The Wanderer's Agenda

It’s no surprise that Barcelona is ranked the #6 top city in Travel & Leisure’s “2018 Best Cities in Europe“. Barcelona is known as a vibrant Spanish city on the Mediterranean Sea, full of life, culture and delicious food. What most people don’t realize is that there’s so much to explore outside the capital city of Barcelona.

In May 2018, my boyfriend and I traveled to Barcelona for 6 days and took a few days to travel outside the city and across the state of Catalonia. When people ask what we liked best about our trip, we both agree it was our day trips to these three unique areas: Cadaqués, Girona and Montserrat.

 

Cadaqués is a small fishing village along the Costa Brava of the Mediterranean Sea located just an hour south of the border of France. Although you will need to travel along treacherous winding roads through the surrounding mountainous region to get there…upon arriving, you will be rewarded with breathtaking views that will make the journey unforgettable.

This coastal town’s beauty has attracted many famous painters, including Matisse, Picasso and Dali. In fact, visitors are able to tour the former home of Salvador Dali or take a photo with his statue by the water. If you’re looking for a place to unwind and “get away from it all”, this is the place for you.

• Distance from Barcelona: 171 km (~ 2.5 hour drive)
• Modes of Transportation: To get to Cadaqués, you can travel by car or train & bus. We rented a car for the day because we didn’t want to be restricted by time constraints of an organized tour and did not want to get on multiple trains and buses to arrive. For those who prefer a planned tour, there are various options on Viator for trips from Barcelona to Cadaques (but they stop in other towns too). Not going to lie, the drive to Cadaqués was a bit terrifying since the roads on the mountain had sharp bends and turns.
  • Tips: This was our first time renting a car in Europe. Make sure to ask for an automatic car unless you know how to drive manual. Also, many highways have tolls roads so make sure you have enough cash or use Google Maps to take the non-toll roads (this will definitely increase the length of time it takes to get there). Lastly, ask the rental car company if there’s a maximum distance you can travel via car before they charge you unexpected fees (we were unfortunately charged a large sum of money for this).
  • Parking: Upon arriving, we parked at the very first garage we saw because the closer you get to the coast, the more narrow the roads become. It was less than 10 euros to park for the day – so not too bad!

• What to Do: We traveled to Cadaqués to get away from the city and have a relaxing day – therefore, my boyfriend and I opted to bounce from restaurant to restaurant taste-testing different wines and tapas. For those who are feeling a bit more adventurous, you can: visit Salvador Dali’s home, travel by taxi boat along the coast or explore the Cap de Creus Nature Reserve.
• Where to Eat: We ate at this tiny tapas restaurant on the water called Enoteca MF that had a beautiful view of the town from their front porch seating. Prices were extremely reasonable for tapas (ranging from 4 to 12 euros) and honestly, this was my favorite meal of the entire trip. Make sure to order the tomato carpaccio with avocado and burata as an appetizer and the blue fin tuna tataki. For dessert, we walked to the closest place serving gelato, just across from Enoteca MF. In the afternoon, we walked down the coast to a bar called Xiriguito S’Olivera and lounged in their outdoor seating and sipped on sangria.

 

 

Girona is a medieval town and the capital city of it’s province in Catalonia. This city is best known for the historical Roman walls that surround it’s “Old Quarter”, its medieval architecture and being one of the filming sites for Game of Thrones (GOT). If you’re a big GOT fan, you can actually sign up for a tour that will take you to the sites of Braavos and King’s Landing.

This town is full of history! Girona has undergone 25 sieges and been captured 7 times. In the 12th century, Girona had a large Jewish community (before the monarchs of Spain outlawed Judaism throughout the country in 1492). Today, this town has one of the best preserved Jewish Quarters in all of Europe.

• Distance from Barcelona: 119km (~ 40 min. train ride or 1.5 hour drive)
• Mode of Transportation: There are multiple ways to get to Girona, but the quickest way is via train. We opted for driving a car since we wanted to explore Cadaqués the same day. Also, since we didn’t want to drive on the mountains in Cadaqués at night, we chose to start there and stop in Girona on our way back to Barcelona.
  • Train Directions: Start at the Barcelona Sants station and take the direct train to Girona. Fares will range between 9 to 35 euros one-way. Once you arrive at Girona, the old town area is less than a 10 minute walk away.
  • Parking: If you plan to drive, parking in Girona was super simple because there are multiple garages in their “downtown” area (which is about a 5 minute walk to the old town area).

 

• What to Do: There’s a ton to explore in and around Girona, but if your time is limited make sure you at least do the following:
  • Walk across the Eiffel Bridge
    • The Eiffel Bridge is famous for being constructed by Gustave Eiffel just before the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The bridge is neat because it was constructed where four rivers meet and provides a great photo-op with the colorful homes along the river.
  • Explore the Passeig de la Muralla
    • For the best view of the entire city, go explore the medieval walls (parts of the walls were reconstructed after being destroyed centuries ago).
  • Visit the Girona Cathedral
    • The Girona Cathedral was built over 7 centuries (between the 11th and 18th centuries) and therefore has various architectural styles.
  • Check out the Arab Baths
    • You may recognize this site from Game of Thrones. This Roman style building flaunts one of the best preserved Roman public baths in the world.
  • Weekend Guide to Girona
    • If you’re lucky and plan on staying for multiple days, here’s a weekend guide to Girona.

• Where to Eat: We ate at a delicious Mexican restaurant called Maguey which was situated in the heart of Barri Vell (their old town). You might be wondering why we chose a Mexican restaurant in Spain… well, here’s why:
  • There’s never a wrong time to eat Mexican food
  • We were tempted by its five stars on Yelp
  • It has an outdoor courtyard in the center of the town
  • I was craving a margarita

 

 

Montserrat is a must-do if you’re visiting Barcelona. Home to one of Spain’s most important religious sites, Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey is situated on top of Montserrat mountain.  This monastery was founded in the 11th century and is still fully functioning today (with nearly 80 monks!). Many young people across Catalonia (at least once in their life) participate in an overnight religious hike to Montserrat to watch the sunrise from atop the mountain.

 Montserrat is also known for:

• being the highest point in Catalonia
•  its boys’ choir called Escolania (one of the oldest in all fo Europe)
• Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat (one of the oldest press houses in the world); its first book was published in 1499
• the black Madonna at Montserrat

 

• Distance from Barcelona: 54 km (~ 1 hour train ride)
• Mode of Transportation: Riding the train is the best and easiest option!
  • What Ticket to Buy: At Plaça Espanya metro station, you can buy your ticket to Montserrat. There are multiple ticket options that include varying packages. We chose the one called “Tot Montserrat” which cost about 50 euros and included: metro ride, train to Montserrat, entrance to the museum, all-you-can-eat lunch, cable car ride up to Montserrat, and the funicular at Montserrat.
  • Directions: At Plaça Espanya you can purchase your ticket about 20 minutes before the train leaves. There’s only one train that goes straight to Montserrat – just follow the signs. There are two stops for Montserrat: if you plan on taking the cable car (we did this), get off at the first stop called Montserrat Aeri Stop. From here, you’ll get in line to take the cable car up the mountain (make sure to take in the spectacular views).
  • Tip: Read this post before visiting. It provides great advice and outlines mistakes to avoid while visiting Montserrat.

 

• What to Do: You will definitely want to spend an entire day in Montserrat. Leave Barcelona early to give yourself enough time to explore this region and make sure you take note of the train times leaving back to Barcelona. While at Montserrat, you must visit the beautiful monastery and walk inside the basilica. Also, take the funicular up to Saint Joan or Saint Jeroni (highest point) to hike and take in the spectacular views.
• Where to Eat: If you bought the “Tot Montserrat” ticket, then a buffet lunch at the cafeteria is included in the price! It was pretty tasty and even included an unlimited wine and beer tap. You can’t beat that! The cafeteria also had an amazing view of the mountains.