5 Best Hotels in Sagrada Familia

You can find bargains and good accommodations in the Sagrada Familia area of Barcelona. This residential district can save you money over staying in the city’s center, as many of the hotels actually are converted from apartments, with more room and features than typical hotel settings. Here are five hotels that get high marks in the area as ranked by online reviewers.

Sagrada Familia Hotel

This site is just a few flocks from Sagrada Familia and offers easy access to public transportation options. There also are plenty of good, inexpensive restaurants close to the hotel. Reviewers note the cleanliness of the rooms and helpfulness of the staff, particularly for making reservations to other places. (More from hotelsagradafamilia.com).

Hotel Hispanos 7 Suiza Apartament

One block from the Sagrada Familia, these apartments are actually set up as a hotel for tourists. Large rooms with multiple bedrooms can accommodate larger traveling parties and the location is convenient for metro and bus services to the city center. If you want to feel like you are actually living in the area, this is the place to stay.

Eric Vokel Bcn Suites

This site is a five- to 10-minute walk from the Sagrada Familia and two metro stations. Online reviewers appreciate its proximity to supermarkets and bakeries. The rooms in some suites might be a bit smaller than what you could find at other hotels, but the location cannot be beat in terms of safety and quiet. (Find them on www.ericvokel.com).

Ayre Hotel Rosellon

This four-star site is just one minute from Sagrada Familia and also is close to the metro. The site has 105 rooms, four of which are modified for people with disabilities, according to the hotel’s website. Ask for a room on a higher floor so that you can have a better view.

Hotel Sant Antoni

Ask for a room on the highest floor, which has the fewest rooms. You not only will have a spectacular view, but also a surprising amount of quiet for a hotel. You also will have a terrace with large windows from this floor. The site is a five-minute walk to Sagrada Familia. For a longer walk, head to Plaza Catalunya and La Rambla.

Las Ramblas in Barcelona

Las Ramblas is without question the busiest and most vibrant part of Barcelona and is the focal point for tourist. Expect to see everything from outdoor cafes, dozens of street entertainers, a long street lines with shops and the smell of the sea air as you reach the bottom of Las Ramblas - which takes you to the marina.



Video above of Las Ramblas in Barcelona on a busy Spring day. It is not always this crowded but it is a lovely area and one part of Barcelona you should visit if you can.

Visiting Park Guell

In a city where there are a number of fantastic parks to visit, the fact that Park Guell is my favourite gives an indication of just how much it has to offer visitors.

Park Guell was the brain child of the famous Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudi, the main who created many of the city’s most famous buildings including the cathedral and Sagrada Familia. The site was originally due to be a housing development for the rich, but as there was very little interest in it the development was scrapped. The show home became home to Gaudi himself and is a now a museum to him containing many of his original works. Depending on what time of year you visit there may be a small queue to enter the house and there is always a small fee to pay.

Park Guell is a vast green space which expands up onto different levels. From certain parts of the park there are absolutely fantastic views of the city skyline and coast, and this is one of the main reasons that people come here. Other features of the park include small scale examples of Gaudi’s architectural genius, whilst the striking entrance to the park is like something from a fairytale.

Accessing Park Guell is one of the few negative aspects of the visit due to the fact that the nearest metro station is about 15 minutes away and one must scale a large hill in order to reach it, but this does not stop millions of people visiting each year.

La Rambla at Night

La Rambla is the most famous street in Barcelona and it is like a magnet for people in the area. This applies not only to tourists who visit the area but also to anyone who has something to offer in terms of entertainment, and the good news is that the street is not only busy during the day, it is also an exciting place to visit all through the night.

All along Las Ramblas there are stalls selling various different forms of memorabilia and snack foods, and many of these stalls remain open until the early hours of the morning to cater for the people who visit the area to experience the night time atmosphere in the area as well as those who are wondering around having been to the many bars and restaurants which line the famous street as well as many of the roads branching off from it.

Whilst many of the restaurants along La Rambla close around midnight or earlier, there are certain establishments which are open for a few hours longer, whilst the bars in the area are only just kicking off at this time.

Many people do not consider their visit to Barcelona complete until they have acquired pictures of some of the famous statues and monuments of La Rambla, and acquiring these pictures at night when some are lit up gives them even more charm and provides a great souvenir to take home to remind you of the magical atmosphere on the city’s favourite street.

Visiting the Sagrada Familia

In advance of visiting Barcelona and the Sagrada Familia one reads a great deal about how the yet-to-be-completed and controversial building will evoke a strange reaction within you, but nothing can truly prepare you for the first time you summit from the nearby metro and look up for the first time. This Barcelona building is so different from anything you have ever seen before that it takes a few seconds for the brain to comprehend what it is seeing.

Looking up at the Sagrada Familia for the first time one is greeted with a distinct and unique style of architecture for which the designer and creator, Antoni Gaudi, is renowned. It is difficult to describe this style using words, other than to say it appears that the bricks are melting, creating an almost icicle like image. The structure is absolutely monumental and, for those who are willing to brave the often long queues, fabulous views can be gained of the city by climbing the stairways within. For those who wish to experience the Sagrada Familia in all its glory it is absolutely essential to gain access to the interior and marvel at its superb and intricate design. Be prepared, however, to not have an overly private experience as this building is one of the leading attractions in the city and hoards of people visit here each day.

If visiting barcelona on a budget, walking around the exterior of the Sagrada Familia is a great experience in its own right, and if you take the time to explore the area you can discover some superb vantage points from which to acquire some fantastic photos.

Interesting Facts about Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist resorts in Europe, and indeed the world, and below are some interesting things that you may not know about this historic and highly cultural city.

Many of Barcelona’s beaches are man made - Until recently Barcelona did not have a beach, indeed it was only as recently as 1992 that the beach was created as part of the preparations for the Olympic Games which were held in the city that year.

Wild boars can sometimes be spotted in the region - Boars are not something that you would generally expect to find in a major city, but it is reported that wild boars have been spotted in the Gracia district of Barcelona. This is not to say that you should expect to see hoards of them.

George Orwell wrote a book in Barcelona - One of the most celebrated authors of all times once wrote a book about the Catalan region whilst living in Barcelona. The book is called Homage to Barcelona, and I would recommend reading it before you visit the area to get you in the mood.

Cava originates in Barcelona - Drinking Cava has become part of celebratory routine all around the world, but did you know that it originated in Barcelona. When you visit you should take the opportunity to taste some genuine Cava.

Barcelona FC has roots in England - The famous colours of Barcelona FC were actually chosen by one of the founders of the club who was English and wanted to pay tribute to his old school.
A quick note just to mention that our friends at Barcelona Adventure have now just added Burlesque classes in Barcelona and these are great for individuals or hen groups, in the city. Heading to Barcelona for a stag weekend or as part of a hen group?

Great Department Stores in Barcelona

Barcelona has a thriving shopping scene in keeping with its reputation as one of the most fashionable cities in Europe. There are various different options for how and where to shop, but you should definitely take some time out to visit some of the fantastic department stores around the city. Below are some of my favourite department stores in Barcelona:

El Corte Inglés - This is the largest and possibly the most popular department store in Barcelona. It is part of a large national chain which is the biggest of its type in Europe and amongst the largest in the world. The Barcelona branch occupies a significant space on the Placa Catalunya and sells a vast amount of clothing to suit a variety of tastes, as well as home ware and food amongst other things.

Farrutx - At this modern and trendy department store you can find a whole range of fashion accessories including shoes, bags and leather. You will struggle to find a larger collection of all of these things together anywhere in the city.

FNAC - This is a fantastic electronic retail store where the consumer can find a seamlessly endless range of the latest offerings from the world’s largest names in the field. Whether you are looking for a new music system, a satellite navigation system one of the latest DVDs, you will find it all here.