Exploring Barcelona's Best in Just One Day
Sometimes, life throws you a curveball.
My family had planned a grand 18-day Europe cruise adventure trip for the end of September 2024, and our first destination was none other than Spain’s Barcelona. Now, originally, we were to arrive in Barcelona two days before boarding our cruise ship to explore all of what Barcelona had to offer. However, due to an ill-timed weather-related delay on our first flight back in the U.S., we missed our connecting flight overseas by a mere ten minutes. The best part? The plane was still at the terminal, but the doors had been closed mere minutes before we arrived after sprinting through the airport (thanks, Delta). To make matters worse: the next available flight overseas was on the following day with a different airline, meaning we’d lost an entire day’s worth of excursions, tours, and sightseeing. Very hard lesson learned: fly direct!
The good news is despite this setback we did manage to see quite a few awesome destinations in the limited time we had after some re-planning on the long flights to Paris and then to Barcelona. While it was quite a whirlwind experience, it’s definitely doable if you’re willing to compromise on a few missed attractions - and if you do happen to find yourself in a similar situation, here’re the three must-see locations that stuck out to me:
La Sagrada Familia
Towering far above the Eixample district and completely dominating Barcelona’s skyline from afar is none other than Antoni Gaudí’s La Sagrada Familia. The exterior of this masterpiece blends intricate architectural details with vibrant mosaics that shimmer in the sunlight which adorn each of its unique skyscraping spires - one for each of the Twelve Apostles, the Four Evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. While still under construction, the central spire, representing Jesus, is planned to reach a staggering height of 570 feet. Even now, it’s hard to fit all of La Sagrada Familia into a photo if you’re standing in either the nearby park in front of it or on the sidewalk that runs around it.
While La Sagrada Familia’s exterior is certainly a marvel, the interior is equally as beautiful. Light filters through countless large stained-glass windows that bathe the branching columns and exquisite masonry in a cascade of colors that I can only describe as something akin to a basilica-shaped kaleidoscope. However, out of reverence, I refrained from photographing the interior despite its beauty, but I’d say it’s certainly worth visiting La Sagrada Familia for the interior architecture alone, especially on a bright, sunny day.
2. Park Güell
Another of Gaudí's vibrant wonders, Park Güell incorporates the essence of natural gardens with the free-flowing organic shapes and bright, whimsical mosaics replete with Catalan symbolism into its architecture. Being nestled into Turó del Carmel (Carmel Hill), the park itself is fairly expansive, with pathways snaking all around the gardens that can be a decent hike if you choose to follow them all - it’s great exercise but remember to bring a good pair of sneakers!
My particular favorite area here is the main terrace that overlooks the two buildings flanking Park Güell’s main entrance. The terrace itself is a large, mostly empty plaza with an undulating bench covered in vibrant mosaics along its perimeter. Apparently that bench was designed to facilitate private conversations while still being located in a public square, but, while certainly beautiful, that’s not what caught my eye; it was the view from the terrace that I found to be the most captivating. I was fortunate enough to be there in the late afternoon as the sun began to set on the horizon, offering me a chance to photograph the roof and spire of the rightmost entrance building in some dramatic light.
3. La Rambla
As the sun finally set on a gorgeous, sunny day, we made our way through the subway system to reach La Rambla. A vibrant, tree-lined boulevard that stretches for a little over a kilometer (5/8ths of a mile for my fellow Americans) through the heart of Barcelona, La Rambla is a lively and iconic promenade filled with cafes, local artisan stalls selling handmade crafts and souvenirs, and street performers; one particularly rememberable street performer dressed up and acted as a Xenomorph from the Alien franchise, which, while seemingly out of place in the heart of Barcelona, was really cool. Even well into the night, the air was filled with laughter, chatter, and the faint melodies of musicians showcasing their talent.
From a photography perspective, there are a few photogenic landmarks scattered around La Rambla, but unfortunately we weren’t there long enough to see them. I didn’t even have enough time to sample some of the local cuisine (my family went for a McDonald’s instead, sadly), so I had to settle for some long-exposure handheld street photography right in the middle of the action instead. The shots came out quite well, all things considered, and they help portray La Rambla’s vibrant night life.
Bonus Tip: Getting Around Barcelona Quickly
Obviously, the big key to visiting as many locations as possible in such a short amount of time is fast transportation. Being a city, Barcelona sports a robust subway system with a multitude of frequent stops in - frankly - rather convenient locations within walking distance of major attractions, such as the ones I listed above. If you’re Spanish isn’t very good like me, it’ll be a challenge to decipher what subway line to take and what ticket to purchase, but the combination that seemed to work for us was a 24-hour pass for Zone 1 - or, more specifically, “T-dia 1 Zona,” as the ticket in front of me that I saved from the trip says.
Looking for More Awesome Photos from Barcelona?
I have plenty more photographs of my adventures in Barcelona over in my Gallery - click the button below to see them all!
Or, if you’re shopping for something new to liven up your space, have a look through my Barcelona photos in the store to the right!
