In partnership with
TL;DR:
Barcelona is one of those cities that feels alive in every corner. Sunlight on old stone streets, music drifting out from a tiny bar you did not even plan to walk past. It is a place where the everyday feels poetic.
It is also home to pieces of Catalan culture that exist nowhere else. The architectural style known as Catalan Modernism, including the works of Antoni Gaudi, can only be found here. The city itself feels like a living museum of imagination and identity.
If you are willing to slow down, wander without rushing, support local businesses, learn a few words of Catalan and see the city beyond Instagram, Barcelona has a way of opening itself to you. And when it does, it stays with you forever.
💬 Languages
Catalan (primary) and Spanish. Though younger people might speak English
☀️ Best season
June and September (not too hot but still great weather)
😋 Local dish & where
Pa amb tomaquet, patatas braves, butifarra and more traditional Catalan dishes at El Mussol
💸 Currency
EUR (€)
🚌 Getting around
Metro, trams and buses are widely available across the city. You can tap your credit/debit card directly on buses, but for metro and tram you’ll need to purchase a ticket. If you’re staying a few days, the Hola Barcelona Travel Card offers unlimited public transport.
There are extensive bike lanes and a public bike-hire scheme available. Ride-hailing apps like FreeNow, Cabify and Bolt are commonly used.
Here’s my very own playlist for help you wander Barcelona like a local
📍L’Eixample
It’s a beautiful part of the city with amazing architecture. It’s a great area for nightlife and it has good restaurants!
👄 Musts:
Butifarra amb Mongetes, Escalivada, Fricandó
A few insider tips on choosing restaurants in Barcelona:
If it has pictures of the food outside the restaurant, it’s a no-go
If they have menu only in English, it’s not local
The less modern and “hipstery” it looks, the better the food is going to be
Here are some of my must-eats in Barcelona, all 100% locally loved spots:
La Sagrada Família, View from Bunquers, El Born Neighbourhood
It is very much a cliché but I always recommend it! It’s incredibly beautiful inside and the history is very interesting. It is our local pride!
Just get lost there for a while. The little streets are full of cute shops, tiny bars and random art studios
The science museum in Barcelona and it is SO much fun. They even have a sunken forest to walk through, 10/10!
It feels like a small town inside the city. There are cute little squares with locals sitting outside with a beer and tapas
🏨 #Culture 1: Barcelona has a big problem with mass tourism, a way you can help and still visit is by staying in hostels/hotels rather than Airbnb (since most of them used to be people’s homes now turned into tourist flats).
🍴#Culture 2: Go to local spots, avoid the gentrified specialty coffee or brunch spots with english menus, they are mostly for tourists.
💬 #Culture 3: Learning a few words of Catalan will get you very far!! People are lovely with tourists who are respectful of our culture!
We’ve pinned all the spots mentioned in this guide so you can spend less time searching and more time exploring. Access the pre-pinned Google Map and wander Barcelona like a local 👇🏻
Love this mini guide?
Mini guide curated by:
Maria is very proud to be from Barcelona and to have grown up there. Even though she is not living in Barcelona at the moment but it’s still one of her favourite cities in the world.
Loved this mini guide? Dive deeper into island life with our full Bali travel e-guide.
See you at the next destination drop… Rome, Italy 🇮🇹 on 2 December.
Till then
xoxo
Help share the love
If this mini guide’s a vibe, share it with your crew ✌🏻
Refer 1 person to access our database of every hotel, restaurant, tours and local gems featured in our newsletter.
Refer 10 people and score a free copy of our Bali e-guide!
Growth unlocks straight to your inbox
You’re optimizing for growth. You need ecom tactics that actually work. Not mushy strategies.
Go-to-Millions is the ecommerce growth newsletter from Ari Murray, packed with tactical insights, smart creative, and marketing that drives revenue.
Every issue is built for operators: clear, punchy, and grounded in what’s working, from product strategy to paid media to conversion lifts.
Subscribe free and get your next growth unlock delivered weekly.
