Princess' guide to Barcelona Part one-Things to see, do and love!

Hi guys! so, after my holiday outfit post (check it out Here) I decided that since I have now been to Barcelona a total of 5 times in less than a year and a half (which is crazy by my standards!) I figured I now know a thing or two about some cool things to do while you're there.
Please bear in mind that this is by no means a definitive guide to everything there is on offer-It's just a few things I enjoyed while I was there, and I hope you will too :-)
So here goes.......



1. Beaches

One of the first things you will see as you embark upon Barcelona is the long coastline! The beaches nearest to the city stretch 4.2 km along the coast, which means there is plenty of space to chill and soak up the atmosphere! there are around 10 beaches side by side, each with ample facilities (WC, showers etc.) there are even outside gyms free to use (or people watch lol)
There are also many restaurants to choose from. Although Barcelona is very popular-I never really feel closed in, even when the beach is busy-which is great. The beach can be reached from the city centre in around 20 mins via walking from the end of Ramblas, or taking the yellow line to Barceloneta. I always prefer walking as you see so much more on foot.



2. Parc Guell


 


The entrance looks like a gingerbread house for adults! the architecture is amazing and definitely something to see! Not your traditional 'park' though it has many architectural aspects to appreciate. Pretty mosaic detailing in the structure, large columned tunnels and good views of the city.
Price is 7 euros for adults, 4.90 for kids




3. Sagrada Familia

Construction started on 19th March 1882 and amazingly, this church has not been finished yet 133 years later! It is amazing to see in real life. I have never been inside but it does look remarkable! It is great for photo opportunities. Tip: for the best photos I would say cross over the road from the main entrance and enter the park. You will find a pond with a short wall to sit on-I always get great pictures from there, the lighting is excellent :-)
Entrance price 19.50 euros




4. Casa Batllo and Casa Mila (La Pedrera):

Casa Milà, popularly known as ‘La Pedrera’ (the stone quarry), was constructed between 1906 and 1912 by Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). In 1984  it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, for its exceptional universal value. Nowadays it is the headquarters of Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation, and it hosts various exhibitions and activities. I just love the detail of the building walls, and the rooftop looks good for pictures aswell
Price 20.50 for adults, 10.25 for kids

Casa batllo, also designed by Gaudi, this remarkable building built in 1877 is also referred to as Casa dels ossos, meaning 'house of bones' as it is easy to see the skull and bones detailing in the structure. Also the front wall is covered in intricate mosaic detail which looks so pretty!
These are very close to one another, and both are a short walk from Plaza Catalunya. Located in the area Passeig de Gracia-which is where all the designer shops are!
Price 18.50

As I was on a tight budget, I didn't go in-just took pictures from outside!



5. Montjuic Castle:

Montjuïc Castle is an imposing castle that has dominated the city since 1640. It houses a military museum. It is easy to get to via cable car from the port I believe, or you can do what a local would do and just get the bus 55 from catalunya square (plaza catalunya) its around 1 euro and you're there in around 20 minutes! The last bus stop is at the entrance to the gate of an arts museum I believe, where you can walk all the way up to the castle. And when you're finished just go back to the stop you got off-simple!



6. Olympic park:

 Barcelona’s Parc Montjuic was the location for the 1992 Olympic Games and all the facilities are still there to see. It is a nice place but I didn't really explore too much here-I just promised my son that I would get this picture :-)

7. Palau De La Musica Catalana:

Day and night, this place offers amazing views of the city as it is high. And the best thing is...there are escalators all the way to the top! I went back at around midnight so I could get some clear shots (on my iphone 4?...dream on girl!) and it was worth it. Seeing the busy town, but hearing nothing but silence is wonderful. There was a random boy up there on his own listening to his ipod (lol) so I got him to take a couple of shots of me :-)
The picture above was taken in the day.....obviously 



8. Magic fountain:

This fountain is located just outside the Palace. One word-remarkable! I thought we were just going to see a random pretty fountain with colours...boy was I wrong! The whole atmosphere was buzzing-everyone in high spirits. With songs from artists such as Beyonce, Dizzy Rascal and Coldplay....and even great classical pieces, It was literally like a party! The way the music is synchronised with the light displays is something you just have to see! as they say-miss it miss out!



9. Ramblas & Boqueria

This place has everything! Tapas, Street performers, shops galore, Ice cream stands with interesting flavours including bubblegum and popcorn! and people from all over the world soaking up the local atmosphere oh yeah....and more Tapas!
Right in the middle of Rambla, La Boqueria is the most visually exciting market I have ever visited! The displays are awesome-Fresh fruits and veggies for days, different meats, smoothies of all kinds, and massive sweeties and chocolates! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!



10. Maremagnum





Right on the Port, this shopping centre seems to have everything you need in a shopping centre, with the usual high-street stores. There are restaurants galore, even quiet relaxing sofas and flooring where you can relax on your laptop and charge your phone. Even the toilets look awesome! Plus there are outside activities, and nice places to sit on the boardwalk and feed the seagulls. This picture was taken in March where they held an outdoor salsa flash mob!



11. Barcelona zoo

Source enjoy-Barcelona

I absolutely loved the zoo! The day we went, there was a massive storm (the loudest I had ever heard) but by the afternoon the weather improved quite a bit. However I think most people were put off venturing outside-but my son and I are very determined, so off we went!.
I mean why not, it was literally a 14 minute (timed it) walk from our hotel-which was in the city centre! How great is that?? :-D
What was even better, because of the storm there were maximum, around 35-40 people in the whole zoo!  so it was like we hired it for ourselves really lol

There are many animals to see and appreciate here and of course it's great for kids. My son and I were especially excited to see the Giraffes, Lions and Elephants, And they still put on a great dolphin show for all of us :-D
But be warned, the Lion enclosure did not seem that 'enclosed' in my opinion. I had read reviews online and thought they were exaggerating about the lions being so open, but they were right! and I was surprised that the gates they were behind were actually BELOW my sons shoulders-and he is 8! :-0

I was even more surprised to see a lady place her baby on top of the gate to stand on it to see the lions (Crazy!)
Anyway, needless to say-we made a swift exit after we took a few shaky pics. Funilly enough, the lions actually walked with us until the gate stopped them from going any further......

It would have been nice to see some staff members walking around to make us feel safe (especially in the big cat zone) but alas-there were none there....infact there were probably 10x more peacocks walking around freely....maybe they could protect us??

Regardless, it was a great day, well worth it!

All in all, I think Barcelona has something for everyone, and there is always something new to try each time you go back!

I would like to do a part two covering getting around, nightlife and where to eat.....so stay tuned! Remember to follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bloglovin' 

Have you been to Barcelona before, and what did you enjoy doing? we would love to hear!