There’s so much to see and eat in Barcelona, to keep things short – I’ll just focus on the highlights of my trip. This cosmopolitan city on the Mediterranean offers a wide range of experiences for travelers, first off there’s the food from simple tapas to roast suckling pig and paella – you could literally eat your heart out. The gothic architecture is amazing and the people are very friendly and English speaking though you should always learn your please and thank yous in that country’s language. We stayed at Hotel Jazz which is centrally located a few blocks from all the action such as Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas in a very safe and quiet area. The hotel was simple and modern with good sized rooms and a rooftop pool which unfortunately closes at 9pm. Their staff were very friendly and helpful and check in/out was a breeze. We took the hop on hop off bus tour of the city stopping to see Gaudi’s work. We took two tours outside of the city visiting a small winery to share a meal and wine tasting with the winemaker, we also took part in a kayaking tour up the Costa Brava where the scenery is spectacular and the water is a beautiful shade of dark blue.
Favorite Foodie Spots – I absolutely loved Barcelona – a pig and seafood eating paradise!
Bar Celta (pulperia) – a great local hangout serving the best Galician octopus in Barcelona and potent Galician wine in traditional tea cups, we ate there twice.
El Xampanyet (cava bar) – inexpensive and festive, awesome cava and sardines to die for, we went twice – in the same nite!
Los Caracoles (historic restaurant) – if you like snails, this is the place to go – amazing interior and huge portions of mouthwatering creations, I had the Cochinillo (roast sucking pig) which was to die for.
Tour Company
If you’re looking to explore Barcelona with a guide, I highly recommend Spanish Trails – from tapas crawls to winery tours to hiking the Pyrenees – tours are run by US expats Charles and Tracy who are unbelievably sweet and helpful and will make sure you get the most out of your trip.
Must Do’s
Don’t leave Barcelona without visiting Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia – a truly impressive structure, meander through the Boqueria Market sampling jamon, manchego and boquerones – my personal favorites, and stop into one of the many gelaterias to try the Crema Catalana gelato made with sugary chunks of freshly made caramel.
I used Expedia to book this trip, their room rates were better than those listed on the hotel’s website but you should always shop around and check Travelocity’s deals as well.
Gastro Travels 