Barcelona and Madrid with Day Trips

It felt really strange to be in Barcelona in only one hour after spending 40 days walking across the entire country. But hey, I experienced way more in those days than I did on my flight. The final portion of my whirlwind trip was spent in Barcelona and Madrid. I also enjoyed two day trips from each of these cities, which I would highly recommend. Carly joined me for the first few days in Barcelona, but then the majority of it was back to traveling solo. I didn't spend much time researching, so the below are simply the places I stayed, things I did, and some of the note-worthy places where I ate.

Barcelona

Where to Stay (Hostel-edition)

St Christopher's Inn: I would highly recommend staying in this one. It had a really fun downstairs area with a bar, ping pong, pool and a lot of social events. The beds had curtains, which are always a plus having stayed in legitimate, sometimes rickety, bunk beds on the Camino. The hostel facilities were clean and it was close to shopping, food, and a main pedestrian road, La Rambla.

What to Do

Visit Familia Sagrada: Book tickets ahead of time online. The lines were crazy and we still had to wait in one with our online tickets. The inside and outside are both amazing, but I'm not a fan of those audio guides.





Rent a Scooter from Moubikes: While waiting for our Familia Sagrada tickets to be ready, we decided to hop on some electric scooters. Helmets required! We scooted around the city and went all the way to the beach. It wasn't terribly expensive and a lot of fun.



Enjoy Park Guell: Because I had done little planning I didn't go into the paid portion of the park. I just enjoyed the other free parts. I would have, but it was sold out the days I was there. Book ahead of time!

Hit the Beach: A marvelous opportunity for people-watching and enjoying the sun. There are all kinds of restaurants, street vendors and more to explore on the beach strip.



Visit Barcelona Cathedral: Not to be confused with Familia Sagrada, Barcelona Cathedral is another beautiful cathedral in the city. Plus it's free!



Day Trip - Explore a Mountain-top Monastery: This was a full day trip to Montserrat. It included a fairly fast train ride to the mountainous area. Once there, I had the choice to take the cable car up (everyone else opted for this) or climb to the top (naturally, I did this).

The particular day I went was over 100 degrees, but that didn't stop me from solo hiking up the side of a cliff. Granted, I had plenty of water and drank copious amounts more upon my arrival at the top. I then continued farther up to the tallest point where I got the most incredible view. It was certainly worth the heaps of sweat.



After walking around the monastery for a bit I decided to purchase a cable car ticket down to the train and then to Barcelona.

Where to Eat

Teresa Carles: This seems to have been the only place that made the note-worthy list. It specialized in healthy foods and the service was excellent. I read my book while sipping wine and eating my decadent salad.

Madrid

Where to Stay (Hostel-edition)

The Hat Hostel: This one was great and I was able to get a room with only 6 beds. No curtains for the beds, but with fewer beds it's less important. The Hat Hostel had a cool rooftop bar area and was central to the main square. Another excellent cheap place to stay if you're on a budget or looking for like-minded travelers.

What to Do

Have a Beer in Plaza Mayor: The great thing about the Hat Hostel is that it was only a couple minutes away from this famed plaza. There were several places to enjoy a drink or two, all of which were naturally overpriced. But they were enjoyable, nonetheless.



Experience El Rastro: This is a Sunday flea market where locals flock to flaunt their...trash. Really it's just a bunch of junk set out on the street. Something to see, but for me nothing to buy.

Go to the Royal Palace: Be sure to buy tickets ahead of time. They have them same day, but it's best to not wait in line. Unfortunately another audio guide, which I naturally didn't listen to.

Walk around El Parque de Retiro: This was lovely park that hosted the highly-photographed Crystal Palace. I spent a few hours walking around and enjoying the benches throughout the park.

See an Egyptian Monument: The Temple of Debod seemed out of place, but in a wonderful way. It was an ancient Egyptian temple that was dismantled and rebuilt in Madrid.



Day Trip - Experience the Ancient Streets of Toledo:  I boarded the train in Madrid at Atocha Station and headed to Toledo for the day. After only 30 minutes I hopped off to walk the streets. My first stop was the monastery, which included two floors and a church.





I then toured the Santa Iglesia Cathedral. It was a quaint city with cute shops and a fun place to walk around.



My favorite part of the day was my lengthy trek over to the viewpoint of the ancient city. It featured stunning views of the picturesque city built on a hill above the plains of Spain.

Where to Eat

El miniBAR: A wonderful meal and an even more delicious Mojito. I would highly recommend stopping in at this fun place with cool decorations and old school music videos.

La Encomienda: I came here with one of my "roommates" from Norway who was vegan. But vegan food can be delicious too, if you go to the right place. And this certainly was the right kind of place and the staff were extremely friendly.

Overall, Barcelona and Madrid were certainly more modern and bustling than the towns and cities I was used to during the Camino. But I enjoyed the experience and am excited to go back soon to explore even more.