Barcelona is epic!
I now see why people always rave about the city. During my month on Barcelona, I met expats who said they’re still discovering new attractions in Barcelona after years of living there. Yet that’s just the city, the whole region of Catalonia is amazing (the little I saw) so if you’ve got a few days in Barcelona, pencil in one day for a trip outside of the city.
Here are three of the best day trips in Barcelona you can take. The best part? They’re so easy to organise on your own regardless of how unorganised you are (that’s me). Don’t worry about the language issue either, my Catalan and Spanish is a 0/10, and I got by just fine.
You might also like: Things to do in Barcelona in winter.
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Table of Contents
The best Barcelona Day Trips
Montserrat: One Of The Best Hikes In Spain
If you like hiking, even just a little bit, and have at least three full days in Barcelona hiking around Montserrat is the best Barcelona day trip for you.
There are lots of hiking trails in the area for all levels of fitness. Sant Jeroni is the most popular hiking peak, offering 360-degree panoramic views. While a map is useful, as long as you get there in the morning, you can simply start walking and explore the trails that interest you as there’s enough signage so you can find your way back to the monastery.
If you love rock climbing, this place looks like an incredible place to do so with the jagged rocks exploding out of the ground creating the perfect environment for the activity. I was slightly jealous of the rock climbers I saw.
Where Is Montserrat? Not to be confused with the Caribbean island (that’d be a long day trip), Montserrat is ~60 km northwest of Barcelona.
How To Get To Montserrat: You can drive there, but the train is easiest as it drops you by the cable car that takes you up to the village. They regularly leave from Espanya Railway station in downtown Barcelona. For precise details read this post.
You can also take a tour from Barcelona. Some tours that I recommend are:
Sitges – The Charming Seaside Town
I went to visit my fellow blogger friend Mar here and was um, yeah, not quite expecting to see what I saw. It turns out Sitges is one of the most LGBT-friendly cities in Europe as I walked down to the waterfront and found myself in the middle of Pride. The vibes around Pride are always fun, but it was quite a surprise, to say the least.
To escape the chaos we went for a stroll up to probably the symbol of Sitges, the Parish Church (you can go inside). Located above sea level, the rocky outlet separates the two main beaches in Sitges. Sitges has a lovely little town with cobblestoned streets and multi-story buildings providing much-needed shade. We wandered somewhat aimlessly past the array of shops but from what I could tell, you can definitely find all of the traditional Catalonian delights here.
As a silly vegan, we skipped on the food and headed straight to a beachside bar and had an awesome couple of hours away sipping on sangria.
Where is Sitges? 43km south of Barcelona, along the coastline.
How To Get To Sitges: The easiest way to get around is via train from Barcelona Sants train station. For precise details, read this post.
Another way to see Sitges is by an organized tour. Here are a few great options:
Badalona: A Spot For A Relaxing Beach Day
The reason I went to Badalona originally was to watch a skating competition at Skate Agora. It turns out I got the dates wrong and ended up just hanging out there having a lovely beach day.
Having to visit Barceloneta a couple of times before heading towards Badalona, the first thing I noticed was the lack of action. There weren’t any salesmen trying to sell me a sarong, blanket, or hat. Nor was there any obtrusive music blaring out of one of the beachside restaurants.
Nor were there any drunk Brits on a lads’ trip causing a stir (they’re hilarious) at 2 pm. I spent time on three different beaches that are all connected along the coast and what I found was locals simply enjoying the beach as Spaniards do best.
They’re planning to stay for at least a couple of hours to work on their tan. There was always enough space, so it didn’t feel like you were sunbathing on top of someone, everyone was smiling (not always common in Spain) and just enjoying their day.
There are several restaurants dotted along the beachfront as well as the blocks nearby if you’d like to take a break from the sand. No one seemed to mind that I brought a couple of beers from a store to drink at the beach either.
Where is Badalona? 13km north of Barcelona following the coastline.
How to get to Badalona? Simply jump on the L2 metro line (purple) from the city center and head north. Badalona is the last station.
The Next Time I Visit Barcelona I Am Going On A Day Trip Too…
The vineyards! France may be more well-known for its wine, but if Spain was able to market its wine on the international stage better, then you’d definitely know more about the wine from here. I didn’t get a chance to visit any of the wineries near Barcelona on this trip but definitely drank plenty of bottles from the shop. They start from a couple of euros, and you can get a really good quality wine for seven euros.
Where To Go After Barcelona?
That’s not an easy question to answer. Instead, I’ll ask you a question. If you could only live in one country for the rest of your life, which country would you choose?
I’ve asked this question to lots of people over the years, and Spain is one of the most popular answers. The cost of living is great, the food is epic, the landscapes vary, great football stadiums, good solid weather year-round and so many diverse cities to explore. Rather than list ideas, I’ll direct you to a few of Chrissy’s other Spain-related posts.
Alternatively, you can do a road trip from Barcelona, to Benidorm, and Avignon in South France
Adios!
BIO: Since leaving University Jub has more or less always lived somewhere else outside of his homeland, New Zealand. Spending a month in a destination is not unheard of as he dives into the local side of cities while writing about his sports experiences and more at Tiki Touring Kiwi. Check out the latest photos over on Facebook.
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