Barcelona adventures – The Fitnessista

Sharing some of our favorite Barcelona adventures.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that your week is off to an amazing start! We’re here in Sevilla enjoying the gorgeous sights, shopping, delicious food, and a few tourist-y things. It’s been the perfect mix of activities and chill time. I hope that your summer is going well so far, too.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some out Barcelona adventures + where we stayed if you’re planning on booking a trip. We were able to spend a few nights before and after the Disney cruise and fell in love with Barcelona. Of course it has the gorgeous mix of architecture, from Gaudi’s iconic designs to more modern styles, Gothic cathedrals and Roman ruins. It also has the feel of a giant city (because it is one lol) with sooooo many things to see and do. We easily could have spent a few weeks there, and here are some of the highlights from our trip.

Barcelona adventures

Dining in Barcelona

The food in Barcelona is 100%. I’d put it right up there with Rome and we were blown away by so many of the restaurants we tried. They use a lot of fresh ingredients and produce, it’s seasoned well, portions are perfect (especially if you like sharing), and allergens are often clearly marked.

Prado de Flores

This was our first meal in Barcelona and it definitely set us off on the right foot. I was craving a Tinto de Verano (red wine with citrus spritzer, like a sangria but less sweet) and Spanish tortilla. The girls and I shared quite a few different things: chicken skewers, Greek salad, sardines, and tortilla. P also got a burger and it was perfection.

Gluten free food tour

I have an entire post about this experience, but we had the opportunity to try out six different spots with tons of gluten-free options. I’d never had a gf Nutella-filled croissant and it set my soul freeeeee. This was probably in list of top 10 best things I’ve ever eaten. Barcelona has SO MANY gluten-free options and dedicated gluten-free kitchens. Our guide told us that it’s one of the best places to travel and live if you have Celiac or are gluten sensitive/intolerant.

Bloome by Sasha

This is an entirely gluten-free brunch spot with pancakes, avocado toast, bowls, and pastries, using organic and fresh ingredients. I would eat here weekly if we lived in Barcelona. They have a couple of locations so if you’re planning a visit, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Lokal Bar

This was close to our hotel, and had great reviews and Spanish tortilla on the menu – I was on a mission to find the best one haha – and we went and shared a bunch of tapas one night. The tortilla had truffle oil (ommmggg) and the cheese platter was exquisite.

Roots & Rolls

One of the highlights of our trip was seeing my friend Sara! We used to teach together at Canyon Ranch and have stayed in touch despite moves all over the country. OG blog reader friends would recognize her from our Soli Beat video, blog workout videos and Summer Shape Up! She’s absolutely amazing — one of the most positive people I know and I love any chance we have to catch up.

We met up with her and her husband for an amazing vegan sushi, gluten-free options, ramen, pad thai, etc. The food was excellent and the company was the best part

If you live in Barcelona or visit, she owns the first assisted stretching studio in Spain: Stretch Eden.

Barcelona hotel recommendations

We stayed at two different hotels in Barcelona: Royal Ramblas before the cruise, and Room Mate Carla after the cruise.

(had the hotel gym to myself)

It was cute because it was the girls and myself, so we each ended up having our own little bed in each spot. It’s worth mentioning here that I almost always book our hotels for free using credit card points. We use our Amex Platinum for everything, and it gives us so many perks, like lounge access, shopping credits, points back for everyday purchases, credits for their Fine Hotels collection, Uber credits — I LOOOOVE this thing. If you’re interested in getting one, my referral link is here and I’m happy to help with any questions! More about how we use points for travel in this post. 

Activities

There are a lot of different tours and places to visit in Barcelona, including the famous Boquat de Mercaria, La Sagrada Familia, tons of museums, and gorgeous beaches. I would have loved to have a museum day, but the kids were toast after the cruise. (I’m a little bummed that we missed our Sagrada Familia tour, but we’ll definitely be back!) We shopped, visited a few different markets, explored the exterior of Sagrada Familia,

and made it over to the White Rabbit museum, which was a huge hit.

White Rabbit blends Catalan culture with immersive experiences, including projection rooms, virtual reality, lights, and sculptures. If you have kids and are traveling to Barcelona, I highly recommend it.

Is Barcelona safe?

Our cab driver warned us about pickpockets and told us which areas to avoid, but I never felt unsafe while we were there. I felt much safer than I do in many parts of the United States and I think like anything, it’s about being aware of your surroundings and staying where are other people around. Stay in well-lit and fairly populated areas, know where you’re going, and keep your belongings close to you. (I’ve been wearing this handy Amazon bag this entire trip.)

The goal of this exploration trip we’ve been on

I went into this trip with the intention of spending quality time with kids, seeing new places, and taking some time to fully recharge after a pretty grueling start to 2025. I also started off this trip looking for… a place to live. I felt like I might have clarity with *one perfect spot* and Barcelona has been the closest. It has the big city feel we love (tons of shopping, convenient, so many gluten free options and fantastic dining), but with smaller charming neighborhood pockets. We were especially fond of the Grácia neighborhood. I don’t know if we’ll actually ever more from Tucson, but we’ve been considering different options and keeping our eyes open.

Have you been to Barcelona? What’s your #1 favorite place to travel in the summer?

xoxo

Gina