If you are visiting us during a short break and only have one day to visit Barcelona ,we propose you an itinerary to enjoy some of the must visit places... but sure you'll be willing to come back to see the rest! ;)
Both from Malgrat de Mar and from Pineda de Mar, there are trains that depart every half hour to Barcelona, you have to take the line Rodalíes R1 with destination Barcelona or Hospitalet de Llobregat. In just 1 hours you'll be right at the city center, we reccomend you to step down in Plaça de Catalunya station to start your itinerary. There is a part of it that you will do walking, and other parts you'd have to take the subway to save time and also avoid too much walking. The most economical and reccomendable option is to purchase a T-10 ticket, that as it name says, is valid for 10 journeys in the subways and buses network from the TMB (Metropolitan tranport of Barcelona), and it is not unipersonal, that means that you can use the same card for more than one person, the limit is jus the number of fares in the card.
© picture by Nacho
Once you are in Plaça de Catalunya, in direction to the sea you'll find the famous Rambla, a big and colourful avenue, full of life, shops, restaurants and street artists. We must say, that Barcelonaa is it a touristic and safe city, but we reccommend you to watch over your belongings, specially in places like this with so much people. The best you can do is just take to this excursion the essential to spend the day, leave the important documentation at the hotel and put your bag facing the front, where you can control it at all times.
Walking through La Rambla in direction to the sea, at your right side you'll the the Gran Teatre del Liceu, a must stop for the lovers of the scenic arts. They have a service of guided visits, even a express visit service in case your schedule is very tight but you don't want to miss the chance to see this emblematic place.
© picture by Boyko Blagoev
Sure that by now you'd like to stop and have something fresh, right? A few meters from the Liceu, you'll find the Boqueria Market, where you can taste local fresh products, and make very nice pictures. If you'd like to have something refreshing you'll find many shops with fresh juices, dices fruits and also take-away portions of ham, fuet and other typical sausages.
© picture by Friedwater
Then you can go through Portaferrissa street to enter into the Gothic Quarter and get to the Cathedral. This street was one of the entrances to the mediaeval city, and its named like this because here they used and iron bar to check if the carriages will fit into the old wall's door(porta is door in catalán and ferro is iron, that's why its called the "Ironed door").
Following this street we will arrive to Plaça Nova, Barcelona's Cathedral is located. This cathedtral is very interesting, because it was built over old basilicas and churches, and it is a mix of the different styles used in this region along the centuries. The major part of the conserved structure is from the XIII century, when the gothic style construction began.
© picture by Enrique López-Tamayo
After the visit to the Cathedral ,we go back to La Rambla, to walk to the Mirador de Colón (Colon's Viewpoint), a must visit in the city. You can access it and enjoy a stunning panoramical view of the city from the heights, or if the height is not your thing, you can also enjoy a walk next to the sea at Moll de les Drassanes. At the end of this pier you'll find the commercial center Maremagnum, where you can stop for some shopping or have lunch in its restaurants area. A typical place is the Moncho’s “The Chipirón” restaurant, where you can enjoy nice a nice plate of fried fish.
© Picture by Moncho’s The Chipirón
If you go back to the Ramblas , the closest subway station is Drassanes. There you can take Line 3 towards Trinitat Nova and step in Passeig de Gràcia, just three stops away.
Passeig de Gràcia, is one of the most renowned avenues of Barcelona, where the big brands don't miss the chance to show their best window displays. If you walk towards the mountain, at your left you'll find Casa Batlló, considered as one of the most creative works of the catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, the reference of the mordernism movement.
© picture by Tokyographer
And if you walk a little bit further, at your right side you'll find the emblematic fachade of La Pedrera – Casa Milà.
© picture by Zhang Wenjie
And of course, we can't live Barcelona without visiting the masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí: the Sagrada Familia basilica. At the end of Passeig the Gràcia, you have Diagonal subway station, take the line 5 towards Vall d’Hebrón and step down at Sagrada Família stop.
© picture by Anne Varak
After this exhausting day, sure you are willing to go back to the hotel and relax, right?
The fastest route to go back to our hotels, is going again to the subway station of Sagrada Familia, but now take line 2 towards Badalona Pompeu Fabra, in just two stops you'll be at El Clot station, where you can take again the train of Rodalies R1 line towards Blanes or Maçanet - Massanes, that is the one that will leave you again in Pineda or Malgrat de Mar.
If you decide to make our reccomended route, don't hesitate to share your experience at the comments area!