There’s more to Catalonia
than Barcelona and my latest trip to Spain was exactly to discover what else in
Catalonia. I spent 5 days in Catalonia and used buses and trains to travel
around. One thing about travelling is the fact that nothing runs on time and
when you are seeking help, nobody helps which definitely impacted my trip! I was
wondering why the tickets were so cheap! The food was average and that is because
everything was targeted for tourists! I found it very hard to find authentic
Catalonian cuisine that wasn’t tapas or paella. Because I went in the summer, I
tried to visit places either early in the morning or after 6pm. However, since
I tried to maximise my time, I picked coastal towns to go to during the day so
I could swim! I also booked tickets to all the attractions in advance and
online as the attractions are booked off very early on!
Here’s the itinerary:
- - Exploring the city centre – I did my own walking tour to discover the
city. This is what I included: La Boqueria Market, Gothic Quarter: Plaça Reial,
Roman walls, Palau de la Música Catalana, Casa Milà, Casa Battlo. I didn’t do
any guided tours so didn’t go visit inside of these Gaudi house or the Music
Palace. However, what I did visit is Park Guell which was so much fun to visit
withso many different architecture and designs to see in one place. I visited
at 9am which I was very glad since no one was there! I really enjoyed it especially
the views over Barcelona. A short walk down from Park Guell was Casa Vincens
which was the 1st house designed by Gaudi and I was blown away! I’m
so glad I visited it since it was less busy and there were so many elements to
experience. As part of the ticket, I also had a free ice cream which was much
needed. I then took a long walk to Sagrada Familia and wow!!! To think that
this was built in 1920 and it was so modern is beautiful! The exterior and
interior are 2 different things! Take your time and admire because this is an architectural
marvel! You can also visit the towers if you wish to do so but the queues were
very long!
-
Montserrat- now I bought an all include round trip ticket with buffet and
trains to Montserrat for less than £70 and had a blast with the furniculars and
museums and the all inclusive buffet! I thought I was well worth the money! I
visited the Cathedral and the gorgeous Black Madonna. Take your time walking
around the cathedral as it was gorgeous!!! My mind was blown with the design of
it! I will also recommend a hike especially to Sant Juan which offered beautiful
views of the area! Do wear appropriate footwear! I spent a whole day exploring
and really enjoyed exploring all the corners of this mountainous sanctuary!
-
Tarragona – A Roman town on the coast which is just an hour away from Barcelona.
If you are on a tight budget then this beautiful town is for you because every monument
was free; Praetorium and Roman Circus ;Tarragona Mapping Tarraco; amphitheatre; balcony del Meditteani; Plaça del Rei. This was an easy half
day trip which ended with a swim at the sandy Miracle beach.
-
Girona – I stayed in Girona overnight to explore Costa Brava. I explored Girona
Old Town, The Cathedral, The Arab baths , Place de Sant Feliu, Plaça de la
Independencia at 7am in the morning so couldn’t go visit inside some of these
visits but I liked that there were no people around!
-
L’Estartit – I took Fadri boat
tour to Medes Islands with swimming. Medes Islands are a group of seven small,
rocky islets off the coast of Catalonia, Spain, near the town of L'Estartit.
Spanning 53 acres, this protected nature reserve is one of the top spots in the
Mediterranean for scuba diving and marine life. We were swimming with some
beautiful fishes and also going through caves!
-
Olot – This is a town inside a volcano! Yes inside an extinct volcano!!!!
O learn about the history and geology of the town, I visited Volcanic centre which costs£12.50 and really learned some
amazing things about the area. It also had a lot of interactive stations so
perfect for the whole family. Other unique things to do are:, Museu dels Sants, Casa Solà-Morales and
hiking a volcano!
-
-
Besalut - This is a cute medieval
town and if you are doing anything there make sure it is walking across the
iconic 12th-century Pont Vell bridge. Other things you can
explore are the ancient Jewish Quarter and its historic Mikveh bathhouse,
circusland, and admiring the Romanesque
architecture of the Monestir de Sant Pere and Micromundi.
-
Tossa de mar – I think this is the best town on the Catalan coast with
its beautiful waters and a backdrop of an old fortress and wall. You have to
visit Vila Vella which a beautiful ruin
of a roman villa with the original mosaic tiled floors, lighthouse, church of Sant
Vicents and swim in any of the beaches in the area.
-
Figueres - this is Salvador Dali’s
birth town so plenty of quirky sculptures and art work around the museum
including the weirdest museum I have visited far which is the Dali Museum. If
you have time, Sans Ferran Castle on the
outside of the town!
So a lot was packed! I had fun but the people has really dampened by
experience of this part of Spain.
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