Top 5 Free Things to do in Barcelona!
La playa y la cerveza! Barcelona is one of the luckier cities which enjoys a lot of sun. Sea breeze caresses its amazing cityscape, stunning grid-like metro planning, mouthwatering tapas and beer… there are many more reasons why Barcelona is one of my favourites. However, Barcelona is not the cheapest European destinations. If you want to do your wallet a favour, check out the top 5 free things to do in Barcelona!
I am a frugal traveller. Many have asked how can I afford to travel when the Euros are sky-high. Well, I don’t spend money most of the time! To me, travelling in Europe is not to tick all the boxes but to have a great experience. That means, I can be ticking all the free things to do in Barcelona and still have an amazing experience! That is totally the case because there are just so many free things to do in Barcelona!
Parc Guell
One of the best free things to do in Barcelona is to enjoy Parc Guëll. It is a dreamland of Gaudi. It was originally projected to be a housing estate. However, real estate did not work out that well, so Gaudi turned it into his own Garden of Eden. The park is divided into two area – one paid zone, another one free. If you are short on budget, don’t get the ticket as you can have a view of the magnificent architecture from the free zone anyways. Moreover, the park is under major construction (2019) so paying might not be as worth it. The view from Parc Guell over Barcelona is not the most impressive one as compared to the other listed below. However, I still
think that you should come. Parc Guell has the best buskers in Barcelona! I had the pleasure to enjoy the beautiful guitar-playing of a talented Spaniard and I watched a flamenco show by Tablao Sur! I thought I should give them a huge shout out because they are incredibly good!
Montjuic
There are so many things to do in Montjuic. Photo opportunities are everywhere. Plan to have a full day here – I barely got enough time to visit all the attractions here, and most of them are free! Montjuic has a small hill where there are several viewpoints, with the viewpoint of the castle (Castell de Montjuic) being the most touristy one. However, you can totally enjoy a great view from any of the parks, which are free! Make sure you get an obligatory photo with the National Art Museum of Catalonia.
Bunkers del Carmel
You can get a startling, hawk-eye view of Barcelona at Bunkers del Carmen. Moreover, it’s free! This place is quite touristy especially during sunset hours. The sunset view from here is amazing as you can see the sun set on the mountainous backdrop of Barcelona like a resplendent gem. To avoid the crowd, you can also come here for sunrise!
Tibidabo
Tibidabo is surprisingly not as touristy as I thought it would be. The reason I came here was solely because I was attracted by the Ferris Wheel. There is a whole amusement park up that hill! Good news is – you don’t have to pay to visit the area unless you want to take a ride. Visit Sagrat Cor church – which sounds like Sacré Cœur (the one in Paris) to me. It’s both located on a hill, so it’s hard to say who copied whose work…
Beach
Probably one of the best free things to do in Barcelona. Try NOT to go to Barceloneta because it’s the most touristy beach in Barcelona. Go to Nova Icaria instead, which had more space when I was in Barcelona. You are in Barcelona! Go tan, go swim or go do something at the beach!!!
Where to stay?
Barcelona is not necessarily the cheapest place to travel to. Accommodation are more expensive than other European cities. You can stay a little bit futher but still within the city centre (such as Gracia) to cut cost.
Budget – Sant Jordi Gracia is the best-valued hostel that I stayed at in Barcelona. I trusted it because of the high ratings and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Another good thing about staying at Gracia is also because it’s near to Parc Guell and Carmel so you can go there early or return late. Restaurant prices there are also a little cheaper because it’s not within the old quarter.
Comfortable – Casa Kessler Barcelona is an amazing boutique hotel that is situated just 10 minutes walk away from Plaza Catalunya. It’s not even that much more expensive! For just 85 euros a night, you can enjoy this Spanish-styled hotel in a strategic location! I like to think about it this way – if you stay central, you can walk to most places and hence save some money on public transport!
High-end – Stay with ICON BCN by Petit Palace if you wanna pamper yourself! Everything about this hotel is perfect – breakfast is scrumptious, location is central, restaurants are everywhere, staff are super friendly… Kickstart your amazing Spanish adventure here!
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Born and raised in Malaysia, Aaron is a medical student who desperately preaches about “Travelling doesn’t have to be expensive” – well, he has a full-on blog about it. When he is free, he checks for the cheapest airfare that would get him out of Australia. Aaron indulges in local cuisine so much that he has to lose some weight before and after he goes travelling. Read more about him here!
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