Whoever said that the best things in life were free wasn’t trying to travel on a budget! But when you travel to a fabulous city like Barcelona, there are tons of great things to do and see that are free. And any money saved can go right to your tapas bill… Here are five of my favorite free things in Barcelona, which also happens to be one of my all-time favorite cities.
La Rambla: You haven’t really been to Barcelona if you haven’t walked down La Rambla, the busy tree-lined street that everyone in Barcelona also seems to be walking down. And one of the top free attractions on La Rambla is…
La Boqueria: It’s official name is the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, but you can call it La Boqueria and everyone will know that you are talking about Barcelona’s famous covered market. Although it’s a must-see on the tourist checklist, locals are here buying food — produce, spices, meat, fish, candy and just about anything edible you can imagine. While it’s free to enter, you may end up spending a bit on the food. But just walking around is really the experience!
Park Guell: Under the patronage of Eusebi Güell, Gaudi designed the park as a setting for Barcelona’s aristocracy to live. But alas, it was a failure as a real estate venture. Only two houses were ever built there, a white house and pink house, which is where Gaudi lived and is now a museum. In 1923, the city saved the project from certain disaster and converted it to a public park. You have to pay to enter La Pedrera and Casa Battlo, so it’s nice to be able to get your Gaudi fix for free.
Barceloneta Beaches: As if Barcelona wasn’t an amazing enough, it also happens to be on Mediterranean. Although the city beaches aren’t as great as those even just outside the city limits, it’s nice to relax on Barceloneta as you people-watch — it can be quiet the scene!
Barri Gotic: So much of Barcelona is so wonderfully old that I was bit skeptical about checking out the Gothic Quarter, which is the oldest part of the city. But these narrow stone streets did indeed feel even older. Most buildings date back to Medieval times and there is even some intact parts of the Roman wall.
On your way to Barcelona from London? Have a stress-free arrival at the airport with valet parking at Gatwick.
Park Guell is a great place to get your Gaudi fix for FREE in Barcelona!
Read more about FREE things to do in other parts of Spain:
- The Plaza de Espana in Seville
- The beach at Sitges
- The Prado Art Museum in Madrid
Read more about FREE things to do in Europe:
- Ales Stenar (Ale’s Stones) in Skane, Sweden
- Christiania, the Freetown in Copenhagen
- Castelo de Sao Jorge in Lisbon
- John Rylands Library in Manchester
- The Temple of Demeter in Naxos, Greece
- Les Rocher des Doms in Avignon, France
When you travel, do you find that your favorite attractions are free? Or do you tend to spend a lot on sightseeing? Which cities do you think offer the most for free? Barcelona is certainly one of them…
I’d also add going up to Montjuic. It can be done for free, but it can take ages to get up there to the fortress…
Unfortunately, getting your Gaudi fix at Parc Guell is no longer free. All of the important sights in the park now cost money to visit. In my opinion, it’s ruined the atmosphere of the park. Fewer musicians, fewer locals, completely touristy.
That’s awful — thanks so much for letting me know. I really can’t believe that — what a shame!