shot here. Even if you’re not into GoT, I highly recommend seeing this picturesque town which is super walkable and easy to navigate. 
• Tossa de Mar: If you can’t make it all the way to Costa Brava, try Tossa de Mar which is a beautiful beach right outside of Barcelona. In the high season it gets busy, so it’s recommended that you make reservations!

SHOPPING IN BARCELONA

• Revival & Co: I went vintage shopping with Mariana of @blancanievesdelparaway here and it’s a cute little shop with local designer and vintage gems. It’s in the Gothic Quarter so you can easily pop into other shops along the way. They also have an Etsy shop!
• Casa Gralla: Another shop I visited with Mariana (which you can watch on YouTube). This is much larger and most items are sold by weight! They have a great selection of 60s-70s vintage and it’s organized beautifully. 
• Humana Vintage: there are several locations in the City and in my opinion they were just okay (especially coming from LA where we have tons of thrifting and vintage). It’s still a good store to check out for lower prices. 
• Passeig de Gracia: is a beautiful shopping street in Barcelona with luxury shops and boutiques like Chanel, Gucci and LV. It is a wide, tree-lined street and honestly a breath of fresh air from Ramblas. 
• Fantastik: A super colorful and fun store with toys, decor, and other collectibles from around the world. It’s not a typical tourist shop and you’ll love shopping here!

BARCELONA TRAVEL TIPS:

• Make food and activity reservations 1-2 weeks in advance.  Restaurants are small and fill up quickly. With attractions, having tickets ahead of time allows you to bypass the long queues. 
• We walked and trained everywhere with the girls! We have the Babyzen YoYo so we were able to get everywhere easily and quickly while other days we just walked everywhere to get a feel for the city. I recommend buying the daily passes for the Metro which gives you access to the Metro in the city as well as the bus system.
• Bring a compact stroller like the Babyzen YoYo (which is the top choice by Europeans as well) so you can navigate tight spaces easily. Plus, it folds up to fit in the overhead bin on the plane. 

FASHION ESSENTIALS:

As noted above, we did a lot of walking and I definitely packed the right shoes! All 3 pairs I brought were very comfortable and provided support and style to walk around the City. This is what I wore in Barcelona!

Tory Burch Sport Sandals: I was never on board the dad sandal trend, but my friend Jenny convinced me that I need these sandals. She was SO RIGHT! These are so comfortable and they look great with so many different outfits. 

Veja Sneakers: I’ve had these sneakers for years and love them because they’re super comfortable and look great with skirts and dresses. The low profile makes them easy to pack as well. 

Valentino Roman Stud Sandals: I’ve had these sandals for years and I love them so much because they elevate outfits without compromising comfort! I got them on clearance for $300 so be patient if you want them because fun colors do go on sale regularly.