Barcelona Bound: 72 Hours with Family in Spain

Barcelona, the vibrant capital of Catalonia, is a city that seamlessly blends rich history, stunning architecture, and a lively culture. It was our choice of destinations to end 2023. Barcelona offers a plethora of experiences that can be packed into a short yet unforgettable trip — for our family three days was the time we needed.

Barcelona was the perfect destination to travel to with our adult children.

Arrival Particulars - Transportation from Airport + Luggage Storage:

You have a few option to get from Barcelona Airport to the city center. The L9 metro line connects Barcelona Airport to the city centre. There are two stops at Barcelona airport which are called: Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2. The airport metro service operates to the same hours as the normal metro system. Metro will take about 20 minutes and a single ticket will cost less than 6Euros. However, if you are going to use public transportation for the majority of your transfers, then consider a Hola Barcelona Travel Card - it could be a more affordable option.

Another option is taking a taxi - they are readily available outside the baggage claim area of airport. We opted to take the 20 minute taxi ride and paid 30Euros for our family of five. The minimum fare from the airport is 20Euros (which includes the mandatory airport entry and exit fees).

We arrived early in the day before our beautiful AirBnB was ready so, we stored our luggage at Lock and Be Free. They were affordable and conveniently located a block from our accommodations and a block away from The Sagrada Familia - Our first destination!

Day 1 - Basilica de la Sagrada Familia

Explore the awe-inspiring beauty of Sagrada Familia. The intricate details of its exterior are amazing — I felt like I was playing Where’s Waldo as I searched for various subjects carved into the exterior facade. The first thing you see as you approach the basilica are its towers. There are a total of eighteen of these towers — twelve are dedicated to the apostles, while four represent the evangelists. Another tower is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and the highest tower, at 172 meters tall, is dedicated to Jesus Christ.

Upon entering Sagrada Familia, your eye is immediately drawn up to the delicate carvings on the tree-like columns that seem to reach for the sky. The columns create a canopy of intertwined branches and leaves above your head. Then, you are drawn to the play of light through the stained glass. The kaleidoscope of colors casts a warm glow throughout the interior. There’s really something to see at every vantage point —— I can imagine that each time a person visits, they see something new.

I encourage you to reserve and purchase your tickets w the audioguide prior to arriving. The audioguide provides valuable insights into the history and symbolism behind Sagrada Familia. Learning about Gaudí's vision and the ongoing construction work that has spanned generations added a layer of appreciation for the dedication and passion invested in this masterpiece. Before leaving, we took a moment to sit in the tranquil courtyard and absorb the serenity of the surroundings. The play of light and shadow on the facades, combined with the gentle sounds of the fountains, created a peaceful atmosphere that contrasted the bustling city beyond the walls of Sagrada Familia. This basilica is a testament to Antoni Gaudi’s creativity and ingenuity.

Day Two - Park Güell (morning) and La Pedrera/Casa Milà (afternoon)

We rose early and walked 20 minutes through charming neighborhoods to Park Güell. This enchanting park is in the Carmel Hill District where it overlooks the city. The park is named after Eusebi Güell, a rich entrepreneur, who commissioned Gaudi to build a luxury residential complex. When the project was abandoned, Gaudí designed a park. Created between 1900 and 1914, Park Guell has been open to the public since 1923. In 1984, it was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Güell is a large park (wear comfortable shoes). We entered at the upper entrance (Av. del Santuari de Sant Josep de la Muntanya) with our prepurchased tickets — which allowed us to start at the top and work our way down! We began our discovery through Park Güell meandering through the Austria Gardens as we gazed up at the stone columns of the Greek Theater Square.

Casa Trias - One of the three residences that were built in the park and the only one whose ownership is preserved. Owned by Martí Trias i Domènech, lawyer of the Güell family, it was built between 1903 and 1906. Today, it remains a private residence and still belongs to the same family, the descendants of the lawyer and his wife , Anna Maxenchs.

Views of The Gaudi House Museum. This served as Antoni Gaudi’s home until he moved to the Sagrada Familia…. where he lived until his death in 1926.

We strided down to the bottom of Park Güell — the home of the famous mosaic benches and plaza that sits atop the Hypostyle Room……. Do you see Sagrada Familia in the distance?

Entrance to the Hypostyle Room w its massive columns.

One of the most popular highlights inside Park Güell is Gaudi’s fountain lizard, affectionately know as El Drac (the dragon). Almost everyone wants to get a picture or selfie along this stairway with this mosaic emblazoned salamander.

We took in all the details of the Casa del Guarda (Caretaker’s House) or as I like to call it, The Gingerbread House. This building had such a fun, whimsical character to it!

The afternoon took us to Passeig de Gràcia - the location for La Pedrera-Casa Milà. This street reminded me of Paris’s Champs-Elysees with its high-end stores that line this long boulevard - you’ll find many options for shopping and dining. It was a good spot for us to take a bit of a break after spending the morning at Park Güell. Kevin and I rested our feet at a local Starbucks and the kids went in the opposite direction for a bit of shopping before the time slot for our pre-purchased tickets. Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera (“the quarry”), was the last private residence designed by architect Antoni Gaudí and was built between 1906 and 1912. Your tickets will gain you access through one of the apartments, the Gaudi Exhibit (which explains a bit more about his vision and thought process).

Courtyard entry to Casa Milà……. Gaudi’s architecture forces you to look up in wonder.

And, finally, my favorite part, the rooftop. It is truly unique! I loved all of the statuesque smokestacks with their rounded formations and other architectural pieces formed from Gaudi’s imagination and recycled materials. The space reminded me of something I might see on Star Wars!

Moriah taking in the views from the rooftop of Casa Milà.

Day 3: Photo Session, Picasso Museum, and E-Bike Tour

Our final day in Barcelona, I hired a photographer to memorialize our amazing time together. Our photographer, Brayan, was incredible and took photos of us with the Barcelona Cathedral as our backdrop — They are photos that I will treasure for a lifetime. I am a huge fan of AirBnB Experiences. I love the fact that I am supporting locals and learning things about the area from someone who lives there.

Following our photo session, we split as a group….. kids went exploring on their own and Kevin and I went to the Picasso Museum. Let me use this as a side note regarding traveling w adult children. Give yourselves permission to go your separate ways during your travel adventures — choose an agreed upon time to meet back up!

Barcelona’s Picasso Museum holds over 5,000 of his works — all housed in the Berenguer d'Aguilar palace. This striking building with its stone arches and pathways dates back to the fifteenth century and has been the Picasso Museum since 1963.

Courtyard entry of Picasso Museum Barcelona…. the stone arches throughout this building are beautiful.

If you visit now, you’ll get a chance to see Picasso’s work exhibited alongside his friend Joan Miro. I suggest purchasing your tickets ahead of time. Backpacks are not allowed inside but, you will find free lockers available near the entrance.

We ended our final day in Barcelona on an E-Bike tour I booked through Viator. It was a fun way to see a large portion of this great city! I love booking trips with Viator because they have a flexible “Reserve Now + Pay Later” feature to secure activities - I paid for the tour just before we left the United States. And, most experiences you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance…. because sometimes our travel itineraries change while we’re on the road!

Our E-Bike tour began in the funky Born neighborhood as we followed our guide to the Ciutadella Park where locals basked in the last hours of sunlight. We watched tap dancers in one corner, a group passing a soccer ball in another and families/couples strolling around the fountain that is central to the park. From there, we rode to the Sant Marti District which was the home of the 1992 Olympic Village. From the pier we had gorgeous views of the harbor on the left and the long expanse of sandy beach on our right……. As the sun began to set, the lights began to light the buildings along the beach front —- hinting of the nightlife that would soon begin.

A brief stop at Ciutadella Park before making our way to Olympic Village.

Views of Barceloneta Beach at sunset was the perfect way to finish our final day in this amazing city.

Our three days in Barcelona were a whirlwind of culture, history, cuisine, and priceless time spent together….. I can’t mention enough the importance of purchasing your tickets ahead of time —- most places have time slots for admittance. So purchasing your tickets ahead of time will assure that you will get admittance and you won’t have to stand in time. If you plan on attending the Sagrada, Casa Mila, Park Güell, etc - consider purchasing an All-Inclusive pass from GoCity — your tickets to these sights and others will all be bundled together and you’ll save some money.

While three days may seem like a short time to explore a city as rich and diverse as Barcelona, this itinerary offered us a taste of the city's most iconic attractions. This city promises a memorable experience even in a short timeframe - I love the way it seems to seamlessly blend its rich past with the present. Barcelona has etched its place in our hearts.