Guide to Barcelona

Beaches

Part of Barcelona's sex appeal lies in its beaches. After all, there aren't many major cities that come with a side-order of sand. A good place to start is Barceloneta. The nearest to the city centre, this beach is always packed out with sunbathers and lilo-lounging locals. And at some point it merges into San Sebastian beach, another hugely popular strip. Next up you've got Nova Icaria, near Port Olympic. In the late Eighties, this whole area was redeveloped in preparation for the 1992 Olympic Games. The project included shipping in tonnes of sand to create a 14-kilometre sandy sweep. Since the revamp, a lot of effort's gone into keeping the place in tip-top condition, so it's spotlessly clean. Not to mention well loved. For a slightly quieter, less crowded tanning experience, Bogatell's the place to head. It's twice the length of adjoining Nova Icaria, so there's always space to unroll your beach towel. What's more it's backed by a stone promenade that blocks out traffic – so while roller-bladers glide along to honking car horns, bronzed bodies starfish on the sands, oblivious to the hustle and bustle. If you really want to escape from it all though, jump on a train. The chic little seaside resort of Sitges is a particular favourite with weekending Barcelonans. It's only half an hour or so away and has got more beaches that it knows what to do with – along the main drag there are no less than eight to choose from. One last thing. If you want a tan minus those spaghetti strap marks, head for Mar Bella. Just around the breakwater from Bogatell, it's Barcelona's one and only nudist beach, tucked behind a curtain of rustling bamboo. It's also great for watersports offering up plenty in the way of windsurfing and kayaking.

Eating out

• Barcelona isn't textbook Spain. There's no bullfighting. Flamenco's for southerners. And it's Catalan, not Spanish, that locals rattle off. But there's one part of traditional Spain that Barcelona holds dear – its love of tapas. So much so, you'll be tripping over tapas bars left, right and centre. The Gothic quarter has got some real classics that serve a selection of tempting nibbles with a tasty slice of people-watching. Another tapas cert is La Boqueria food market. TV chef Rick Stein filmed part of his Mediterranean Escapes series here and claimed it was the best place to eat Catalan food. Tucked among the jumble of stalls are lots of little tapas stands. Come lunchtime, they're always rammed with locals grazing on big juicy olives, Jamon Serrano and garlic prawns. But it's not all about tapas. For seafood, look no further than Barceloneta, the old fishing district. Its clutch of beachfront restaurants runs the gamut of no-frills traditional to seriously swanky. Meanwhile, the Born and La Ribera neighbourhoods are where most of the cutting-edge fusion places are springing up. The city's more prestigious establishments are clustered around the Eixample and the Zona Alta. We're talking top-end restaurants that wear their Michelin stars with pride. But if you want to get your teeth around some traditional Catalan cooking, check out the Barri Gotic, the Raval and Gracia. Here you can order all-time favourites like 'arros negre' – a seafood rice dish cooked in squid ink – 'esqueixada' – a salt cod salad with onion and peppers – and 'botifarra amb mongetes' – grilled pork sausage with haricot beans. For dessert, sink a spoon into 'crema catalana' – a rich egg custard topped with caramelised sugar. On the drinks front, there's plenty to choose from. After all, this is cava country with big names like Codorniu and Freixenet topping the wine lists. Not to mention reds and whites from the nearby Torres family estate.
  
  
• Organic, C/de la Junta de Comerc 11 We can safely say there aren't many restaurants where you can lie in a hammock, get a massage, and tuck into a menu of earthly goodies - but that's exactly what you get here. This is where vegetarians come to get their green on, with an all-you-can-eat salad bar and plenty in the way of pizzas, pasta and pesto.
  
  
• Alkimia, C/Industria 79 This Michelin-starred restaurant offers a menu that leans on the fine side of dining. You can opt for the usual starter and main, but the gourmet menu lets you sample a bit of everything without upsetting your bank manager. And wine buffs will be in heaven once they've seen what's waiting in the cellar.
  
  
• Mam i Teca, C/Lluna 4 If you're coming to Barcelona, make sure you check out this quaint little tapas bar. The name comes from an old Catalan expression meaning 'food and drink', which sums this place up perfectly. No nonsense, just great cooking and fine wines.
  
  
• Can Culleretes, Quintana 5 The old-school vibe of Can Culleretes has been pulling the punters since 1786 – and with good reason. People don't come here for hip menus full of tiny portions at sky-high prices - they come for hearty Catalan meals that won't break the bank.
  
  
• La Paradeta, C/Comercial 7 Restaurant snobs may be put off by the refectory setting, but seafood fans will be in heaven. The premise is simple – pick your fish market-style, how you want it cooked, which sauce you want, and what you'd like to drink - then wait for your number to be called. Quick, simple and ridiculously tasty.

Nightlife

• Stamina. That's what you need for a night out in Barcelona. And lots of it. You see, evenings here don't really get going 'til late. Don't be surprised to see bars heaving at two or three in the morning. When last orders are finally called, an almost Biblical exodus takes place as twenty and thirty-somethings decamp to the discos. Clubbers emerge blinking into the sunlight at six-ish and then hotfoot it to the nearest coffee shop for a caffeine fix. And this routine isn't restricted to Friday and Saturday nights. In Barcelona, the weekend officially starts on a Wednesday and so the key to it all is pacing yourself - peak too soon and you'll miss out on half the fun. But where to go? Tourists make a beeline for Las Ramblas and the Gothic quarter. Packed with cocktail bars and artsy Bohemian boozers, they're good places to get acquainted with the city's after-dark scene. Club-wise, the Eixample district's got enough funky hotspots to give London a run for its money. The sounds of house and electro-pop crackle from the speakers while hip hop and techno fills dancefloors everywhere. And the most glitzy and all-out-fabulous shindigs can be found in this part of town, where the rainbow flag's waved with pride. Port Olympic's another great hangout, especially if you're here in the summertime. Outdoor discos and beachfront bars serve sea views with your chart line-ups. But Barcelona's not just about glitterballs and turntables - a trio of classical venues dominates the city's cultural landscape. Dig out your pashmina or dicky-bow for a night at the Grand Theatre Liceu. All gilt boxes and plush red velvet seats, it's straight out of Moulin Rouge. Next is the Art Nouveau showstopper that is the Palau de la Musica Catalana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And rounding things off is the Auditori de Barcelona, a modern hall used for large-scale chamber concerts. It's like we said – you need lots of stamina to keep up with Barcelona.
  
  
• Razzmatazz, Bogatell/Marina You may need a map to find your way around, but this huge club is definitely worth the effort. Home to three floors and five arenas, the diverse music policy means you get a real mixed bag of punters. With no dress code and a very late closing, it's definitely one to watch.
  
  
• Robadors 23, Liceu Sometimes it's good to dig under the usual commercial haunts and see a bit of local life. This place is one of those knock-to-get-in bars, tucked down a quiet Raval side street. Inside, you'll find a jazz den packed with bohemians, hippies, and musicians enjoying a drink and a smoke.
  
  
• Bar El Trece, Liceu If you know your James Brown from your Jane's Addiction, Bar el Trece is for you. This place is a musical tombola where anything goes. As you browse the cocktail menu, printed on 12' vinyl, you'll hear the punk funk of Rick James rubbing shoulders with the raw grit of The Sex Pistols.
  
  
• Muy Buenas, Placa Catalunya/Liceu If you've come for Barcelona's fabulous architecture, swing by this old fashioned joint. Inside, it's like walking onto the set of a period movie, with an age-old bar the star of the show. Perch on a turn-of-the-century stool, order a beer, and enjoy the city's only interactive piece of history.
  
  
• Charlot Cafe, Liceu This place has more in common with Brooklyn than Barcelona. Hipsters will be lured in with the promise of 'coffee, cocktails and fashion drinks', while decor fans will swoon at the high ceilings, brick walls and generally upscale feel. Thankfully, drink prices are typically Spanish, so you can sip a Manhattan without its New York price tag.

Shopping

Barcelona's a place with its finger firmly on the pulse. No surprise then it's crammed with trendsetters and fashionistas who know their Manolo Blahniks from their Jimmy Choos. Label-lovers flock to the L'Eixample district where Chanel, Prada, Gucci et al rule the roost – especially along the Avenida Diagonal. For more in the way of smart boutiques, check out the Rambla de Catalunya and the Passeig de Gracia. Taking it down a notch, you've got El Corte Ingles, Spain's answer to John Lewis. The branch on the Placa Catalunya is enormous. Spread over nine floors, the chain's motto 'hay de todo' – 'there's everything' – certainly rings true. There's even a supermarket in the basement. For more in the way of shopping under one roof, check out the Maremagnum shopping mall down by the port. But for a more atmospheric shopping scene, you can't beat the Gothic quarter AKA the Barri Gotic. A mishmash of cobbled streets, it's packed with little artists' studios, one-of-a-kind curiosity shops and Tardis-like antique stores. It's also the place to come for some serious foraging. Every Thursday a bric-a-brac market rolls into the Placa Nova selling everything from faded postcards to period jewellery. And talking of markets, check out the daddy of them all - La Boqueria. Set along Las Ramblas, it's actually Europe's biggest food market. Head inside - making sure to sidestep the rip-off tourist stalls at the front - and you'll chance upon a parallel universe of glistening fish and polished vegetables. The market radiates out from seafood right in the centre to meat and then vegetables and fruit on the outer edges. Part of the fun is sampling the tasty morsels traders set out to entice passers-by.

Transfer time

Taxi transfer time from Gerona Airport is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.