What to Do in Barcelona & Beyond

22/09/2026

One of Barcelona's biggest festival kicks off tomorrow! La Mercè is a city-wide festival with lots going on all week, from casteller human towers, to live music, traditional dancers and the correfoc fire-run with beasts, devils and fireworks galore!

Don't forget, the 24th September is a bank holiday, so large shops, markets and services like banks will be closed

If you want to know more about what La Mercè is, and what is happening this week, I've got a blog post all about it!
https://barcelonaculturetours.com/la-merce-festival-barcelona/

22/09/2026

6 Magical Gaudí Houses in Barcelona You Won't Want to Miss!: https://whattodoinbarcelona.com/gaudi-houses-in-barcelona/

Want to see some of the best modernist architecture in Barcelona Spain? You are in the right place! Let’s discover the most famous Gaudí houses in Barcelona!

21/09/2026

Oops, I missed World Paella Day yesterday!! 🤭🥘

While paella isn't traditionally from Barcelona (it originally came from the Valencia region of Spain) it really is a must-eat dish when you are in Spain.

It is a delicious and colourful rice dish, typically cooked in a wide, shallow pan called a “paellera,” which is where the dish gets its name.

TOP TIP Seafood paella is the most common in Barcelona, but if you don't like messing around with the shells, look for "Paella del Senyoret" which is served with peeled prawns and seafood with no shells!

AND, if you're visiting Barcelona solo, most restaurants sell paella for a miniumum of 2 people, but there are some great places that offer individual paellas for 1 person. I've tried as many as I can to give you my personal recommendations:
https://whattodoinbarcelona.com/barcelona-paella-for-one-person/

21/09/2026

How Many Days in Barcelona is Enough?: https://whattodoinbarcelona.com/how-many-days-in-barcelona/

If you aren’t sure how much time to spend in Barcelona, I'm here to help you to plan your itinerary and decide how many days in Barcelona are enough for you!

20/09/2026

A Day Trip from Barcelona: Wine Tasting in Alella: Are you looking for a wine tasting day trip from Barcelona where you can try delicious wines, tour a family-owned organic winery, and picnic among the vines with views of the Mediterranean? Alella can offer you all of that, within a 30-minute drive of Barcelona! I joined an Alella wine tour from Barcelona with GetYouGuide

Wine tasting in Alella is a unique wine tasting day trip from Barcelona where you can try delicious wines at a family-owned organic winery, and picnic among the vines

19/09/2026

18 Incredible Barcelona Experience Gifts Everyone Will Love!: Giving experiences instead of things is a wonderful way to show you care, and there are lots of fantastic Barcelona experience gifts you can give to your loved ones if they are visiting or living in the city. You could join them on the experiences so you can get some quality time together, or just

Giving experiences instead of things is a wonderful way to show you care, and there are lots of fantastic Barcelona experience gifts you can give to your

18/09/2026

It's La Mercè festival in Barcelona next week and there is tons going on. You can check out the full program here: https://www.barcelona.cat/lamerce/en

Before that, if you're in El Born neighbourhood this weekend you can see an exhibition of the Fire Beasts and Dragons - models that are used for celebrations like La Merce, especially during correfocs - literally fire runs - where the models have fireworks spraying out from their mouths!

The exhibition is inside the old Born Market, now the MUHBA Born, open from 10am to 8.30pm (closed Monday) It's a great way to get introduced to Catalan culture before the festival begins!

18/09/2026

🚗 Are you thinking of hiring a car for your trip to Barcelona?

City centre driving can be tough - and parking isn't easy - but if you plan to explore more of Catalonia then hiring a car could be a great way to explore outside the city.

Here's the lowdown on everything you need to know about hiring a car in Barcelona: https://whattodoinbarcelona.com/car-rental-barcelona-car-hire/

18/09/2026

Delicious Chocolate in Barcelona: Chocolate Shops, Cafes and Tastings!: Are you craving some chocolatey goodness in Barcelona? Barcelona has a long history with chocolate, and there are some incredible chocolate shops in Barcelona where you can taste chocolate, drink chocolate, dip donuts in chocolate and even make your own chocolate! This post is dedicated to all Barcelona chocolate lovers, and I'm sharing my favourite

This post is dedicated to all Barcelona chocolate lovers, and I’ve found all of the best places to indulge in delicious chocolate in Barcelona.

17/09/2026

This weekend is your last chance to visit Caribe Aquatic Park at PortAventura World before it closes for the season!

From 23 May to 20 September, the water park opens for the summer, with a full range of rides, family areas and adrenaline-fuelled experiences!

If you're planning on visiting, don't miss my guide to PortAventura theme park so you can make the most of your trip!

https://whattodoinbarcelona.com/portaventura-tips-portaventura-theme-park