Last Spring my family and I took a three-week tour of Spain. We started in Seville and ended the trip in Barcelona. Over the last few weeks, several people have asked me for advice on visiting Barcelona, so I thought it would be a great start in a series about one of my family’s very favorite countries.

Barcelona is a gorgeous city. The sun is almost always out, the city is extremely kid-friendly, and the food is great. The wide walkways are lined with trees, and there’s a vibrant, relaxed feeling about the city. The pace is whatever you choose it to be.

We rented an apartment down the street from Sagrada Familia. I highly recommend staying in that area as it’s super walkable, is near a lot of great restaurants, and has easy access to the hop-on/hop-off bus. We are not normally hop-on/hop-off bus people, but we learned quickly that Barcelona is so spread out, we couldn’t just walk everywhere like we normally do. Staying near Sagrada Familia allows you to easily walk to places such as Barcelona Cathedral, Plaza Cataluña, Old Town, and Las Ramblas.

The hop-on/hop-off bus is very helpful to get to sights such as Parque Guell (do yourself a favor and get tickets ahead of time), Montjuic Castle (a gorgeous fortress on the water that you can reach via cable car from the Montjuic Funicular Station, where you can also pose for a souvenir photo), and Poble Espanol (a reconstructed medieval village with artisanal shoppes, experiences, etc. There are food carts and restaurants in the center and throughout that you can easily grab lunch, and if you have young children like we do, there is space for them to run.). The bus can also get you to Olympic Stadium, but we didn’t hop off for that. Our baby was sleeping, so it was a drive by and see situation.

Sagrada Familia was such a show stopper for us (again, get tickets ahead of time). After living in Italy, our eldest daughter is desensitized to gorgeous architecture, but when she walked up to and into Sagrada Familia, her jaw hit the floor. We listened to the audio guide and were completely transfixed by Gaudi’s still-evolving masterpiece. We’ve promised Laela that we’ll go back to see the completed project in 2026 or 2028.

Barcelona Cathedral is beautiful, but with a darker, more gothic style. When you walk in, there’s an unexpected courtyard filled with birds, beams of sunlight spraying through the windows like a fairytale. It’s a special place with intricate architecture and a unique feel to it. Our girls liked it so much they went in twice.

My favorite church in Barcelona was Santa Maria del Mar. The relief in the front was so outstanding, and the feel to the church was incredibly peaceful. It’s one of the few churches we’ve visited in a long time where people were praying and not just sight-seeing. The church was filled with sunlight, and like many of the churches we visited over Easter break, it was fabulous to see how they decorated and celebrated for the holiday.

Eating in Barcelona is easy. If you have little ones that cannot manage the typical Spanish mealtimes (lunch at 1-1:30 and dinner at 8-9pm) tapas are served all day. If you’re on the hunt for some fabulous Mexican, head over to the laid-back La Cantina Mexicana. For delicious breakfast pastries or an easy lunch, try The Bristol (the pastries and beetroot burger were my favorite. I still dream of that burger!!). For a slightly more formal dinner that you will love with or without kids, try Tragaluz for gorgeous, modern Mediterranean cuisine.

My family’s favorite thing to do on trips is just explore. We love walking around towns and cities and seeing what it’s really like to be a part of that place. Wandering down Las Ramblas, exploring the historic old town of Barcelona, strolling through Plaza Cataluña, gazing at Gaudi’s famous buildings Casa Batllo and Casa Mila, talking about his inspiration to create such fluid, amazing buildings, playing at tucked away playgrounds, and grabbing tapas when we were hungry and needed a break was sheer perfection.

Take your time in Barcelona. Savor the sites. Enjoy the city. It’s one worth getting lost in.

Shopping tips…

I’m not one who buys kitschy souvenirs. I like to find things that are special, that I want to keep forever, and that will evoke meaning for my family and I when I look at them. These are some shoppes where I found some great things:

-Itaca They have lovely traditional items, as well as ceramics, art, and fun finds.

-La Nostra Ciutat I loved this shop for local art. We walked out with a lot of neat things for our girls and gifts for friends.

-For a cool shop featuring local and upcoming designers, visit Nuovum

-OMG Barcelona is great for fun, sometimes quirky art, décor, jewelry, etc..

-Espardenyes is one of the lesser known espardille manufacturers in Barcelona. We'd tried going to a more famous shop, but it was slammed, and had off hours due to the holiday weekend. The staff at Espardenyes were great, and I found their shoes true to size.