Catalonia
3
Day Itinerary •
Spain
Catalonia is one of Europe's most diverse and dramatic regions. A land of soaring mountain monasteries, secret medieval villages, wild volcanic landscapes, hidden coastal coves and one of the world's great food cities. Few regions pack this much variety into three days. This route skips the Barcelona tourist treadmill entirely. Discover the city's forgotten Gothic Quarter alleyways, climb to a mountain monastery at dawn above the clouds, explore a lunar volcanic landscape most visitors never find, and end on a coastline of turquoise coves that looks more like Greece than Spain.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Barcelona Airport (BCN)
Getting Around
Metro in Barcelona, rental car for Days 2 and 3
Budget Per Day
Approx 90 to 130 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
BARCELONA
MORNING
BUNKERS DEL CARMEL, BARCELONA'S BEST SECRET VIEWPOINT
Forget the Tibidabo and the Park Guell queues. The Bunkers del Carmel are the ruins of Civil War anti-aircraft batteries on a hill in the Carmel neighbourhood, offering the most spectacular 360-degree panorama of Barcelona in existence. Almost entirely unknown to tourists. Arrive at sunrise for golden light over the city and sea with barely another soul present. Drive: 25 min walk or metro to Gothic Quarter
MIDDAY
THE GOTHIC QUARTER BEYOND LAS RAMBLAS
Most visitors stick to Las Ramblas and miss the extraordinary medieval core behind it. Explore Placa de Sant Felip Neri, a hidden square pockmarked with Civil War bullet holes and haunted by a terrible history. Find the Temple d'August, a Roman temple hidden inside a medieval courtyard. Walk Carrer del Bisbe and the Jewish Call, Barcelona's ancient Jewish quarter dating to the 4th century. Drive: 10 min walk to El Born
AFTERNOON
EL BORN, BARCELONA'S COOLEST NEIGHBOURHOOD
El Born is Barcelona's most authentic neighbourhood for locals. The centrepiece is the El Born Cultural Centre, a stunning 19th-century iron market hall built over the ruins of an entire neighbourhood destroyed in 1714, discovered by accident during renovation works in 2001. Visible through glass floors. Surround yourself with independent boutiques, vermouth bars and the city's best pintxos.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
Seek out the Pont del Bisbe, a neo-Gothic bridge spanning Carrer del Bisbe in the Gothic Quarter. Built in 1928, it contains a carved skull and crossbones said to bring bad luck to any politician who walks beneath it. One of Barcelona's most photographed but least understood hidden details.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar del Pla, El Born Local favourite for breakfast. Try the pan con tomate with anchovies and a cortado. | Lunch: El Xampanyet, El Born Classic cava bar and tapas spot operating since 1929. Order the house cava and anchovies. | Dinner: Bodega Sepulveda, Eixample A beloved neighbourhood wine bar hidden from tourists. Exceptional natural wines and small plates at honest prices.
DAY 2
MONTSERRAT AND GARROTXA
MORNING
MIDDAY
GARROTXA VOLCANIC ZONE, CATALONIA'S LUNAR LANDSCAPE
The Garrotxa Natural Park contains 40 volcanic cones and 20 lava flows in a landscape that looks unlike anywhere else in Spain. The Fageda d'en Jorda is a magical beech forest growing directly on a lava field from 10,000 years ago. Walk the Santa Margarida trail into the crater of a dormant volcano. Almost entirely off the tourist radar despite being one of Catalonia's most extraordinary landscapes. Drive: 45 min drive to Rupit
AFTERNOON
RUPIT, THE MEDIEVAL VILLAGE FROZEN IN TIME
Perched on a cliff above a gorge in the pre-Pyrenean foothills, Rupit is one of the best-preserved medieval villages in all of Catalonia. Cobbled streets, stone houses, a rope bridge across the gorge and a waterfall visible from the main square. Entry to the village is free and it receives a fraction of the visitors of Montserrat despite being equally spectacular.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The drive from Montserrat to Garrotxa through the Collsacabra plateau is one of the most spectacular and unknown scenic routes in all of Catalonia. A winding road through pre-Pyrenean cliffs with views over reservoir lakes and forested gorges. Add 20 minutes to the journey and stop at the Tavertet viewpoint for a jaw-dropping panorama over the Sau reservoir.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe at Montserrat Station Grab coffee and a croissant before the rack railway. The monastery cafe opens at 9am. | Lunch: Restaurant La Deu, Olot Best restaurant near Garrotxa. Volcanic soil produce, local sausages and Catalan staples in a converted farmhouse. | Dinner: Can Jubany, Gurb One of Catalonia's finest rural restaurants. A Michelin-starred farmhouse 40 minutes from Rupit. Worth the drive and the splurge.
DAY 3
GIRONA AND COSTA BRAVA
MORNING
GIRONA, THE CITY MOST PEOPLE FLY OVER
Millions of tourists fly through Girona airport on their way to Barcelona, barely glancing at one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe directly below them. Walk the city walls for rooftop views, cross the Eiffel-designed iron bridge, explore the ancient Jewish Quarter (El Call), and see the Cathedral stairs used as a Game of Thrones filming location. Far better than Toledo and with almost no crowds. Drive: 45 min drive to Costa Brava
MIDDAY
CALELLA DE PALAFRUGELL, THE COSTA BRAVA'S PRETTIEST VILLAGE
While the main Costa Brava resorts are overcrowded and overbuilt, Calella de Palafrugell remains an almost perfectly preserved whitewashed fishing village. Small coves with turquoise water, colourful fishing boats, and excellent seafood restaurants right on the beach. The Cap Roig botanical gardens above the village are extraordinary and largely unvisited. Drive: 20 min drive to Cap de Creus
AFTERNOON
CAP DE CREUS, SPAIN'S EASTERNMOST POINT
The most dramatic headland on the Costa Brava and the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. Salvador Dali lived and worked in this surreal volcanic landscape and you can see why. Twisted rock formations, hidden coves only reachable on foot, and a lighthouse restaurant with views over the Mediterranean to the horizon. The walk from Port Lligat to the cape takes around 40 minutes each way.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
In Girona, seek out the Banys Arabs, 12th-century Arab baths that are extraordinarily well preserved and almost entirely overlooked by visitors who head straight to the cathedral. Entry is just 3 euros. The cold room, warm room and steam room are all intact after 800 years and the architecture is among the finest in Catalonia.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Le Bistrot, Girona Beautiful cafe in a medieval building near the cathedral. Excellent coffee and pastries. | Lunch: Restaurant La Xicra, Palafrugell Local favourite near Calella. Outstanding suquet de peix (Catalan fish stew) and fresh grilled fish. | Dinner: El Far Hotel Restaurant, Llafranc Clifftop restaurant above the Costa Brava with sunset views over the sea. Book well ahead.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Barcelona, Nights 1 to 2 Hotel Neri, boutique hotel in the Gothic Quarter. Approx 150 to 220 euros per night. Costa Brava, Night 3 Hotel Sa Riera, Begur. Stunning hilltop hotel above hidden coves. Approx 120 to 180 euros. Budget Option Barcelona: Generator Hostel El Born from approx 35 euros. Girona: Flathotel from approx 60 euros.
Top Tips
1. Visit Bunkers del Carmel at sunrise, it is completely free and crowds arrive after 9am.
2. Book Montserrat rack railway tickets online in advance, queues at the station are long.
3. Girona's Jewish Quarter is best explored early morning before tour groups arrive.
4. Costa Brava hidden coves are only accessible on foot, wear good shoes and bring water.
5. Catalan restaurants close between 4 and 8pm. Lunch is the main meal, often 3 courses.
6. Avoid driving into Barcelona city centre. Park at the airport and use the metro.
Total Budget
110 to 200 euros/day