Your Top 15 Hot Spots for a Fantastic Adventure in Barcelona, Spain

(12) Camp Nou For the Barca football fans, nothing, absolutely nothing will get the excitement going than being in this place. The Camp Nou experience will let you relive Barca history.

Just by exploring the most emblamatic parts of the ground you get to feel the emotion and excitement of a football game in Barcelona.

The Camp Nou experience is the most visited museum in Catalonia with 1.5 million visitors yearly. A favorite of the young and young at heart!

In the museum you can view the twenty-three Liga and five champions league trophies that FB Barcelona have won over the years. There is this space called the Treble Space where you are able to view three trophies that celebrate both the domestic double and the Champions League title in the same season. Never before has a european club been able to celebrate like that.

FC Barcelona have chosen Qatar Airways as the first commercial shirt partner in the club’s 114-year history. In a campaign to celebrate this partnership, there is a video which lets you visit a fictional island home for the global supporters of the Blaugrana : the land of FC Barcelona. On the island you’ll find fans from every corner of the planet living alongside current players and former Barca legends. It is a place with red and blue running through its veins, where people share a love for the beautiful game. With Qatar Airways as its proud airline, it is home to a team that united the world. The exhibition shows how the Land of FC Barcelona was brought to life.

Check out this video for some live action in the land of FC Barcelona.

I felt so lucky to be where all the action happens! This goes out to Messi, Hernandez, Ronaldhino, Rivaldo, Iniesta, Stoichkov and all the football legends out there!

Must stop is the store where you can buy jerseys for yourself, your kids and knick knacks of all sorts to showcase you as a fan or just to say you’ve been at FC Barcelona.

(13) La Roca

There always should be a little bit of shopping wherever you go. For just about a 30-minute bus ride from the city you will reach one of the nine Villages of Europe, La Roca Village, with 1,000 boutiques offering up to 60% off. From Gucci to Versace, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger, Northface and Quicksilver, you get the biggest selection of stores to choose from.

What’s even better are the local Spanish brands available in La Roca like Adolfo Dominguez, Bimba & Lola, Hoss Intropia, Purificacion Garcia, Roberto Verino, TCN, Aristocrazy, Castaner, Munich, Ontop Barcelona, Pretty Ballerinas, TOUS, Uno de 50 and FC Botiga Barcelona which lets you take home a little bit of Spain.

It’s all in the detail when it comes to the fine art of shopping. A range of superior services is available like the VIP Programme, Free Wi-Fi, Hands-free shopping and a personal shopper. You can also claim 15.7% tax back on your purchases if you are visiting from outside the EU. Now the discounts plus that pile up to a lot of savings for world-class brands.

La Roca is lined with cafes and restaurants to give you a break from all that shopping, a good one is the Pasarela which serves a menu brimming with the fine flavours of a region rich in culinary heritage. The picturesque outdoor terrace is perfect for enjoying coffee or a glass of wine, or atmospheric alfresco dining.

(14) Tibidabo Mountain

I was able to get up earlier one morning and take a ride to Tibidabo mountain to get a breathtaking view of Barcelona city. If the amusement park was open during that time we would have gotten another view of the other side which I’m sure would’ve been as amazing as this.

There is a church there called the Temple of Tibidabo or The Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Completed in 1961, this church of mixed Roman and Gothic style can also let you enjoy spectacular views from the top. You won’t regret the journey to Tibidabo Mountain.

Found this little detail just off to the side of the parking lot. These travel love locks are a romantic and physical representation of everlasting love. Inscribed with names, the keys are thrown away representing an unbreakable, forever — yes, here in Barcelona … “may forever”.

Going on the ferris wheel would give more grandiose views I bet. Taking the tram from Tibidabo mountain was also a treat as it is the only tram in Barcelona for a long time already. Plus it kind of mingles you into the atmosphere of locals on commute.

People Watching

I love all the activities happening in Barcelona, and love the people around too. Watching all the tourists and locals as they walk the street with you, brings on the vibe that there is so much unforgettably pleasant experiences that can happen in Barcelona. Add it with a little “Ola” here and there to strangers sets you off to a charming time in this city.

A Pinoy in Barcelona

Ramon, a pinoy working in Barcelona for 13 years says adopting to the Spanish way of living wasn’t hard because of the close cultural influence of the Spaniards to the Philippines. He moved and worked there because of family. On top of that, the pay for his job is great and there is good government support & medical benefits (free medical health care system). The Filipino community in Barcelona also has strong communication ties and there’s a lot of social groups that help and keep our kababayans focus through various programs on finance, investment and business mentoring.

For a Pinoy living in Barcelona favorite spots are : Tibidabo, Park Guell, Plaza Espanya (especially the dancing fountain at night), Arena (where bullfights happen but is now a shopping mall – the thrilling part is riding the elevator all the way from the top going down), beach in Castell Defels, Sagrada Familia, Olesa De Monserat (a train ride from Barcelona, its great for nature-lovers!)

(15) Hotel Gran Derby

When In Barcelona, stay at the Hotel Gran Derby which holds a number of very impressive pieces of contemporary art, including some of the masterpieces of Spanish artists such as Dalí, Tàpies, Miro, Cuixart, Josep Guinovart, Antoni Clavé, Riera i Aragó, Mariscal, Pijuan, Feio, Arroyo amongst others. Undoubtedly this is one of the great luxuries of staying at the Gran Derby.

Gran Derby Suite offers luxury deluxe rooms completely refurbished in an avant-garde style and ethnic décor, combined with early African and Asian furnishings and art. Grand Derby Suite is a 4 star (LUXE) establishment located in the commercial district of the city. It offers 43 rooms, standard, junior suite duplex and deluxe rooms. The hotel is designed and prepared to cover all needs, for relaxation, leisure and business. International cuisine is combined with a range of Spain’s typical dishes. I enjoyed my stay here, it mixed in well with the atmosphere the Catalan capital which is well known for the Art Noveau modernist movement. Breakfast buffets were always a pleasure giving a good literal taste of Spain before we started each day.

WhenInManila goes to Barcelona! When In Barcelona, plug into the artistic & historic scenes, discover the culinary gems, run deeper into football and raise a toast to the city that never sleeps! If there is a destination that should be in your bucketlist, Spain has got to be on it!

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Can’t get enough of Spain? Check out my Madrid experience here!