Barcelona
The tiny village of Garraf, 30km southwest of Barcelona, trickles down to a sparkling teal bay and silvery sand beach framed by distinctive old whitewashed fishers' cottages with deep-green trim. Though these days it's slightly less off-radar following the arrival of Soho House's Little Beach House, there's still a local vibe, with barcelonins popping down for the day.
Rodalies train R2 goes here from Passeig de Gràcia and Sants (€3.50, 40 minutes).
17.4 MILES
The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) is considered to be the symbol of Barcelona by many residents, and the…
16.98 MILES
Visitors and locals alike love Park Güell. The waving balcony and the colorful Guard’s House, with the imposing Barcelona skyline and sea in the…
16.55 MILES
One of Europe's strangest residential buildings, Casa Batlló (built 1904–6) is Gaudí at his fantastical best. From its playful facade and marine-world…
16.56 MILES
In the top tier of Gaudí's achievements, this madcap Unesco-listed masterpiece, with 33 balconies, was built in 1905–10 as a combined apartment and office…
16.48 MILES
Barcelona's most central fresh-produce market is one of the greatest sound, smell and colour sensations in Europe. It's housed in a packed-out Modernista…
16.99 MILES
Located along the grand, medieval street of Carrer de Montcada, the Museu Picasso is dedicated to one of the world’s greatest artists, Pablo Picasso. Born…
15.46 MILES
Joan Miró was a Catalan painter and sculptor born in Barcelona who combined abstract art with surrealism. He is considered one of the most influential…
16.51 MILES
La Rambla is a tree-lined boulevard featuring a wide array of architectural delights, beautifully decorated flower stalls and particularly talented (and…
3.44 MILES
Around 20km southwest of the city centre and beloved by kitesurfers, this beautiful long sweep of golden-blonde sand backed by a few dunes provides a…
4.17 MILES
This brown-sand beach lies 1.5km northeast of central Sitges, slightly removed from the town-centre frenzy.
4.53 MILES
This sheltered bay, 1km northeast of the centre, is popular with nudists.
4.87 MILES
Popular beach close to central Sitges, on the northeast side of headland.
4.94 MILES
This seafront building entered through the adjacent Museu del Cau Ferrat houses a vast collection of Catalan art spanning the 10th to 20th centuries,…
4.95 MILES
Built in the 1890s as a house-studio by Catalan artist Santiago Rusiñol, a pioneer of the Modernisme movement, this seaside mansion is crammed with his…
7. Fundació Stämpfli Art Contemporani
4.99 MILES
Within an old wood-beamed fish-market building is this minimalist 20th-century European art gallery. Whitewashed walls and shiny tiled floors draw all…
8. Església de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla
5.01 MILES
Sitges' most striking landmark is this 17th-century parish church, sitting proudly on a rocky outcrop lapped by the sea, which separates the 2km-long main…