Where to Stay in Barcelona: An Honest Neighbourhood Breakdown
Barcelona’s tourism boom has reshaped the accommodation map. Here is where to actually stay.
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Barcelona’s Food Markets: Beyond the Boqueria
The Boqueria is a tourist trap. Barcelona’s real food markets are better and you almost certainly haven’t been to them.
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The Cultural Institutions in Barcelona That Are Actually Worth the Tourist Crowd
I had been meaning to visit the Fundació Joan Miró for two years. Last week I finally went. Here is what I found, and which other Barcelona institutions are worth braving the crowds for.
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Where to Stay in Barcelona: The Honest Neighbourhood Breakdown
The Barri Gòtic is noisy and central. The Eixample is comfortable and expensive. Poble Sec is where I live and I’ll tell you exactly why. A stay guide without the PR.
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The Mercat de Santa Caterina Is Better Than the Boqueria. Here’s Why.
La Boqueria is famous because it was photographed in a magazine in 1994 and the world never updated its information. Santa Caterina is better in almost every way.
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What’s Coming Up in Barcelona This May and June
May in Barcelona is a quietly excellent month. The Easter crowds have cleared, the summer invasion hasn’t started, the weather is warm enough for terraces but not brutal. The city is at its most liveable. Here’s what’s worth planning around. The big June anchor is Primavera Sound (June 4–6, Parc del Fòrum), which sold out…
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How to Get Around Barcelona Without Losing Your Mind
The metro is excellent. The T-Casual is what you need. Bicing is for residents. The airport bus is €6.90 and runs every 5 minutes. Here’s the actual transport guide.
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Finding a Flat in Barcelona: What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
The Barcelona rental market is difficult. Not uniquely difficult by European capital standards, but difficult in specific ways that aren’t obvious until you’re in it. Here is what I learned over four years of renting here, one relocation at a time. The market moves fast and everything happens in cash. Landlords typically want one month’s…
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Poble Sec Is Not Eixample. That’s the Point.
I moved to Poble Sec from Eixample eighteen months ago when my rent went up for the second time. I told myself it was a compromise. Within six weeks I understood that it wasn’t. Poble Sec is the neighbourhood on the south side of Montjuïc, squeezed between the hill and the Parallel — the old…
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Getting from Barcelona Airport to the City: The Honest Guide
Barcelona-El Prat airport has two terminals. T1 is where most international flights arrive. T2 is smaller, used by budget carriers and some domestic routes. They’re connected by a free shuttle bus but are not walking distance from each other. Know which terminal you’re arriving at before you plan anything. From T1, the best public transport…
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The Vermut Ritual: How Barcelona Actually Drinks on a Sunday
Before I understood Barcelona, I didn’t understand the vermut. I thought it was just a drink. It’s not. It’s a time slot, a social contract, and a way of structuring the day that makes everything else make sense. Fer el vermut — to do the vermouth — means gathering with people between roughly noon and…
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What’s On in Barcelona This April: The Events Worth Your Time
April in Barcelona means the cultural season is hitting its stride before the summer heat changes everything. Here’s what’s worth your time this month. Sant Jordi — 23 April. The Catalan equivalent of Valentine’s Day, except it involves books and roses rather than dinner and chocolates. The tradition: men give women roses, women give men…
