Don’t be a tourist: Find in-the-know things to do in Barcelona

Touristy: La Rambla
Seeing as it's one of the world’s most famous streets and crowded with tourists and street performers around the clock, it should come as no surprise that La Rambla serves as the background for hundreds of pictures taken by tourists every single day.

Alternative: Joan Fontcuberta's outdoor art
'The world begins with every kiss' is the name of this outstanding piece of art by Catalan artist Joan Fontcuberta. It's made up of 4,000 photographs taken by city residents to show what freedom means to them. The photos were printed onto small tiles and arranged in such a way that they form the image of a kiss. Could there possibly be a more romantic photo motif for a snapshot to send to your loved ones back home? We don't think so.

Touristy: Camp Nou
Not only is Camp Nou the home of Futbol Club Barcelona, one of the world's best and most famous football clubs, it's also the largest stadium in Europe with almost 100,000 seats. As such, a visit to Camp Nou and its own museum is an experience not only for fans of Messi and Co.  

Alternative: Ta-ka-tá
There is a certain amount of luck involved to come across a lively game of Ta-ka-tá as there are no sports clubs or federations dedicated to this local sporting activity. Played in front of Club Atlètic Barceloneta, Ta-ka-tá is a crossing between tennis and fistball. Watching a fast-paced match is pure entertainment and, at least for now, a true insider tip.

Touristy: Sant Sebastià beach
When you have very limited time left, but still want to get a tattoo, some mojitos, a massage and braided hair, a visit to Sant Sebastià, the beach at Barceloneta, could be the perfect solution to your problem. But be warned: heaps of others might have the same idea.  

Alternative: Llevant beach
Being the city's newest beach, Llevant is still rather unknown but by no means less inviting than its famous counterparts. At 380 metres in length and located next to Mar Bella beach – but much less crowded and more extensive – this is a great alternative if you don't want to leave Barcelona but at the same time don't want to sacrifice your inner peace.

Get more ideas for city beaches, as well as beaches outside Barcelona.

Touristy: Tablao Cordobes
Tablao Cordobes is the place to go for great flamenco performances. Though many visitors may think this dance of Andalusian origin has nothing to do with Barcelona, there actually is a long tradition of flamenco in the city, and many of the greats have come from Catalonia. With its stellar reputation, Tablao Cordobes often packs the house.  

Alternative: Rumbàlia
Many consider Catalan rumba, born in Barcelona during the 1950s, to be the soundtrack of the city. Where better to enjoy the rumba's cheerful rhythms than at the first place ever solely dedicated to it? At Rumbàlia, a bar-restaurant in the Eixample district, you can enjoy the music and watch dancers perform, plus you can even take classes to master the moves yourself.

Touristy: Cafè de l'Ópera
Churros and Barcelona belong together like two sides of a coin. There's also general agreement that Cafè de l'Ópera on La Rambla is the right place to eat the fried-dough pastry, even though the place is more known for its décor than the quality of its dishes. A lot of it is about the people watching on the city's most famous street. 

Alternative: Comaxurros
Serving churros with interesting flavours such as passion fruit, pistachio or even Iberian ham, Comaxurros not only offers its customers very special taste experiences, but the uniqueness of its assortment also makes up for the café's distance from the city centre and is well worth the journey. The neon-pink sign is easy to spot, and the churro doodles inside add to the atmosphere.


Find out where else you can get the most delish churros in Barcelona.