Barcelona (Spain) > Reviews > Sun, Sand & Siesta

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around

Advantages:	Pristine beaches, beautiful people, Vibrant city, Siesta
Disadvantages:	Catalan/Spanish arrogance,  cheap drinks?

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Barcelona has everything, it is a metropolis to rival London in variety, it has culture by the bucketload, pristine beaches, a Brilliant nightlife, cheap accomodation, tasty food and most importantly beautiful and engaging people.
The ideal area to stay when arriving in Barcelona is near or if your lucky enough, off Las Ramblas. The reason is that a lot of the vitality of Barcelona is concentrated around this area. During the day stalls are open along Las Ramblas and the street is throbing with people, dozens of cafes and tapas bars line the street, likewise the tourist shops also litter the area. One of the most enjoyable lunchtime snacks there was a Boccadillo, a Catalan sandwich with a variety of fillings that will see you till the evenings. During the evenings a place that is filled with people is the Placa de Real, with the most visited bars and drnking establishments open until 1am and and some days 2am. If you want to try the real sangria as drunk by locals and at locals prices venture a few streets out and you will find small diners/bars which mix up a small but potent volume of Sangria and have a range of Local beers. The next step is to visit the nightclubs at the Quay, open until 4am, they are usually filled with people by about 1:00. A useful tip is to wear black shoes, as some clubs here are quite adamant.(Or you can sneak in past the doorman with the crowds as i tried).
The next morning when making your way down to the beaches, or playa, there are five of them separated by piers, use the train network. If you intend to do alot of travelling buy a book of ten tickets as it will work out cheaper. You will find on the beach as with much of the bustling city, beautiful women and men. What is recognisable about the people is that they are proud to be spanish. For example when I went into a Bank, despite my efforts to speak Spanish, and inspite of her knowledge of English, she refused to acknowledge anything i said in english, so because of this arrogance, i had to communicate in sign language whilst she carried on regardless. I am pleased to say most other people were friendly and enjoyed talking to travellers. One of the best things about the people is their language, it is so full of energy, ola!
Culture is everywhere from the market stalls off Las Ramblas, to the museums and galleries around the city. If you can you have to watch Barcelona FC play at Nou Camp as it is an experience that rivals the running of the bulls at Pamplona. Goto This CITY.!!