BARCELONA
THE LOWDOWN: Barcelona is the perfect place to escape to for a long weekend. There are bustling markets and palm-lined boulevards to explore, and when you’re ready for a break from sightseeing, you can head to the sandy beach right on its doorstep. It’s popular with celebs too, thanks to the annual Primavera Sound music festival, which welcomed Miley Cyrus and
Charli XCX this year.
WHAT TO DO: The Spanish city is a great place for culture vultures – it’s home to dozens of museums and art galleries. We spent hours checking out the early works of Picasso at the artist’s dedicated museum (buy tickets online to bypass the snaking queues) before heading to Park Güell, a stunning park full of work by celebrated architect Antoni Gaudí. You’ll find more of his surrealist work dotted around the city, most notably the unfinished church La Sagrada Família.
WHAT TO EAT: Head to Surf House Barcelona on Barceloneta
Beach for a relaxing meal by the sea. It serves everything from burgers to smoothies and afterwards, you can head out on one of their paddleboards. Just around the corner, Barceloneta Sangria has a cool interior and an entire menu dedicated to its many different sangria recipes. Of course, no trip to Spain would be complete without trying some tapas. We visited La Boqueria, a bustling food market with more than 100 vendors, small bars and restaurants, where you can snack on Iberian ham, grilled seafood and fresh fruit.
Where to stay: We stayed at Suites Avenue Barcelona, which gives you the freedom of staying in a chic apartment with a separate bedroom, living room and fully equipped kitchen as well as access to the amenities of a luxury hotel, including 24-hour room service and a gorgeous rooftop pool and sun terrace. Rooms start from £188 per night, which includes breakfast. Book at suitesavenue.com. how to get there:
See ba.com for flights.