If you are looking for an awesome girls getaway destination you should consider Barcelona. In July I went on a much-needed, three-day girls getaway in Barcelona with two of my girlfriends. We had such an amazing time and are all in agreement that is was one of the best girls trips ever! If you are looking for a week-long, luxury trip I suggest booking our one of our Travel Girls Getaways, but if you are considering a short girls trip here are my suggestions for how to have a perfect girls getaway in Barcelona!
WHERE TO STAY IN BARCELONA
I don’t know about you but my idea of the perfect girls getaway includes staying on the beach. Unfortunately there are only a couple nice hotels directly on the beach in Barcelona. One of them is W Barcelona and the other is Hotel Arts Barcelona. W Barcelona is a bit out-of-the-way and not walking distance to the action. It is also very expensive so we booked at Hotel Arts. This turned out to be an excellent choice – staying here was one of the highlights of our trip!
Hotel Arts Barcelona is a five-star hotel located next to the harbor, in the heart of the best nightlife in the city. From the hotel you can walk to great restaurants, shops and all the best beach clubs in Barcelona. They also have an adults only infinity pool with ocean views that is the perfect spot for relaxing, tanning, swimming and enjoying my favorite – fresh coconuts with rum!
On our girls getaway in Barcelona there were just three of us so we were able to book just a standard room and request a roll away bed. This allowed us to split the room cost between three girls making it much more affordable. Our room was large and easily fit the extra roll away bed without making it cramped which was a huge plus with three girls sharing one room and one bathroom for three days!
WHERE TO EAT IN BARCELONA
Barcelona has amazing food! Of course you’d want to eat lots of yummy Spanish tapas but one night I suggest going to Ikibana for sushi. Their sushi selection is excellent, and they have great cocktails, and the atmosphere is upscale and lively, making it to perfect place to get started before a night out on the town!
In the morning (or afternoon) you can just roll out of bed and have a yummy hangover breakfast at Hotel Arts.
For an amazing Spanish tapas experience you have to try Cal Pep! But don’t make reservations for the dinning room. A local told us to just show up and wait in line to eat at the bar counter which was the best advice.
The Spanish tapas at Cal Pep are excellent but chatting with the friendly wait staff and patrons at the bar counter is half the experience (see video above) and totally worth the wait! We went at 10pm and only had to wait a few minutes for seats at the counter to open up. I loved the clams, calamari and Padrón peppers.
For lunch there are an array of good restaurants in the harbor right next to Hotel Arts serving up fresh seafood and Spanish tapas. We ate a late, boozy lunch at the chic harbor restaurant El Tinglado and loved everything we ordered – followed of course by a nap at the infinity pool at our hotel.
There are also great little cafes all over the gothic district. You just have to wander around and stumble upon one, or ask locals for suggestions.
WHAT TO DO IN BARCELONA
I have a one year old daughter so I never get any downtime these days so on my girls getaway in Barcelona I was honestly mostly interested in just relaxing at pool. My friends luckily were on the same page so we sent two afternoons at the infinity pool at our hotel drinking cocktails and chilling out.
Barcelona has a vibrant culture and there is a lot to do and see, so we also spent one afternoon experiencing some of the must-see cultural attractions.
I loved visiting Park Güell on Carmel Hill. Park Güell was dreamed up and created by Gaudí. It’s a beautiful park composed of gardens and colorful buildings that draws visitors from all over the world who come to admire this unique architectural masterpiece.
We booked a general guided tour because general admission tickets were sold out, and then ended up ditching our guide halfway through (because the tour was too slow), to explore the rest of Park Güell on our own.
On your girls getaway in Barcelona you should spend an afternoon walking around the gothic district. We wandered these beautiful cobblestone streets for hours and visited the Barcelona Cathedral which is stunning! La Sagrada Familia, another amazing work of Gaudí, is a gorgeous Roman Catholic church in Barcelona that is also worth a visit.
And if you are a member of Soho House or have a friend with you who is, I recommend stopping by Soho House Barcelona to have a cocktail at the roof garden and take in amazing views of the city!
SAFETY ON YOUR GIRL’S GETAWAY IN BARCELONA
While I felt completely safe on our girl’s getaway in Barcelona, I do need to mention that while walking around you should keep a close eye on your purse. A lot of petty theft happens in Barcelona and a group of girls exploring tourist attractions is a likely target.
We had no issues during our trip, but I just want to bring this up so that you take the necessary precautions. Don’t wear flashy jewelry and keep an eye on your purse at all times.
BARCELONA NIGHTLIFE
Barcelona offers killer nightlife in the form of nightclubs on the beach. Hotel Arts is located in front of nightclub row which made it easy for us to walk to all the best beach clubs and get home when we were ready to call it a night.
My favorite was CDLC Carpe Diem. CDLC (formerly Carpe Diem) has great music, a fun crowd and good cocktails. They also have a big patio overlooking the beach that is open all night long which is really nice when you want to take a break from dancing and get some fresh air.
W Barcelona also has a very fun Sunday night Wet Deck pool party. My friends and I went and had an amazing time. There have good DJs, dancers and a firework shows. Just make sure you RSVP in advance to get on the guest list.
Barcelona nightlife attire is sexy, casual – cute dresses and chunky heals are perfect. Side note – single ladies you’ll see a lot of cute guys when you go out at night, adding to the list of many reasons why Barcelona is the perfect girl’s getaway destination!
Have you been to Barcelona or another great girl’s getaway destination? Please share your tips or questions in the comments below.
Read More About Barcelona & Girls Getaways
- 8 Great Girls Getaway Ideas
- 11 Reasons To Book Your Place On The WATG Bali Retreat
- 5 Things Your Can’t Miss In Barcelona
- The Best of Barcelona’s Art Scene
- Girls Getaway To Denver
Book Your Stay In Barcelona
- Click here to find the best price on Hotel Arts Barcelona
- Click here to find the best price on W Barcelona
- Click here to find the best prices on all hotels in Barcelona
- Get US $32 off your first AirBNB booking here
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Kiara Diestro says
Barcelona has so many hidden gems ready to be found! Amongst this concrete haven you’ll find Bunkers del Carmel. Well worth the hike uphill to witness stunning 360 degree views of the city and coastline. Perfect at sunrise or sunset with a picnic in hand, this lookout won’t disappoint.