With only a few days in Barcelona, the main thing to decide is what to leave out. Do you sacrifice a splendid sun-kissed day at the beach for a tour of the unreal interior of another Antoni Gaudi building? Do you visit the impressive Cathedral or the quieter, more serene Santa Maria del Mar? Do you eat fresh shellfish near the port, or head into the Barri Gotic for tremendous tapas? Just do what you can – you’ll almost certainly want to come back.
Dwell with Guell
Many of the most famous buildings in Barcelona are the work of the visionary Antoni Gaudi. You should definitely see Casa Mila (AKA La Pedrera), Casa Batllo and La Sagrada Familia, but one of his lesser-known gems only opened to the public for the first time a few years ago. Palau Guell was yet another building Gaudi designed for his main patrons – along with Parc Guell in the north of the city – and comes without the queues of the more famous attractions. The stunning interior is full of delights both subtle and in your face, from the breath-taking entrance hall right up to the rooftop with its crazy chimneys.
Just the Tickets
Celebrity chefs don’t come much more feted than the Adria brothers – formerly of the famed El Bulli. Ferran and Albert now have six locations in the city, ranging from the simple to the playful. Tickets is in the middle, split into several zones, bright and cheery but with exceptional food. Some of it is deceptive, other dishes almost alchemical - spherical fake olives that explode in the mouth, a suckling pig taco, a ‘mini airbag’ of Manchego cheese.
Even more experimental is their newly opened Enigma, where you can get architectural daring, 40 courses and a passcode to the restaurant on payment of a deposit. You can expect to be there for nearly four hours. To discuss the menu would be to spoil the surprise.
Sunny Sitges
For a more relaxed day or two, drive down to Sitges, just over 20 miles away. This resort gets lively at night when the clubs open, but in the daytime, it’s a pretty seaside town with fine museums. Come in October for the film festival, arrive out-of-season for peace and quiet or experience Sitges in party mode during summer.
Sitges is just one of many coastal towns you can discover with car hire at Barcelona El Prat Airport.