Barcelona 1-day itinerary

Start at La Sagrada Família (€26 with tower, book online weeks ahead) — Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece has been under construction since 1882 and the interior, with its forest-like columns and kaleidoscopic stained glass, is one of the most extraordinary spaces on Earth. Walk through the Eixample neighbourhood afterwards — the grid of chamfered blocks is lined with Modernista buildings.

Metro to the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) — a maze of medieval lanes, hidden plazas, and the 13th-century Cathedral of Barcelona (free, rooftop €9). Walk through Plaça Reial — Barcelona's most elegant square with Gaudí-designed lampposts. Lunch at La Boqueria market on La Rambla — fresh fruit smoothies (€3), jamón ibérico (€5 a plate), and seafood paella at a market stall bar (€10–14).

Walk down to Barceloneta beach — the promenade, seafood restaurants, and Mediterranean sunset are quintessential Barcelona. Grab patatas bravas and a caña at a chiringuito (beach bar). Then head to El Born — the neighbourhood centred on Passeig del Born is packed with cocktail bars, tapas restaurants, and small clubs. Try Paradiso (hidden behind a pastrami bar fridge door — top 50 world bar).