Cultural Traveller is our new blog series. In each entry, we’ll have a chat with a fellow NetReferian to get to know their hometowns or the places they’ve spent most of their lives. They’ll give us an insider’s look at some of their recommendations on the most fun and exciting places to visit and things to do for all types of travellers.
Javier Lopez Arteseros – our first Cultural Traveller – is a User Experience Specialist at NetRefer hailing from Barcelona, Spain. He took some time out of his full-on role and agreed to sit down with us to take us on a mental tour of the most famous Catalonian city and his hometown.
All it takes are a few minutes into the conversation to fully grasp how ardent and enthusiastic Javier is. You wouldn’t expect less from a true Barca ambassador. As he takes us through the city streets bustling with life at all hours, the marketplaces and iconic architectural sites, he pours passion for his own homeland into his words, we can’t but help feel genuinely tempted to hop on a plane and visit Barcelona in real life!
There are so many things that make Barcelona unique: the different cultures cohabiting together making it very diverse, the architecture, the history, including events such as The Spanish War and The Independence of Catalonia, and a lot more. You could go on one hundred tours and you’ll still discover something new about the city and its people each time.
In Barcelona, you have everything! On one hand, you’ll find some of the best beaches all over Spain (excluding the islands), while on the other, you have breathtaking mountains such as Montserrat. It’s also called the city that never sleeps, so If you enjoy nightlife, there’s always something happening, regardless of your tastes in entertainment and music.
Sagrada Familia, of course, Park Guell and La Pedrera, all designed by the amazing architect Gaudi. Then, for sites off the beaten track, Cathedral del Mar is highly recommended.
Tapas, Jamon Iberico (Iberico ham) and PA amb tomaquet, which is basically toasted bread with tomato brushed on it. Sometimes, other ingredients are added too.
Mercat de Sant Antoni is a typical traditional market catering for all budgets, selling fresh fish, produce, vegetables and fruit, and more. You can also visit Mercat de La Boqueria, where you will find a lot of places to sit and eat. Equally amazing. And finally, I highly recommend a visit to El Nacional, located in Passeig de Gracia – one of our biggest streets, where you’ll find fancy top tier restaurants.
The place for you is Montserrat without a doubt. It’s a chain of mountain peaks a little similar to The Alps. It offers exciting trekking trails and amazing views of the city.
Besides Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and La Pedrera, which we mentioned earlier, you should take a trip to the Olympic Port, Montjuic, the “Barrio Gotico”, Las Ramblas and the Picasso Museum.
Both the bus and the metro are efficient choices. They’re very fast and easy to use. If you like to do some sightseeing while traveling, the bus is a better option. But if you prefer to get to where you need to go faster, then take the metro (subway) without a doubt.
Any season is good. In winter, you will find the city fully decorated with lights in time for Christmas. During autumn, leaves change colour and help set a moody atmosphere. In spring, there’s a rich assortment of flowers that colour the city and its surroundings. In summer, it can get quite hot but you have a lot of beaches and swimming pool complexes to choose from.
Some typical greetings in Calatan you might want to know include; Hola (Hello), Bon dia (Good morning), Bona tarda (Good afternoon), Siusplau (Please), Gracies (Thanks). Such little gestures like knowing basic greetings encourages locals to warming up to you even more.
One very traditional custom worth knowing about is the Sardana Dance. Having originated in ancient Greece, it was brought over to Spain several centuries ago. Now, it’s so widespread you’re likely to see groups of people dancing it during most local festivals. The way it’s done is by having anyone participating holding hands to form a circle and raise them high. Anyone else can join in at any time. Once the circle grows to be too big, groups break off to form smaller circles.
Barcelona never sleeps so you can go out whenever you want and there are so many places to choose from. Personally, I love Razzmatazz Disco, which is now closed because of Covid-19. It has five different rooms, each playing a different kind of music.
Another great choice is the Olympic Port, where you have five different discos. You can choose whichever suits you the best. In the middle of the city, there are plenty more, so I suggest you just head down there and go with the flow.
I’d say we’re some of the most easygoing people in the world. Almost everybody is friendly in Barcelona, and if you need something, we’ll be glad to help. Take me as an example! (laughs)
I’d definitely recommend a visit to the Aquarium, and maybe the Zoo as well if you don’t mind traveling further down south to PortAventura in Tarragona. It’s one of the best amusement parks for both kids and adults in all Europe, with some of the most thrilling rollercoasters.
I wouldn’t avoid any specific area but you’d best be cautious of pickpockets in the central areas (Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia, etc.) because they tend to take advantage of clueless tourists.
It depends on what kind of shopping you’re after. If it’s a huge shop like Desigual, Zara, etc. it’s considered rude. If it’s a small shop they will be more than happy to haggle as it’s somewhat expected.
For a swim, I’d recommend peripheral areas such as Gava, Sitges or Castelldefels. But if it’s beach parties you’re looking for, the Olympic Port is just perfect.
My very personal favourite is Jamon Iberico de Jabugo. It has a very specific flavour and is very traditionally Spanish, but not cheap at all.
Walking in and around the city is so much better as you’ll get to experience and view all its characteristic sites up closely. It’s not worth taking a boat tour. Alternatively, another good way to roam the city is by using the Barcelona City Tour Hop-On-Hop-Off Buses
For clothes, I would recommend Portal del Angel and Passeig de Gracia. For food, the previously mentioned Mercat de Sant Antoni, Mercat de La Boqueria and El Nacional without a doubt.
Some of the main ones include Festas de Gracia between 15th and 21st August. Then, Festes de Sants (Patron Saint Feasts) happen between 24th and 28th August. And finally, a huge city party hosting some of the best music artists – la Merce – on the 24th of September.
Extreme sports aficionados have a vast choice: bungee jumping, skydiving, mountain biking, rock climbing, all kind of watersports. That’s how I learned surfing and now I love it.
I would say around June, when all the championships are in full swing. Whether you want to catch Barca with another local team in LaLiga or something international like Champions League is more your thing, Camp Nou – F.C. Barcelona’s official stadium is a sight to behold.