One of the highlights of the year in Spanish towns and villages is the annual fiesta – from the famous bull run of Pamplona to the crazy tomato throwing festival in Bunyol, Valencia, each has it’s own unique character and flavour.  The neighbourhoods of Barcelona (towns in their own right before the expansion of Barcelona a mere 200 years ago) are no exception and Gracia, with it’s young, party-loving vibe, has long been the best.

The Festa Major de Gracia takes place this year 15th – 20th August.  The streets themselves are elabourately and colourfully decorated, the residents competing for prizes at the end of the week, and a huge range of events are staged, most involving large quantities of food and drink. Read more »

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Coffee is somewhat of an institution in Spain. Every break, the end of every meal, every business meeting is punctuated with a cup of it.

But getting exactly the coffee you want is sometimes not as easy as it may seem. There are many different ways to ask for coffee, all subtly different. Here’s our guide to Barcelona coffee and how to order it. Read more »

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Times are hard. Almost everyone is being crunched in some way in the current climate and the strengthening Euro makes Spanish goods ever more expensive. Everyone’s tightening their belts.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t unwind and have a whale of a time on holiday in Barcelona. With low cost carriers Easyjet and Ryanair providing cheap access to Barcelona and Girona respectively and the usual host of hotel offers available, getting here has never been cheaper.

Here’s our guide to getting the most out of your Barcelona holiday without spending the earth: Read more »

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Woo Hoo!  It’s beach weather again in Barcelona! With temperatures topping 20C (68F) most days both we’re joining the locals and tourists alike who are heading for the miles of beach along Barcelona’s coast.  We thought you might be interested in some more detail of the beaches you can head to:

There are over 3 miles of beaches in Barcelona, starting at San Sebastian and Barceloneta and stretching North all the way along almost to Diagonal Mar.  For us, here’s how they break down: Read more »

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