Barcelona is a beautiful and vibrant city full of life, history, and beautiful architecture. The city boast some of the most famous and visited attractions in Europe. But we already know the hits, like La Sagrada Familia and La Rambla. One of my favorite things about exploring a new city is finding fun and cool places that aren’t on the top ten lists.
After spending five weeks exploring Barcelona I found a few favorite little spots.
So when you are looking to get away from the crowds, see some awesome views, and wander through nature check out these places!
Find out which of Barcelona’s big attractions are worth the time and money
Bunkers del Carmel
Up on the hill overlooking all of Barcelona are the Bunkers del Carmel. The now abandoned military bunkers were built during the Spanish Civil War as an anti-aircraft battery. Now the concrete platforms are just part of the hillside park and serve as an awesome place to watch the sun rise or set over the city.
The bunkers are a popular spot for sunset. Hike up the hill and bring a little picnic with you to watch the sun go down behind the mountains west of the city.
While sunset at the bunkers is fun, sunrise is when you get the spectacular views. Because the sun comes up over the water of the Mediterranean Sea, it makes for beautiful beautiful light all over the city.
Montjuic
Montjuic is a large hill on the southern side of Barcelona. It boast awesome views of the city and the harbor, as well as several gardens, museums, and a castle. You can also take the cable car from the beach up the mountain on one side, or take the gondola up the mountain directly to the castle from the other side.
The perfect easy packing list for Barcelona
Cactus Garden – Jardins De Mossén Costa i LLobera
I love cacti, something about their polyp-y shapes and sharp spines just intrigues me. Anyways, this cactus garden is an awesome place to cruise around and hang out for an afternoon. Situated on the side of Montjuic, the terraced garden overlooks the harbour, with views of palm trees and cruise ships. There are over 800 different species of cacti and trees in the garden showcasing a huge variety of desert botanicals.
Magic Fountain
Located on the northern side of Montjuic just below the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Magic Fountain is in fact, magical.
Thursday through Saturday at 8:00PM the fountain lights up for an awesome water show on par with the Bellagio’s fountain show in Vegas. The water-technics, lights, and accompanying music are an amazing site to see. Take a seat up on the stairs or on the grass and sit back and enjoy the show.
The Labyrinth
At the center of Barcelona’s oldest garden, Parc del Laberint, there is a hedge maze labyrinth. The tall hedge walls twist and turn you around, but if you make your way to the center of the maze you find a statue of Eros, the Greek God of love.
I had a blast wandering through the maze and eventually found my way out. The surrounding park was once the estate of a wealthy family and the grounds include fountains, rivers, and a waterfall.
READ MORE:
The 10 Coolest Things To Do in Barcelona
A Hipster’s Guide To Barcelona
The Best Food & Drink in Barcelona
Barcelona Attractions: What To See & What To Skip
A Guide to Park Güell
Everything you need for a day out adventuring!
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The Labyrinth looks so beautiful. I think I would spend a lot of time there just wandering around. #FlyAwayFriday
It’s a beautiful park to spend an afternoon wandering!
I’ve been to a couple on your list, but still have a couple to discover some day! Thanks for sharing and giving me more of a reason to go back to Barcelona!!
Awesome! where have you been?
We’re heading to Barcelona next year…so glad I found your post! All of your suggestions are great, but the cactus garden sounds like my favorite. Can’t wait to see it in person.
Awesome that you are going to Barcelona next year, it’s such an awesome city! Let me know if you want any other recommendations, I’ll also have more Barcelona post coming up.
This is a great list! I have visited Barcelona several times, but over the last few years I have been very hesitant to go back, as it’s becoming so overcrowded. I think I would only go back to visit the places you are highlighting and maybe take some day trips!
#FlyAawayFriday
Thanks! I wish I had gotten to do some day trips out of the city, I’ve heard the surrounding area is really neat.
Sadly I have never made it to Barcelona – well for more than 5 minutes catching a cruise many years ago. So I have an extended vacation planned in Spain for next spring and fully intend to take on the delights of Barcelona. It’s lovely to see areas and hidden spots that don’t make the usual travel blogs as it gives us something truly different to explore and learn more about a place.
It’s the lesser known place that I always enjoy exploring and writing about the most. Where are you planning to go on your trip to Spain next spring?
I went to Barcelona but was only there a short time. This is a great list! I will be sure to reference this post when I go back. See you at Fly Away Friday this week!
What an amazing list of hidden gems in Barcelona! The views, especially the sunsets are SO gorgeous! Thanks for joining Fly Away Friday – hope to see you again this week! xo
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