I wasn't too sure what to expect with Barcelona - it was a last minute trip I decided to go on with a few of my squad and you know what I really liked it, so much so that I would go back. Why? Well first of all the weather was lush, 20 degrees for the time I was there - not as hot as I like it but much better than England. Secondly parts of the city reminded me of parts of Los Angeles, Santa Monica to be precise and Los Angeles holds a close place to my heart so obviously I was going to take to Barcelona. Finally, the relaxed vibe of the city really is contagious meaning you actually do get a break. Not sure about you but I am one of those people who struggles to relax - I have to constantly be doing something so it was a welcome change to sit back, relax and explore the city slowly.  

With a flight duration of just over 2 hours I certainly recommend you visit this magical city when you have a few days to spare. I flew out on Wednesday evening and returned Saturday evening and managed to see quite a bit of it. Below is my quick guide to Barcelona.

Flights

My outbound flight was with EasyJet and my return was Ryanair. With a total price of around £60 for both flights I can't really complain however I don't think I would want to fly Ryanair again - first time I flew with them and was the worst flight I have been on. 

Getting from Barcelona airport to the city is super easy - I recommend using Aerobus, it was cost effective and it takes you to the main hub of Barcelona in about 30 minutes. The airport actually reminded me of a mini LAX, likely be the palm trees situated everywhere...brought back memories. 

Accommodation 

As there was 6 of us going we could make the most of Airbnb; I didn't find the place my friend did but I would recommend using Airbnb if there are a group of you going. We stayed in Born Montcada, which proved to be a perfect location - we were about a 25 min walk from the beach, 15 min walk from the city centre and there were plenty of restaurants, museums and bars on our doorstep. Not to mention the beautiful location which reminded me of a Disney movie when walking through it at night. Magical indeed. 

Things to do:

Culture

There is plenty of things to do in the city; if you fancy a bit of culture you can visit Park Guell, which allows for beautiful views of the city, or hop on the metro to visit Antoni Gaudi's renowned unfinished church, La Sagrada Familia or you can even walk around Picasso's art gallery.

Beach 

If the above isn't really your thing, then you can walk through the harbour, chill on the beach and soak up the sun. We could actually do that as the temperatures were perfect for soaking up the sun on the beach. 

Shopping

I recommend going to La Rambla and visiting the many shops there. One place that really stood out to me was the market on the left of the La Rambla, they had the best coconut drinks (see the below pictures) which we are so lacking in London. Highlight of my trip. 

Clothes wise Barcelona has plenty of Zara's and Bershka's - I wasn't actually intending on doing any shopping as my wardrobe is bursting from my NYC purchases however on my last day there, whilst I was wondering the city before getting my flight, I came across Bershka and couldn't resist a few purchases. As always got myself some bargains. I also stumbled across the Adidas store which has to be the best one I have seen on my travels (yep it was better than the NYC one) - highly recommend a visit. 

Food & Nightlife

There are plenty of bars scattered around the city, attracting a much older crowd. Highlight was our last night spent in the W, which was on point - great crowd and great music. 

Restaurant wise, there are so many different ones you have to just go where you feel is best, nothing actually stood out to me and quite frankly I got fed up of having paella - don't get the attraction, but that is just my opinion. I like my food with spices and flavourings and paella did not meet this. There are of course plenty of other food options and there is something for everyone you just need to explore.

Overall as mentioned I loved Barcelona and certainly recommend you visit this melow city, I would certainly go back! Not just saying that either as a week or so prior to flying to Barcelona I was in Milan and I pretty much think you can see the city in a few hours, which I did. Defo wouldn't go back there! 

XxX