How I spent a long weekend in Barcelona, told via Google Maps reviews (part 2/2, 15 reviews)
I recently took a 4ish day trip to Barcelona as a late birthday trip, and discovered I’d forgotten all my previously-known Spanish… still, I kept myself busy visiting plenty of touristy places and wandering around the streets! Here’s the last 2 days.
Note: This is a pair of posts, with Barcelona Part 1 already published.
Day 3 (22nd October): Parc de Montjuic
This day mostly took me up Montjuic on the cable car, then a meandering route back down. I tried to go for the path less travelled down, which did mean some… interesting wandering down empty streets! Still, the landmarks along the way were a bit more varied, with a total of 26,569 steps (11.75 miles).
Telefèric de Montjuïc ★★★★★
This is a lovely cable car! There’s a bit of a queue, but the amazing views all the way up more than make up for it.
Sitting on the left side of the car (as you get into it) will give the best views on the first half up to the checkpoint, but there’s good views all around on the second half of the trip.
Each car takes 6 people, and at busier times if you’re in a group of 3-4 you may have to wait a bit for a car with enough space for you.
La Caseta del Migdia ★★★★✰
This place felt much more “for locals” than expected, which is a good thing!
Only one meal was served, a great bread + salad + sausage + chicken / pepper skewer platter, with side dish options of corn, nuts, or olives. The ordering process is a little obscure (have to know what you’re asking for, no menu here!), but it’s a pretty popular lunchtime spot.
Unfortunately none of the tables with views were available, but the seats were still good enough to enjoy the meal. Star only removed for the obfuscated ordering process, once you know how it works it’s fine though!
Barris de barraques de Montjuïc ★★★✰✰
This is a small plaque that is actually quite hard to make out due to weather damage. Visiting the website provides much more info, and it’s a somewhat interesting story.
Jardins de Laribal ★★★★★
This free garden has plenty of layers and little interesting areas hidden all over, and is well worth visiting! It was very quiet when we went, with amazing views throughout.
Mirador Barcelona ★★★★★
Whilst there are a LOT of tourists gathered around the steps, it’s still easy to find a seat even on a weekend. From this seat, the views of Barcelona are truly amazing, and the gardens in front help cement this viewpoint.
If you move a little bit down from the main steps and viewpoint, there’s plenty of quieter places to get similar photos.
Bar les Cascades ★★★★★
This small canteen is far better than I expected! We had the hot dogs, mojitos, and a pizza. The mojitos were larger than expected (and strong!), whilst the hot dogs came with cute little crisp / chip hybrids.
The food was pretty quick to order, although they were sold out of vegan hot dogs and iced coffees. There’s plenty of seats in a nice airy part of the gardens.
The toilet situation is a little confusing, with staff having to unlock the door (but no sign indicating this), I recommend watching someone else do it first if possible!
Arenas Mall ★★★★★
I never thought I’d rate a mall 5/5! The lower levels have a supermarket, coffee place etc, whilst the higher levels have a variety of shops, even a cinema!
And, of course, if you can figure out the escalators… there’s an amazing rooftop layer, providing 360 degree views of the whole city. It’s a great place to look out after a walk, or just to orient yourself.
Parc de Joan Miró ★★★★★
A nice spacious park, perfect for walking dogs. If you’re there, keep an eye on what you’re stepping on..!
The exit on the north-east side also features an odd bridge with intriguing swinging gates.
Churreria San Román ★★★★★
Great quick and easy churros here, we had a vanilla filled one and it made the walk home much tastier!
Nevermind ★★★★✰
Noisy, but good vibe. Drinks are a very generous size, and there’s various merchandise to buy! Get there earlier if you want an adventurous seat on the skate ramp, there’s a queue at peak times.
Kasarap Barcelona ★★★★★
Great food, even for some vegetarian friends I was with! The portion sizes are good, staff are very very friendly, and the food is authentic.
Check out the Filipino beer, it’s 8% but tastes as smooth as 4%!
Day 4 (23nd October): Finishing up
As we were flying out in the evening, we spent today visiting all the key bits we missed in a big loop: La Sagrada Familia, Ciutadella Park, Arc de Triomf, and a few shops. On the way we stopped off at plenty of small places, but only a few were notable enough to review! We totalled 20,811 steps (8.97 miles).
Locker Barcelona ★★★★★
Way better than expected. The staff actively tried to help us save money by using the smallest storage container that would fit our bags.
The process was very efficient, but make sure you keep a form of ID on you after putting your items in the locker (you’ll need it & the receipt to collect).
It’s a little bit hidden down a side street, but the queue of tourists outside will confirm you’ve got the right place! Lockers are also super simple to use (I took a picture to remember the locker number before seeing the no photos sign, oops).
La Selecta de xurros ★★★★✰
The churros were a little expensive, and personally I would have preferred them warm.
From left to right, they are:
- Dulce de leche
- Apple & coconut
- Passionfruit
- Mango
Mango was absolutely amazing, passionfruit wasn’t great, others were OK. 4 is enough for 2 people!
Escola de Futbol Pont Marina ★★★★★
We saw a game going on here on our way down to Marina. After watching from the bridge with others for a bit, we realised the stands were open to all and sat down for 15m or so. There was a great atmosphere, and was all you could ask for from a free match!
Parc de la Ciutadella ★★★★★
We only spent a little bit of time here, but it was a lovely peaceful park. Plenty of variety, plenty of winding paths, plenty of seats, perfect!