BARCELONA... plus the beach
PART ONE You can stroll in the Catalan capital with no specific direction in mind, yet inevitably stumble across the must-see and the magical. The Sagrada Familia has lost none of its madcap majesty despite the Antoni Gaudídesigned Basilica having inched a little closer to completion in the past decade; Montjuic hill offers epic views across the port and city, but is also home to the main museum devoted to the Barcelonaborn artist Joan Miró (fmirobcn.org).
ESSENTIAL SIGHT Parc Güell (parkguell.barcelona), the city’s other nonnegotiable encapsulation of Gaudí’s brilliance: all intricate mosaics, salamander sculptures and elegant eccentricity. There is, arguably, no more remarkable urban park on the planet.
Where once its waterline was all industrial sweat and toil, the city does have beaches built for indolence – literally, in the case of Playa de la Barceloneta, which was constructed as part of the image overhaul that preceded Barcelona’s hosting of the 1992 Olympics. Nonetheless, Catalonia stretches onwards and upwards, and if you want a quieter day or three on or near the Mediterranean, there are lovely alternatives within easy driving range of the city.
DON’T MISS The likes of Sa Tuna – a pretty coastal village about 80 miles north-east of the city.
DO IT Scott Dunn (020 3811 4197; scottdunn.com) offers a five-night Barcelona & the Catalan Coast trip that pairs the chic Cotton House Hotel in the city with the idyllic Mas de Torrent Hotel & Spa, just inland from Sa Tuna. From £3,878 per person (with flights).