Top 3 Must-See Views in Barcelona

Whether you prefer #travelTuesday or #Tuesdayviewsday, today’s post is for you.

As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I visited Barcelona back in May. It marked my fifth excursion to Europe, second solo international trip, and first time in Spain. To be honest, though, BCN wasn’t even a high priority destination for me until maybe March – when a $440 round trip flight and some rave reviews from friends suddenly catapulted this city to the top of my bucket list.

After fulfilling my dream trip to Paris in January, I gotta say my expectations for Barcelona were pretty mid-tier. Sure, I knew the wanderluster in me would enjoy the trip, but ‘enjoy’ wound up being a huge understatement! Shhhh. Don’t tell Paris, but I think I’ve fallen for Barcelona – more specifically, Barcelona’s views. (It’s tough to compete with the Mediterranean AND mountains!)

Views are my love language, for sure. And, this Spanish capital city not only has them, it has some of THEE best my eyeballs have ever seen. Among the views, three spots stand out as absolute musts when visiting Barcelona. Bear with me as I attempt to describe these spots with words and photos that will not do them the justice they deserve.

PARK GUELL

Now, I’m not talking the main touristy part of the park where you can see Gaudi’s famous architecture up close and personal. No. Behind all that, the views only get better. Follow the walking path to the southwest corner of the park and keep hiking up, up, up, until you reach the crosses on the hill. This is the highest point of Park Guell and offers an unobstructed, 360° view of the entire city. Mountains. Mediterranean. Sagrada Familia. You can see it all from up here!

And (as if you needed another selling point) it’s absolutely free (another of my love languages)!! As long as you’re okay with a distant look at the Gaudi portion of the park, you don’t have to pay that admission fee.

BUNKERS OF CARMEL

Also free, this spot isn’t nearly as popular as Park Guell – mostly because it’s kind of a trek, and just not as well known. All the more reason to go here, IMO. The Bunkers are about a 20-25 minute walk from Park Guell, so I hit them both back-to-back – which I highly recommend if you decide to do both. And, if you do, this’ll be your leg day workout because, ohh the inclines!

I almost forgot! You must visit the Bunkers at sunset. The views from this vantage point are some kind of magic any time of day, but it’s really almost criminal not to experience them at sunset. If you do, you’ll find a crowd of young people (or younger-than-me people) some of whom I assumed were locals. Don’t let the word ‘crowd’ scare you, though. There was still plenty of room to sit or stand – or walk around and take in all angles of the city, like me. And, if you like food with your views, you won’t be out of place if you pack a snack. One group made a picnic out of it, with blankets, booze, and pizza. I also saw a quiet couple nibbling from a plate of fruit and cheese – paired with wine, of course!

So, yeah. Make sunset at the Bunkers a priority.

SANT JERONI, MONTSERRAT

Okay. This last one might be stretching it a bit, because Montserrat is a sixty-minute train ride from Barcelona. But, it’s an hour and cheap train fare well spent because this place will WOW you. While drafting up my itinerary for this trip, I met with a friend who’d recently visited Barcelona. I asked him for tips on what to do and see, and he proceeded to tell me what he didn’t do that he wished he’d done. #1 on his list? Montserrat.

After researching Montserrat myself, I knew it warranted an entire day of my trip. A cable car, cliffside monastery, funiculars climbing further up the mountain, and hiking trails to the highest peaks (the very highest being Sant Jeroni). So, yup. I was sold. I think I could write an entire post on just this excursion to Montserrat – and, you know what? I will. So, stay tuned. And, for now, let these photos convince you to experience this place for yourself. It WILL be the highlight of your trip. I promise!