Welcome to Catalonia!!!

Barcelona is currently one of the world's top tourist destinations. If you are planning a trip to Barcelona, you should consider visiting other destinations in the area. On the following pages I give you some ideas.

When to Go/Climate: Barcelona and Catalonia have a mild climate, the best seasons to visit are Spring and early Fall. Winters are not too cold. Summers are hot, but this is also a good season to come if you are interested in beaches.

Get in: The main airports in Catalonia are Barcelona (BCN), 20 minutes from Barcelona city center, and Girona (GRO), 1 hour from Barcelona center by bus; this latter is served by European low cost companies (one of them is Ryanair, but you'd better not fly with them unless you want to waste your time and/or your money). Catalonia can also be reached by train and road from the south of France and from Spain.

Get around: To travel around Catalonia, you can rent a car, use the public buses, and or the trains.

Money and Costs: Catalonia's official currency is the Euro. Prices in Barcelona are high. Accommodation and food are especially expensive.

Length of stay: In order to visit Barcelona you need four or five days. Add one more day for each additional destination you want to visit.

Languages/People: 7.5 million people live in Catalonia. The official languages are Catalan and Spanish. English is not widely spoken, but staff working at tourist services are fluent in this language (and some other European languages).

Food: Food is another of the reasons to visit Catalonia. Especially famous are its seafood and fish dishes.

Safety: Barcelona is a safe city, but some tourist areas are frequented by pickpockets and thieves. Stay alert!

 

 

 

Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In this photo tour I introduce its main attractions: from Gaudi's works to its beaches.

Sitges

Sitges is a lovely town 35 Km South of Barcelona. It is absolutely worth a visit. Sitges is known for its carnival, its nice weather and its night life -- especially famous its gay life.

Montserrat

Montserrat is a mountain range 60 Km northwest of Barcelona. It is a unique natural environment and a religious center.

Cadaques

Cadaques is the most charming town on the Costa Brava. This village is located in a natural harbor in the Cap de Creus peninsula. Salvador Dali said this was the most beautiful village in the world.

Tossa de Mar and Blanes

Tossa de Mar is one of the towns that has better preserved its character on the Costa Brava.

South of Tossa is Blanes, another town that attracts hordes of North Europeans.

Tarragona

Tarragona is a city located 100 km South of Barcelona. The city has been known as Imperial Tarraco since the Roman domination. In Tarragona you can admire some of the best preserved Roman ruins in the Iberian Peninsula.

Figueres

Figueres is a small city 100 km north of Barcelona. Figueres was Salvador Dali's Home town. In Figueres you can find the Dali Museum, full of surrealist master pieces.