{"id":4305,"date":"2021-10-11T15:21:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T15:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test1.simpledevel.com\/barcelona2\/?p=4305"},"modified":"2026-01-19T11:19:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T10:19:34","slug":"when-in-barcelona-do-as-the-backpackers-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/cuando-en-barcelona-haz-como-los-mochileros\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuando est\u00e9s en Barcelona, haz lo que hacen los mochileros."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Perhaps, you\u2019re hardcore and have just crossed the Pyrenees from France to Spain; you\u2019ve spent days sleeping among the livestock that wander the mountains, listening to their bells clang.  You want a little respite from the harsh conditions.  Or maybe you\u2019re a budget traveller who has been sleeping on trains, making your way west along the Cote D\u2019azur from Italy to France, and now you\u2019re looking for a nice place to relax for a few days.<\/p>\n

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Whatever has brought you to the countryside of Europe with your home on your back, Barcelona is a beautiful, lively, historic destination to stop for a few days (or longer) and enjoy all the city has to offer.  You\u2019ll find great food, stunning architecture, shopping, art, and a sense of history along with the progressive.<\/p>\n

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If you want to avoid crowds and the heat of summer\u2013Barcelona\u2019s temperatures are not extreme but the sun can be intense\u2013you\u2019re better off visiting in spring or fall.  Between March and May average highs range from 60s to low 70s and between September and November you\u2019ll find average temps from the mid-60s to almost 80.  Lows rarely fall below 50.<\/p>\n

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Things to Do<\/strong><\/p>\n

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There\u2019s so much to do in Barcelona, it\u2019s hard to hit all the highpoints, but if you\u2019re looking to make the most of your visit, you\u2019ll want to spend much of your time in the Old Town.  This area of the city is the political and geographic center and offers a wide range of history from Barcelona\u2019s earliest visitors, such as the Romans, Visigoths, and Moors, to the more recent Spanish Civil War or the Olympics.  Some of the must-dos during your stay are:<\/p>\n

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Eat<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Food is at the heart of Barcelona\u2019s culture, and you will be missing out if you don\u2019t indulge in the local cuisine.  If you\u2019re looking for a delicious (and inexpensive) way to sample, wander to the Barri Gotic (the Gothic Quarter) or La Barceloneta where you\u2019ll find a sensory overload of culinary options.  <\/p>\n

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As a port city, Barcelona is renowned for its ultra fresh seafood so you can\u2019t go wrong with Brocheta de Camarones (skewered shrimp), succulent Navalles (razor clams), or the delicious octopus and potato dish known as Pulpa a la Gallega.  <\/p>\n

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Carnivores will love the variety of cured meats, such as Iberico ham, cured tuna, and chorizo.  Vegetarians can find favorites as well.  One of Barcelona\u2019s most popular dishes is Pa Amb Tomaquet, which is simply toasted bread rubbed with fresh tomatoes and spiced with olive oil and salt.  <\/p>\n

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You will find Moorish influences in olives and couscous, popularly known favorites like paella, and, of course, the wines.  You must try the wines.<\/p>\n

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Site See<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For a taste of Barcelona\u2019s past visit the Gothic Cathedral in the center of the Barri Gotic.  There you\u2019ll be able to wander the 14th and 15th century cloisters and to explore Saint Eulalia\u2019s crypt.  Be sure to make your way to the roof where you\u2019ll find outstanding views of the city.<\/p>\n

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One of the city\u2019s most prominent (and whimsical) figures is the architect Antoni Gaudi.  For a truly unusual cathedral experience, it is worth visiting the Sagrada Familia, the church he did not complete in his lifetime, but that continues to be completed in his honor.  The Parc Guell offers his fascination with mosaic tiling in the form of brightly colored winding walls, giant lizards, and elegant staircases.  <\/p>\n

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Or for a feel of the new and the old, make your way to Montjuic Hill where you can take a cable car up to one of the most stunning views of the city you\u2019ll find.  Plan your day to take in the 18th-century fortress, the Castell de Montjuic, and to visit the gardens, a Spanish village, and the various olympic stadiums.  <\/p>\n

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Walk<\/strong><\/p>\n

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You can stay local and walk La Rambla, which is popular among tourists, and offers shopping, dining, and bars.  It\u2019s also great for people watching.  Or for a more solemn experience, try the literary district known as the Raval.  Here, you\u2019ll find trendy shops, businesses, dining, and nightlife.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re feeling that itch to get back out into the wild, it\u2019s well worth taking a visit to nearby Mont Serrat, with its stone landscapes and knife-edge cliffs.  While there, be sure to visit the famous Shrine of the Black Madonna.  Mont Serrat is a one-hour train ride from the city and is worth the investment of roughly 20 euros roundtrip.<\/p>\n

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Places to Stay<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For the budget traveller, Barcelona offers numerous options.  Backpackers often opt to stay centrally in one of the many affordable and vivacious hostels.  If you\u2019re into nightlife, this is certainly a good option.  The Kabul Party Hostel, just off Las Ramblas, for example, advertises its \u201cbuzzing atmosphere and lively parties.\u201d  For the foodie, the Mediterranean Youth Hostel might be a good choice as it advertises \u201cLearn[ing] to make the perfect paella from our chefs, and fill[ing] up at our nightly Med-themed dinners.\u201d  There are so many highly rated options that you may want to explore your preferences at Hostel World<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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For those looking for something quieter or who prefer to camp, there are a couple of camping locations within reach of the hub of the city (this has to do with proximity to transportation more than location).  Camping Tres Estrellas is located in Gav\u00e1, about 12km from Barcelona  It offers numerous buses, including a night bus, that run from Castelldefels to Barcelona.  The bus station is a 5-10 minute walk from the campsite.  The other option is Masnou, a small town 15 km north of Barcelona. The train station is a 5 minute walk from the campsite, with trains departing for Barcelona every ten minutes. <\/p>\n

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Things to Take<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Besides basic backpacking gear, depending on the type of travelling you\u2019re doing (pack, tent<\/a>, sleeping bag and pad, etc.), you\u2019ll want mostly lightweight clothing for Barcelona.  For the fair-skinned, it\u2019s worth taking a long-sleeve shirt and long pants as getting sunburned is easy to do.  Barcelona also offers beautiful beaches so be sure you have a swimsuit with you.  <\/p>\n

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Other important items include toiletries (be sure to have sunblock), Ziploc and plastic bags for keeping items dry and for storing wet clothing, a first aid kit, a water purifying straw, and a universal charger\/adapter.  While most locals involved in the tourist trade speak English, it is also worth bringing a Spanish phrase book in case you don\u2019t have connectivity.<\/p>\n

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By Megan Glenn<\/p>\n

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Perhaps, you\u2019re hardcore and have just crossed the Pyrenees from France to Spain; you\u2019ve spent days sleeping among the livestock that wander the mountains, listening to their bells clang.\u00a0 You want a little respite from the harsh conditions.\u00a0 Or maybe you\u2019re a budget traveller who has been sleeping on trains, making your way west along […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4306,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/10\/bcn-blog4.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4305"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47302,"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4305\/revisions\/47302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}