50 Top Exciting Things To Do in Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is a wellness paradise, situated in the northwest side of Spain and filled with an abundance of rich culture. It lies between the warm Mediterranean Ocean and the picturesque mountains of Montjuïc and Tibidabo. It’s breathtaking landscape provides an escape from the metropolitan bustle, providing a more serene-feeling city as the eloquent shades of blue and green cater to your wellness.

Moreover, the rich Catalan heritage can be noted through the Catalan language, the distinctive food, and enormous amounts of history and art. It enables one to have a robust array of unique wellness experiences to discover and boost your well-being.

When I first visited Barcelona city three years ago, I wasn’t focused on healthy travel during that time. Instead, I was so focused on experiencing everything that I did not make self-care important. For instance, I thought, “I’m young, I can push through unique sightseeing in Barcelona 24/7, and refuel myself only with tuna pizza at one of the many Barcelona restaurants.”

In fact, after my trip, I ended up sick with bronchitis. As a result, my body ached tremendously and my lungs would brutally twinge every time I took a deep breathe. I pushed myself too hard because my health and wellness were pretty low. To that end, the next vacation I promised myself to make maintaining my well-being a bigger part of my trip and to focus on wellness travel.

How I incorporate wellness when traveling in Barcelona

This year was my second time in Barcelona city, and I fully committed to the idea of engaging in wellness activities and maintaining wellness while traveling. I wanted my wellness and health to flourish during this health trip.

Not only did I refueling my body at various favorite health food restaurant, I also enjoyed indulging in different vegan desserts or baked goodies from a gluten free bakery. Barcelona has many healthy desserts to try, I even have a separate post about it – top plant-based desserts in Barcelona! On the other hand, some days I would hike, do online yoga, or attempt to do yoga in Spanish yoga studios.

Types of wellness activities to explore

There is an abundance of fun things to do in Barcelona with many activities to choose from to enhance your wellness being while sightseeing those charming grey cobblestone streets. Those activities range in different wellness dimensions such as: social to physical well-being, intellectual escapades, and spiritual or emotional feelings.

If you only have 24 hours, or 72 hours in Barcelona, these posts will cover the must-see spots.

In particular, one activity I highly reveled in was taking a dance class almost every Saturday evening in the fall season. It had been on my summer bucket list, so I was ecstatic that I finally got around to it.

Here are my recommendations for the top things to do in Barcelona, Spain! To clarify, some activities can fit into more than one category, and almost all are perfect for the good year-round weather. Also, each of these activities in Barcelona price ranges from free to about fifteen euros per person.

Then again, if you have extra time in Spain, I highly recommend taking a couple days to visit the city of Seville or the sunny island of Ibiza.

Barcelona things to do for social wellness

• Play volleyball at the beach. (free or $) I love volleyball. It’s one of my favorite things to do when summer begins. It’s also a great way to get a physical workout and meet new people in the process. Breaking a sweat with others while under the sun is sure to boost your social wellness. Just make sure you bring water!
• Attend a Meetup group. There are numerous types of Meetup groups in Barcelona. Groups can be found on Facebook, Meetup or Couchsurfing. Who knows, you might even make some new international friends from the group.
• Relax at a Barcelona beach.
• Walk around Barcelona Gothic Quarter to enjoy the street music and performers.
• Take a free dance class. (free-$) Different bars and restaurants in Barcelona will offer free dance classes in the early to late evenings. Some are completely free, others will ask that you buy a drink.
• Enjoy an open mic night. Most places can be discovered walking around the city. Look for places with a sign up saying they are hosting an event with the date and time.
• Visit a flea market and strike up a casual conversation with a local.

Food-related activities

• Take a paella cooking class. ($). You’ll get to enjoy your freshly made paella (a traditional food in Spain) with your fellow classmates and chef at a fun location. Some classes may pair your meal with a glass of wine.
  • Tip: To find classes check on Meetup, TripAdvisor, ask your hosts, or inquire with your hostel/hotel concierge.
• Picnic at Parc de le Ciutadella or Barceloneta beach.
• Stroll through La Boquería. (free or $) Here you can sample or buy food to take on a picnic.
• Try a new Barcelona restaurant or a new dish. ($-$$) Whether you’ve been in Barcelona for a while or for a day, trying new dishes or eating at one of the best restaurants in Barcelona is a wellness activity begging your taste buds to come alive. If you’re flying solo and want to chat, strike up a mindful conversation with your neighbor if they seem willing or engage with your server.
• Visit during the local festival and fairs.
• Grab coffee and dessert at one of the many coffee shops.

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Barcelona things to do for physical wellness

• Attend a free yoga class. Many of the yoga classes in Barcelona will offer a free first yoga class. If you’re interested in breaking a little sweat or doing some restorative postures in Spanish or Catalan, this is for you! Don’t worry if you don’t understand. While I was lost in my first Spanish-speaking yoga class I was lost, I quickly caught on. In fact, they do repeat words A LOT, and they speak slowly. Plus it’s highly likely you’ll even leave knowing a few more Spanish vocabulary words!
• Take a free walking tour of the Gothic Quarter.
• Explore Montjuïc, its gardens, and the Olympic stadium. Situated near the heart of Barcelona is the hill of Montjuïc. It hosts the beautiful evergreen Botanic Gardens of Barcelona (Jardí Botànic), a cornucopia of other small gardens, the Olympic stadium of 1992 and cultural art exhibits/museums.
  • Tip: Walk up the mountain for maximum physical output, or take the cable car up if you’ve been walking all day.
• Rent a bike. ($)
• Rent roller-blades.($)
• Relax at the beach.
• Play volleyball at the beach. (free-$)
• Walk around Parc de le Ciutadella or Barceloneta beach.
• Take a day trip to Montserrat and go hiking ($-$$) if you’re craving some adventure travel overseas.
• Try to walk to some of your destinations instead of taking the bus or metro.
• Take a dance class.
• Swim at the beach.
• Go on a run in Barceloneta.
• Walk around Park Guell. (free-$)

Activities for intellectual wellness

• Sundays many museums are free after 3:00 pm. Here is a good list to get you started:
  • Montjuïc Castle
  • Maritime Museum
  • Botanic Gardens of Barcelona (Jardí Botànic)
  • Center of Contemporary Art of Barcelona
  • National Art Museum of Catalonia
• The first Sundays of the month there are free entrance to some museums:
  • Picasso Museum
  • History Museum of Catalunya
  • Music Museum
  • Palau Guell
• Visit the National Art Museum of Catalunya on Saturdays. It’s free after 3:00 pm.
• Learn 50 new Spanish words
• Go to an intercambio (language exchange) to practice Spanish. You can choose to speak Spanish with others or help a non-native English speaker practice their English.
• Unplug, get lost and roam around the city with only a map.
• Explore the local street art.
• Visit one of the many beautiful Spanish landmarks that are found within Barcelona: La Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Battló, Casa Milà

Activities for Spiritual/Emotional wellness

• Check out Sagrada Familia Barcelona. ($-$$)
• Visit the Cathedral during mass hours. Services are in Catalan and in Spanish. Here are the mass times from Catedral de Barcelona.
  • Non-mass hours for free entry: Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, and 5:45 to 7:45 pm,
• Visit Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi.
• Visit Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar.
• Explore churches in Barcelona, every time you randomly walk past one.
• Visit Font de Montjuïc (Magic Fountain of Montjuïc) to watch the water and light show set to positive-feeling music. The times of the fountain depend on the time of year. Show times can be found at Barcelona tourist guide.
  • Tip: Arrive early as it gets crowded.
• Take a day trip from Barcelona to see Montserrat and explore in some meditation, just like a monk!
• Watch the correfocs “fire run” during the summer festival, La Mercè. It’s an annual Barcelona festival that happens during the last summer days in late September.
• Explore the Poble Nou or Montjuic Cemetery. There are even free guided tours offered twice a month on Sunday.
• Go to a museum

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