The Travelista

  • Home
  • About
    • Collaborations
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Travel
    • Destinations by World Map
    • Hotels
    • Airlines
    • Restaurants
    • Itineraries
  • Life
    • Yorkshire
    • Style
  • Motherhood
  • Inspire Me
    • Adventure
    • Beach
    • City
    • Culture
    • Mountain
    • Tropical
  • Shop
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Discovering Barcelona in 7 Days

28/03/13 ᛫ 1 Comment

Ever since watching the film Vicky Christina Barcelona with a my girlfriends back in my University days, Barcelona had long been at the top of my travel hit-list. Seeing the Barcelona-based film inspired me to visit the famous Catalan city, and although the plot involved a steamy summer romance with a very sexy Spaniard (played by Javier Bardem), this was surprisingly only one of the reasons why I wanted to go. The film perfectly showcased the city’s stunning architecture, buzzing atmosphere and al-fresco way of life, which gave me more than enough reason to book a 7 night holiday there. So speaking from my travel experience, I thought I would share with you some of my highlights, recommendations and inside tips so you too can fall in love with Barcelona…

Barcelona1

After an early morning 2 hour flight from Heathrow, we arrived at Barcelona El Prat International Airport around 10am and were greeted by glorious sunshine and blue skies. Stepping out of the intensely air conditioned airport I was immediately hit by the contrast of the Spanish heat. I couldn’t wait to explore the city and, more importantly, to try every type of tapas under the sun. We were city centre bound in a matter of minutes by hopping on the Aerobus Express, a nifty little service which took us right to the central Plaza de Catalunya. If you’re staying centrally, this is a great option as you can get a return ticket for only €9.75 – much cheaper than taxis.

Being a bit of a travel geek, I dug my teeth into copious Barcelona travel guides before arriving and had already picked out the top sightseeing highlights for our to-do list. So after settling into The Hotel Icaria, we set off in search of the infamous Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s most famous street. Being a melting pot of colourful street entertainers, artists, overpriced cafes and heaps of European charm, it’s no surprise that Las Ramblas is the city’s tourist hub. Whether you love it or hate it, no trip to Barcelona complete without a stroll down Las Ramblas and doing this first was a great way to kick off our trip.

Barcelona is somewhat of a shrine to the Catalan Architectural genius Antonio Gaudi, whose iconic work is featured all around the city. The Sagrada Famillia is a stunningly futuristic Cathedral and is Gaudi’s most famous work. People go mad for this place and are more than willing to, quite literally, queue around the block. Despite the tourist queuing politics, it’s well worth a visit, so make sure you visit early or late in the day to beat the masses. My favourite Gaudi attraction was Park Güell; a playful garden featuring colourful sculptures and the famous mosaic wall. We got lost amongst the winding pathways and stumbled across a beautiful cityscape view of Barcelona.

Personally, I believe no holiday is complete with a bit of retail therapy and at the top end of Las Ramblas lays Catalunya, otherwise known as a shopper’s paradise. As my companion was of the football mad malevariety, I diplomatically traded an afternoon of shopping with an afternoon at the Barcelona FC Nou Camp Stadium, which was surprisingly enjoyable! We hopped around from place to place on the Metro, Barcelona’s underground transport system. The Metro was efficient, cheap and air conditioned (hallelujah) so was perfect for us. A T10 ticket allows you to take 10 journeys for only €9.25, less than €1 per trip!

Barca

Without a doubt, one of the best parts of the trip was getting to sample all of the amazing Catalan cuisine on offer. I ate the best tapas I have ever had and developed a rather worrying addiction to the Catalan’s equivalent to garlic mayo; Alioli.  Fresh ciabatta bread drenched in olive oil and tomatoes (Pan y Tomates) is served as a complimentary starter in every restaurant, and is also to die for. When it comes to evening dining in Barcelona, things don’t start hotting up til at least 10pm. Being a bunch of clueless Brits, it took us a couple of nights to catch on to this, but if you can kerb your hunger til then you’ll be eating amongst the locals instead of the tourists.

For fantastically authentic and great value tapas, head to the Eixemple district, which is home to a long grand Parisian-style street with endless Al-fresco restaurants and a lively atmosphere. Being based on the coast, Barcelona’s seafood is fresh, tasty and cooked with love. If you don’t mind forking out a bit extra, chic white table-cloth restaurants along the marina are all of a high standard and are perfect for romantic candlelit dinners. The signature seafood Paella is a must, as is the Sangria (although speaking from a couple of woozy lunch stops, it is a lot stronger than you think!).

We chose to stay at the Hotel Icaria because of its close location to Barcelonetta beach (10 minutes walk) and the Olympic Harbour (15 minutes walk), as well as its easy accessibility to the old town (a few metro stops away). As we had a full 7 days to play with, we could afford to combine relaxing beach days with cultural city days, so it was a great option for us. Hotel Icaria has thoroughly earned all 4 of its stars, with friendly staff, great food and modern décor. The pool area was lovely and private but quite small so felt a little crowded at mid-day when all the hardcore sun worshippers emerged.

On our last night, we rounded up an unforgettable trip by indulging in cocktails at the 5 star W Hotel. Located on the very edge of the Port Vell Marina, the W Hotel reminded me of a mini Burj Khalifa and boasts stunning views of the Barcelona coast line. Barcelona is a unique city which offers the rare combination of golden sandy beaches and endless culture and for that reason; it is my number 1 European destination.

 

1 Comment

Related Posts

  • A Local’s City Guide to Liverpool
  • What to Pack for a Ski Trip
  • A Stay at Ushuaia: Ibizas Coolest Hotel
« Review: Es Saadi Palace, Marrakech
Top 3 Hotel Trends of 2013 »

Comments

  1. Viki says

    16th February 2016 at 3:45 am

    Very nice and interesting Article. Congratulations!!
    It’s a pity that the links to the images are broken most of them. Could you take a look on this and solve the problem to enjoy them? 🙂
    Regards.
    Viki

    Reply

Spark a conversation! Cancel reply

Jess is an an award-winning travel blogger based in Yorkshire, navigating the world as a new Mum to baby Theo. Blogging about adventures both local and global.

Read More

Booking.com

Subscribe

Never Miss a Post!

Latest Posts

An Indulgent Escape at Columbia Beach Resort, Cyprus

14 of the most Instagrammable places in Leeds

3 Day Itinerary: A Family Friendly Durham Mini Break

Follow on Instagram

Ad Formal night on board Enchanted Princess 💫 Ad Formal night on board Enchanted Princess 💫

It’s tradition that on every Princess cruise there is at least one formal night, where guests get to dress to impress. There are live bands, dancing, indulgent dinners and lots of fun people watching. I loved seeing how much effort everyone made, with their sparkles, sequins, tuxedos and bow ties. 

TIP: So if you’re heading on a cruise be sure to pack at least one fancy outfit to look the part! 

Did you know about this cruising tradition? It’s such a fun excuse to get dressed up. A nice change to my usual uniform of leggings and a jumper 🤣

@princesscruises 
@traverseevents 
#discoverwithprincess 
#enchantedprincess
Ad I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom Ad I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom ✌🏼

Yesterday we hopped off the ship at Rotterdam and spent the day in Amsterdam on a shore excursion with a river cruise and 3 hours free time. We also found the best kept secret in Amsterdam, especially for foodies. Head to my stories to see what we got up to ⚓️

If you’re curious about any aspect of cruising leave a question as a comment and i’ll let you know! 💓

@princesscruises 
@traverseevents 
#discoverwithprincess 
#enchantedprincess
Ad On board and ready to roll! I’m cruising on E Ad On board and ready to roll! I’m cruising on Enchanted Princess for the next 5 nights and will be exploring Bruges, Amsterdam and Guernsey. 

Follow my trip on stories and see what I’ve been up to so far. ☺️⚓️

@princesscruises 
@traverseevents 
#DiscoverWithPrincess 
#EnchantedPrincess
Hi guys 👋🏼 I’m so excited to share that th Hi guys 👋🏼 I’m so excited to share that this Sunday I’ll be setting sail with @princesscruises for my second ever cruise.

Some of you may remember I experienced a cruise for the first time back in 2018 with Princess Cruises, embarking on an epic 10 day adventure around Russia and Scandinavia (swipe right for throwback photos). 

This time our 5 day cruise will be departing from Southampton and calling at Rotterdam, Bruges and Guernsey. 3 new entirely destinations for me to explore and share. I’m especially excited to see Rotterdam as it’s my Grandma’s home town and the place of my Dutch roots. 🇳🇱 

We also get a “sea day” which gives us time to enjoy all the luxurious facilities on board our ship, #EnchantedPrincess.

I’ll be travelling with some fabulous fellow content creators including @kirstyleannetravels @charliepauly @laurenacliffe @bonnierakhit @joshuanueva. Be sure to give them all a follow to see the same trip from different perspectives. 

Have you ever thought of doing a cruise or are you already a cruise covert? Hope you can all follow along 🚢 💫

(1st photo from my recent Abu Dhabi trip, taken at @beirutsurmer) 

This upcoming trip is a paid campaign so all posts / stories during the trip will be marked as ad. This post is not part of the campaign.
(Ad - press invite) Me and my boy 💓 I hope ever (Ad - press invite) Me and my boy 💓 I hope everyone had a lovely early May bank holiday. Ours has included an incredible meal at @billsrestaurant in York to try out their brand new menu. Swipe for some serious #foodporn 👉🏼

I took Theo and my parents so we were able to sample lots of different dishes (as well as the kids menu) and we were all so impressed with both the quality of the food and also the service. 

The menu is a very international so you can pretty much eat your eat around the world in three courses (or stick to one type of cuisine). But either way there’s definitely something to appeal to everyone around the table

Here are my recommendations from Bill’s new menu;

Starters
✔️ Cheese and truffle fondue with sour dough bread - hands down the best of the 3! Ridiculously good
✔️ Burrata and chargrilled red peppers - insane creaminess in the Burrata, my Dad loved it
✔️ Crispy calamari with roast garlic and basil aioli - a staple starter for me! You cannot go wrong 
✔️ Bill’s sticky duck salad - so light, fresh and flavoursome 

Mains 
✔️ Bill’s sea bass thali - What I ordered. An Indian feast on one plate with so many elements. Loved it!
✔️ Halloumi shawarma - a strong choice from my Mum, I kept stealing her halloumi 
✔️ Miso salmon and aubergine - My Dad raved about this. I was also tempted to order it

Dessert 
✔️ Chocolate and salted caramel tart 
✔️ Eton colada 

The kids menu was also great at £5.95 for two courses and a side, and lots of great / tasty / healthy options beyond the classic kids menu dishes.

Thanks to the team at York Bill’s for such a great experience ✨

Which of the above dishes sound like a bit of you? 🤤🍽
(Ad - press trip) If you’re in search of a luxur (Ad - press trip) If you’re in search of a luxurious family-friendly hotel / holiday this summer, I have a great recommendation for you.

New on the blog is my review of @columbia_beach_resort, which I visited with my family in March with @jet2pics. Find my full review via the link in my bio. 👆🏼#Jet2Cyprus 

Whilst this was a press trip, I researched and selected the hotel myself, and it didn’t disappoint. A few reasons why I chose Columbia Beach Resort:

🍋 It’s part of @smallluxuryhotels 
🍋 Spectacular beach front location
🍋 Beautiful aesthetics whilst also child-friendly
🍋 30 minute transfer from Paphos airport
🍋 Excellent Trip Advisor reviews on food and service
🍋 Kids clubs for babies to age 3 and ages 4-12 (free for 4-12)
🍋 Small play area and shallow children’s pool 

This holiday was part of an Indulgent Escapes package with Jet2Holidays, which come with lots of additional benefits such as:

🌥25kg baggage allowance per person
🌥 Private transfers to and from your hotel
🌥 Priority lane passes through security
🌥 A round of complimentary drinks on board your Jet2 flight (including beer and wine)
🌥 A luxurious gift on arrival at the airport (ours was a beautiful leather travel wallet)

All of these little extras really added up to make our journey so much easier and more enjoyable, especially the priority lane pass at @leeds_bradford_airport and the private transfers on arrival. The driver even had a toddler car seat so we didn’t need to worry about bringing one along with us. I was so impressed.

Hope this review comes in handy for some of you! Check out the blog post and feel free to ask any further questions about this hotel in the comments ☀️

Subscribe

Never miss a post! Subscribe for Travelista updates and newsletters

Latest Video

  • 3847likes
  • 19680followers
  • 10040followers
  • 2030subscribers

Copyright © 2022 · Design by Gatto

Copyright © 2022 · The Travelista on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ
  • Contact