10 original things to do in Barcelona beyond the tourist classics
Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in Europe — and that comes at a cost. The queues at the Sagrada Família, the souvenir shops along Las Ramblas and the restaurants with menus translated into eight languages are all part of a tourist experience that exists, works and has its audience. But it is not the only way to experience the city.
There is another Barcelona. Quieter, more authentic and in many cases far more interesting. Here are ten ways to find it.
1. Cook an authentic paella in El Raval
If there is one thing that defines Mediterranean food culture it is paella — and if there is one thing that very few people do when they visit Barcelona, it is learning to cook it properly.
At Rice To Meet You, in the heart of El Raval, we offer workshops where each participant cooks their own seafood paella from start to finish, guided step by step. It is not a demonstration. It is a hands-on experience where you learn to make the sofrito, control the heat, manage the stock and achieve the socarrat.
Two and a half hours that end at the table, with wine and dessert. One of the best ways to take a real memory of Barcelona home with you.
Book your place at the workshop →
2. Walk up to the Bunkers del Carmel at sunset
The best views in Barcelona are not from Tibidabo or Park Güell. They are from the Bunkers del Carmel — the ruins of a Civil War anti-aircraft battery on top of the Turó de la Rovira hill.
From there you can see the entire city, from the sea to the Collserola hills. It is particularly stunning at sunset, when the light turns the rooftops orange. Getting there by public transport is straightforward and entry is free.
3. Get lost in the Gràcia neighbourhood
Gràcia is the neighbourhood that most resembles what Barcelona was like before it became a global tourist destination. Its narrow streets, terrace-filled squares, local markets and long-standing independent shops make it one of the best places to understand how the city actually lives.
Plaça del Sol, Plaça de la Virreina and the Mercat de l'Abaceria are three good starting points. There is no monument to visit here — just a neighbourhood to observe.
4. The Mercat de Sant Antoni on a Sunday morning
Everyone knows La Boqueria. Very few people know the Mercat de Sant Antoni, a ten-minute walk away on the border between the Eixample and El Raval. Monday to Saturday it is a local food market — fresh, honest, without tourists. On Sundays it transforms into a second-hand book market that spreads around the entire exterior of the building.
It is one of the most authentically Barcelonan plans that exist and one of the least visited by people coming from outside the city.
5. The MACBA and the CCCB in the same day
The Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània stand facing each other in El Raval. Together they form one of the most active cultural centres in the city.
The MACBA has a solid permanent collection of Spanish and international contemporary art alongside first-rate temporary exhibitions. The CCCB takes a more experimental approach — architecture, photography, urban thought, festivals. The square between the two buildings, designed by Richard Meier, is itself a space worth experiencing.
6. A tapas route through El Born
El Born is Barcelona's most gastronomically interesting neighbourhood for those looking for quality without major concessions to mass tourism. Its streets have a notable concentration of bars and restaurants working with local produce and short menus.
A good route starts at Plaça de Sant Pere, runs down Carrer del Rec and ends near the Mercat del Born. The key is not to rush and to follow wherever the locals are.
7. The Barceloneta beach at first light
Barceloneta beach is, in summer, one of the most crowded places in Europe. But at eight in the morning, before anyone arrives, it is a completely different place. Calm water, fishermen with their lines, locals walking their dogs and the seafront promenade almost empty.
Getting up early in Barcelona has its rewards. Breakfast on one of the Barceloneta terraces with the sea in front of you is one of the simplest and most underrated pleasures the city has to offer.
8. Walk up Montjuïc via the Font del Gat path
Everyone goes up to Montjuïc by cable car or funicular. Very few people know that there is a walking path that climbs from El Poble Sec through gardens, sculptures and fountains up to the Font del Gat — a historic restaurant in the middle of the woods — and continues up to the castle.
The walk takes between forty-five minutes and an hour, is shaded in summer and is practically unknown to visitors.
9. A concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana
The Palau de la Música is one of the most extraordinary buildings that Catalan Modernisme has produced. Designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, its interior is an explosion of stained glass, ceramics and natural light that needs to be seen from the inside — not on a guided tour but during a live concert.
The programme includes classical music, chamber music, flamenco, jazz and world music. Tickets for weekday concerts tend to be reasonably priced and the experience is completely unlike any conventional venue.
10. El Poble Sec and Carrer Blai
Carrer Blai in El Poble Sec is Barcelona's pintxos street. A four-hundred-metre stretch with a dozen bars serving Basque-style pintxos at reasonable prices, cold beer and the easy informality of standing outside on the pavement.
It is an evening plan — informal, social and very Barcelonan. The neighbourhood around it, El Poble Sec, is also one of the most interesting in the city right now, with a food and cultural scene that is constantly growing.
The Barcelona worth finding
These ten plans have something in common: none of them require queuing, none of them appear in the tourist office brochure and all of them bring you closer to a version of Barcelona that most visitors never get to see.
If you want to start with the first one — the paella workshop — you can check availability and book your place directly on our website.