Barcelona Off the Beaten Path: The Non-Touristy Guide to Barcelona

Beautiful Barcelona, Catalonia’s capital and Gaudí’s architectural portfolio, is home to exquisite food, arts, and culture. With good reason, Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in Spain. There are plenty of touristy things to do, but to truly have a unique experience, it’s rewarding to go a bit off the beaten path and experience Barcelona in a different light. So, here are some secret spots in Barcelona to enjoy during your visit to help you enjoy this fantastic city even more.

 

 Secret Spot Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

A former hospital, founded in 1401, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that many never visit during a trip to Barcelona. From the work of leading architect in Catalan Modernisme Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the building is an excellent example of Catalan Civil Gothic architecture. Visitors can participate in both self-guided and guided tours through the old hospital. For more information, check out its website here.

This is a great Barcelona secret spot because you can also see a clear shot of Sagrada Familia from here, too.

Hours:
From November to March, 9 – 17h Monday-Saturday, 9 – 15h Sundays
From April to Otober, 9 – 19h Monday-Saturday, 8 – 15h Sundays

 

Roman Temple in Barcelona

Visit an Ancient Roman Temple

Secretly tucked away within a courtyard in the Gothic Quarter, you’ll find an ancient Roman temple built in honor of Emperor Augustus called the Temple of Augustus.

The majority of roman buildings were torn down and built on top of, but the columns of the Temple of Augustus remained intact and has been  incorporated into the medieval buildings which were built around them.

Just minutes away from the cathedral, you can find the Temple of Augustus on Carrer Paradís 10 and it’s completely free to enter.

Hours:
Mondays & public holidays 10 to 14h
Tuesday – Saturday 10 to 19h
Sundays 10 to 20h
Closed Jan 1, May 1, June 24 and December 25

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Casa Vicens

A little bit tucked away, Casa Vicens is Gaudí’s first major work combining Spanish bourgeois with ancient Arab traditions. Also, as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is absolutely worth visiting during a trip to Barcelona. It’s certainly one of Gaudí’s architectural secret spots. For information on tickets, you can visit its website here.

Hours:
10 – 20h daily

 

Els Encants Barcelona

Els Encants Flea Market

Check out this fantastic flea market every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in Poblenou. There are more than 500 vendors in the Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes selling all sorts of things: clothes, jewels, accessories, furniture and antiques every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Els Ecants is a very cool spot architecturally as well, with reflecting walls and an eye-catching golden canopy for a roof.

Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9 to 20h

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Pinchos on Carrer de Blai

Barcelona’s tapas street located in Poble Sec, Carrer de Blai, is home to dozens of pincho bars. Pinchos, believed to be from the Basque Country, are small finger foods usually stacked on top of a piece of baguette bread and held together by the help of a wooden pick. It’s an essential part of the gastronomic experience in Spain, and this street is dedicated to love of the pincho. It’s one of the best secret spots to get away from the typical touristy tapas places, too.

Enjoy pinchos for around € 1 or € 2 each with beer, wine, and other beverages also served at a good price.

 

Horta Park Barcelona

Parc del Laberint d’Horta

One of Barcelona’s very best parks located in the Horta neighborhood, is enchanting for its labyrinth maze within the park grounds.

It also features Barcelona’s oldest garden and has several beautiful fountains and sculptures. Wandering through this unusual and pretty place is certainly a unique way of spending a couple of hours off the beaten path in Barcelona.

Bonus: You can spot nice views of the city and even the sea from certain angles at this park.

Note: Bring a couples of euros for entry.

Hours:
From 1st April to 31st October – 10 to 20h
From 1st November to 31st March, from 10 to 18h

 

Comedy Shows in Barcelona

English Comedy Shows

Not ready to plunge into Spanish comedy shows? Don’t worry — me neither. Being as cosmopolitan as Barcelona is, it’s home to plenty of amazing English comedy nights. Most are free with tips highly encouraged. They are a great option for casual nights or prepping for a big a night out as all the comedy shows are within bars. Plus, getting your drink on only makes everything funnier anyways.

There are comedies practically every week night and most are located centrally within secret spots in the Gothic Quarter.

Some of my favorites:

Sunday nights – Atomic Comedy located downstairs at El Paraigua at 20h

Monday nights – Comedy with Dorothy at La Dorotea at 20:30h

Wednesday nights – Stand Up Comedy at Craft Barcelona at 21:30h

Friday nights – Bomb Shelter Stand Up Comedy at Bar Limerick at 21h

Saturday nights – Cave Comedy Club‘s English Comedy Nights at Las Cuevas de los Rajahs at 20:30h

 

Barcelona Packing Essentials

Anti-Theft Bag and stylish Birkenstocks. Very Barcelona and the bags will help keep those pesky thieves away from your things.

 

 


Did you know Barcelona is the world’s #1 pickpocketing destination? As a local, here are my top tips for avoiding pickpockets.

 

 

 

Note: Some of the links below contain affiliate links. This doesn’t increase the cost of any item to you, but simply means that I’ll receive a small commission of any sales from those links. But don’t worry — I only share products that I love and trust!  

 

 

 

My Top Travel Recommendations ♡

These are a few of my top travel tips that will save you time and money while setting up for an AMAZING trip.

Booking flights: I almost exclusively use Google Flights. They have a cool feature where you can type in your departure airport and discover where you could fly within a certain budget. Otherwise, you can also compare airports and see what day is best to fly in/out to help you save money and have the most efficient flight path.

Travel insurance: SafetyWing is my go-to choice for travel insurance. They have a global policy that covers 180+ countries. You can visit any doctor, cancel anytime, and you’re even covered for a few weeks after returning to your home country.

Anti-theft bag: To help protect against pickpockets, I like to carry my beloved Travelon bag. It’s slash-resistant, has locked zippers, and is very sleek and functional for traveling abroad.

Accommodation: I love using Booking.com to find places to stay when traveling. Booking has everything from hotels and hostels to b&bs and entire house/apartment rentals.

Travel Credit Card: I love-love-love my Capital One Venture One credit card. It has a $0 annual fee and no fees when using abroad or paying in a foreign currency. Plus you get 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 in your first three months when you get this card.

Car rentals: I use DiscoverCars.com when renting a car. Great deals, customer support, and range of comapnies. You can save up to 70% via the website instead of booking a car directly.

Tours: I don’t travel on complete tours as I like to travel on my own terms, but I do like to book experiences and walking tours on GetYourGuide. They have an amazing line-up of things to do in destinations around the globe. You can also access skip-the-line tickets.

Hi there!

Hi, I’m Christa! Welcome to my sustainable solo travel blog dedicated to inspiring others to travel slowly, embracing a heart-forward and spirited approach to adventure. 

-The Spirited Explorer

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