After spending day one and two in Barcelona experiencing all of the city’s famous plazas, art, and lots of tapas, it’s time to get your Gaudi on, exploring iconic architecture like the Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell. Then, venture to Barcelona’s coziest neighborhood to get a sense of life as a local in the city.
Breakfast
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Start your day with breakfast at Art Cafe Camelia. This is a super cozy and chic place that specializes in high-quality coffee, as well as tasty, healthy food like pastries stuffed with local cheese.
Then, make your way to the Sagrada Familia basilica just around the corner. Note that it’s best to buy tickets in advance because there’s a year-round demand to visit Gaudi’s most famous creation. Around the church, you’ll find a small open-air market that sells souvenirs — it is particularly nice around Christmas.
Lunch
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Take the metro in front of the church (purple line L2, get off at Paralel, then catch the green line L3 to Plaça Espanya) or, and in this case it will be worth it, grab a taxi as it will get you to Plaça de Espanya quickly, and it won’t cost more than $15.
Go for a tapas lunch at Tapa Tapa to try the croquetas. Across the street is Plaça de Espanya. Plaça de Espanya is a beautiful and quiet area of town, so you’ll be able to relax after spending the morning around a crowd.
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Hop on the metro (green line L3 to Lesseps) or grab a taxi to Parc Güell, Gaudi’s most famous park. Get a ticket to go into the sculpture park and imagine what it was like to live in Modernista times. This park was designed as a living complex for the wealthy elite.
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Hike up to the actual park above. You can spend an hour walking around and enjoying the views. Hiking up here is free. Sit on a bench and watch the sunset. This is a beautiful place to take photos of the unusual city layout.
Dinner
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Come down from the mountain and venture into Gracia. This is a neighborhood that sees very few tourists. Walk down Verdi Street to get immersed in the local vibe.
Food options here are very diverse. You can go for Mexican food at Cantina Machito on Calle Torrijos. There’s also Ugarit, which specializes in Syrian food, classic pintxos on Verdi Street, or Thai food at Banna.
If you’re craving vermouth, pop into Entre Hores. In case you’re in the mood for an elaborate drink, go to La Trini. And if you really want to party, go to Gracia Latina on Carrer de l’Or or El Cubano on Torrent de l’Olla. These Caribbean bars serve delicious mojitos and play salsa and reggaeton til close.