Busabout Adventures

A Busabout Pass for the Western Loop will take you to the best of France and Spain.  Cycle through ancient vineyards and salsa dance the night away! Start from any city on the loop and travel at your own pace - stay as long as you like at each stop .... then when you've finished exploring, jump on the next bus and move on to the next destination.  Click on the destinations in the map to find out more...

Barcelona’s heart and the marker between the historic city and the modern one. From here, the long pedestrian Ramblas shoots southeast down to the sea, with the busy Gothic quarter and El Raval district placed on either side. To the northwest of the plaza is L’Eixample, the grid-like district where you’ll find shops and the bulk of the city’s offices and residences.

LAS RAMBLAS
You can’t leave Barcelona without strolling down Las Ramblas, a pedestrian boulevard exploding with life. Stretching from the Plaça de Catalunya down to the waterfront, Las Ramblas is lined with street artists, news kiosks and vendors selling everything from live chickens to blue roses.

About halfway down La Rambla is Mercat de la Boquería (%933 18 25 84; Las Ramblas 91; mLiceu; h8am-8.30pm Mon-Sat), Barcelona’s best fresh-food market – a great place for fruit and veggies. Further south is the Plaça Reial, a grand square surrounded by arcades where restaurants and cafés charge inflated prices for the privilege of sitting there. The plaza can get rowdy at night and is known for drug users meeting there, so be cautious. At the very end of La Rambla is the Monument a Colom (mDrassanes; adult €2; h10am-6.30pm Mon-Sat Oct-May, 9am-8.30pm Jun-Sep), a statue of Columbus atop a tall pedestal. A small lift will take you to the top for panoramic views.

BARRI GÒTIC
The cathedral (%933 10 25 80; Plaça de la Seu; mJaume I; museum €1; h10am-1pm & 5-7pm Mon-Sat, museum morning only), the centrepiece of the Barri Gòtic, is essentially a Gothic creation, but it was built on top of the ruins of an 11th-century Romanesque church, and the façade of the church is actually a 19th-century neo-Gothic addition. Wander around the verdant cloister and take the lift (€1) up to a rooftop for nice views.

Just to the east is the fascinating Museu d’Història de la Ciutat (City History Museum; %933 15 11 11; Plaça del Rei; mJaume I; admission €4; h10am-2pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun Oct-Apr, 10am-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-3pm May-Sep), where you can visit an excavated site of Roman-era Barcelona that lies under the pretty Plaça del Rei. In summer, outdoor concerts are often held in the plaza.

GAUDÍ, MODERNISM & LA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA
Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) was a devout Catholic and an eccentric architect whose work is full of references to nature and to Catholicism. His masterpiece, La Sagrada Família (%932 07 30 31; Carrer Mallorca 401; mSagrada Familia; admission €8; h9am-6pm Oct-Mar, 9am-8pm Apr-Sep) is Barcelona’s most famous building and visiting it is a once-before-you-die sort of experience. Construction began in 1882 though it’s only half-built, and it’s anyone’s guess whether it will be finished by 2082.

For a detailed examination of Gaudí’s works, visit the museum inside La Pedrera (%902 40 09 73; Carrer de Provença 261; mDiagonal; admission €7; h10am-8pm Mon-Sat), a Gaudí cre­ation that ripples around the corner of Carrer
de Provença. Don’t miss its surreal roof with some truly bizarre chimneypots; concerts are sometimes held here in summer.

Nearby is Gaudí’s beautifully coloured Casa Batlló (%932 16 03 06; Passeig de Gràcia 43; mPasseig de Gràcia; admission €10; h9am-8pm), an allegory for the legend of St George (‘Sant Jordi’ in Catalan) the dragon-slayer. It’s only recently been opened to the public. Next door is the Casa Amatller (Passeig de Gràcia 41), by another leading modernist architect, Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Now the office of the Centre de Modernisme (%934 88 01 39; Passeig de Gràcia 41; mPasseig de Gràcia;
h10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun), this is the place for information about modernist buildings and tours.

Further afield is Gaudí’s Parc Güell (h10am-dusk), a charming outdoor park Dr Seuss would feel comfortable in. Gaudí designed it as a community that would have houses, schools and shops, but the project failed, leaving this half-finished playground of tile mosaics and striking organic shapes. The house where Gaudí lived for 20 years has been turned into the Casa-Museum Gaudí (%932 19 38 11; mLesseps; admission €4; h10am-6pm Oct-Mar, 10am-8pm Apr-Sep), a museum about his life. Go by metro (which involves a steep uphill climb) or on bus No 24 from Plaça Universitat.

In the El Raval district is Gaudí’s atmospheric Palau Güell (%933 17 39 74; Carrer Nou de la Rambla 3-5; mDrassanes; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat Mar-Oct, 10am-4pm Nov-Feb), a house built by Gaudí in the late 1880s for his patron, the industrialist Eusebi Güell.

EL RAVAL
To the west of Las Ramblas is the El Raval district, a once-seedy, now-funky area overflowing with cool bars and shops. Here the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (Macba; %934 12 08 10; Plaça del Àngels 1; mPlaça Catalunya; admission €3; h11am-7.30pm Tue-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun), near Plaça Catalunya, has an impressive collection of international contemporary art.

LA RIBERA  
East of the Barri Gòtic, La Ribera is a medieval barrio with some fascinating museums and architecture. You’ll immediately see the throngs surrounding the Museu Picasso (%933 19 63 10; Carrer de Montcada 15-21; mJaume I; admission €5; h10am-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun), home of the most important collection of Picasso’s work in Spain – more than 3000 pieces. Most represent Picasso’s Barcelona periods (1895–1900 and 1901–04) early in his career.

At the end of Carrer de Montcada is the effortlessly elegant Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar (mJaume I; h9.30am-1.30pm & 4.30-8pm), a stunning example of Catalan Gothic. All around here you’ll find quirky shops and bars; this is a great area for strolling.

Don’t miss the Palau de la Música Catalana (%932 95 72 00; www.palaumusica.org; Carrer Sant Francesc de Paula 2; mUrquinaona; admission €7; h10am-3.30pm Sep-Jul, 10am-6pm Aug), an unabashedly ornate modernist masterpiece designed by Lluis Domènech i Montaner in 1905. Concerts are held here regularly.

WATERFRONT
From the bottom of La Rambla you can cross the Rambla de Mar footbridge to the Moll d’Espanya, a former wharf in the old harbour, Port Vell. Stroll around the restaurants and shops here. Northeast of Port Vell, on the far side of the fishing-oriented La Barceloneta area, the city beaches begin. Along the beachfront, after 1.3km you’ll reach Vila Olímpica, site of the 1992 Olympic village, which is fronted by impressive Port Olímpic, a large marina with dozens of bars and restaurants. There are some fun nightspots and good restaurants, but locals are few and far between.

Not far off the water is the Parc de la Ciutadella (mBarceloneta; h8am-9pm), a large park ideal for strolling or picnics. The small city zoo (%932 25 67 80; adult €12.90; h10am-dusk) is inside the park.

MONTJUÏC  
The Central Park of Barcelona, this hill is the southwestern boundary of the city and is a perfect place to jog or stroll around. There are amazing panoramic views of the city from the top. Public transport in the area is limited; to get here walk up from Plaça Espanya or wait for bus No 61. A more entertaining option is take the funicular railway (€3.20) from Parallel metro station or ride the cable car (Transbordador Aeri; €7.50) over from La Barceloneta.

Attractions to see on Montjuïc include:
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (%936 22 03 75; Palau Nacional; admission €4.80; h10am-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2.30pm Sun) Catalan religious art.
Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village; %935 08 63 30; Avinguda Marquès de Comillas; admission €7; h9am-8pm Mon, 9am-late Tue-Sun) Craft and souvenir shops by day, nightclubs and restaurants by night.
Fundació Joan Miró (%934 43 94 70; Parc de Montjuïc; admission €7.20; h10am-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2.30pm Sun) Fantastic temple to modern art, with many Miró works.
Castell de Montjuïc (%933 29 86 13; admission €2.50; h9.30am-5.30pm Nov-Mar, 9.30am-8pm Apr-Oct) A small military museum and great views.

For discos of every possible shape, size and var­iety, head to the Port Olímpic; in summer it’s a nonstop party, and winter weekends are fun too. One of the biggest clubs here is the Baja Beach Club (%932 25 91 00; Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 34; mCiutadella-Vila Olímpica), where being tanned, beautiful and nearly topless seem to be the main requirements for entry.

Jamboree (%933 19 17 89; Plaça Reial 17; mLiceu) Jumping with hip-hop music on week nights, this is a magnet for foreign students.

Magic(%933 10 72 67; Passeig Picasso 40; mArc de Triomf) With fantastic live music running the gamut between techno and classic rock, it’s one of the city’s top clubs.

Barcelona’s metro system spreads its tentacles around the city in such a way that most places of interest are within a 10-minute walk of a station. Buses and suburban trains are needed only for a few destinations. A single metro, bus or suburban train ride costs €1.10, but a T-1 ticket, valid for 10 rides, costs only €6.

EMERGENCY
General Emergencies (%112)
Guardia Urbana (City Police; %092; La Rambla 43)

INTERNET ACCESS
Bigg (%933 01 40 20; Calle Comtal 9; per hr €2; h9am-11pm Mon-Sat, 10am-11pm Sun; mPlaça Catalunya)
Cybermundo ( %933 17 71 42; Calle Bergara 3; per hr €1.20-2.90; h9am-midnight Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight Sat, 11am-midnight Sun; mPlaça Catalunya)

MEDICAL SERVICES
You can get help with minor medical issues at the 24-hour pharmacies scattered around town. There’s one at Passeig de Gràcia 26  and another at Las Ramblas 98.
Hospital Clinic (%932 27 54 00; Carrer Villarroel 170; mHospital Clinic) Modern hospital with good services for travellers.

MONEY
It’s best to change money at the main tourist office. Also, head to banks like La Caixa or Caixa Catalunya, which give fair rates. Avoid the casas de cambio (exchange houses) on Las Ramblas; the rates are too high.

POST
Main post office (%934 86 80 50; Plaça d’Antoni López; mBarceloneta; h8.30am-9.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-2pm Sun)

TOURIST INFORMATION
Main tourist office (%807 11 72 22; Plaça de Catalunya 17; mPlaça Catalunya; h9am-9pm)

Festivals & Events
Barcelona’s biggest festival is the La Mercè, a week-long, city-wide party on the days around 24 September. Another red-letter date is the festival of Sant Joan (St John’s Day; 23 July), when days of endless firecrackers welcome summer. In June and July the arts festival El Grec fills Barcelona with theatre, dance and music.

Typical dishes range from rice and shellfish paella, ubiquitous in the restaurants by the port, to hearty Catalan fare like pigs’ trotters, rabbit with snails and butifarra, a tasty local sausage. Lunch is served from 2pm to until 3.30pm, and dinner begins at 9pm.

The cheapest eats are always found at Chinese restaurants, which are known for their huge portions, and at the Middle Eastern kebab restaurants, selling cheap but tasty pitas stuffed with lamb or falafel. You’ll find plenty of both scattered around the centre, especially on roads branching off Las Ramblas like Carrer Ferrán.

AROUND LAS RAMBLAS  
A classic breakfast or coffee spot is Café de l’Òpera (%933 17 75 85; Las Ramblas 74; mLiceu), a once high-class café that’s a bit bruised but still atmospheric. At Buenas Migas (%933 18 37 08; Plaça de Bonsuccés 6; mPlaça Catalunya; mains €2.20-5) eat focaccias and awesome desserts in the breezy sidewalk café. For American-style bagel sandwiches and desserts, head to the Bagel Shop (%933 02 41 61; Carrer de la Canuda 25; mLiceu; mains €3.50-7). Vegetarians will love the salad choices at grungy-chic Venus (%933 01 15 85; Carrer de Avinyò 25; mLiceu; menú €8.50).

Mercat de al Boquería Self-caterers can make a beeline to this wildly colourful market for fresh food.

Bar-Bodega Fortuny (%933 17 98 92; Carrer del Pintor Fortuny 31; mLiceu; mains €4.50-9) The quirky Fortuny serves salads, couscous and hummus to a largely bohemian group of regulars. At night this is a popular lesbian hang-out.

Bar Ra (%933 01 41 63; Plaça de Gardunya; mLiceu; mains €6-9) Head here for same offerings as Fortuny, but dine al fresco. It’s just behind La Boquería market.

La Fonda (%933 01 75 15; Carrer del Escudellers 10; mLiceu; mains €7-12) Mediterranean and trad­itional dishes are served here with style.

Els Quatre Gats (%933 02 41 40; Carrer de Montsió 3; mUrquinaona; menú €10) The legendary modernist café where Picasso had his initial exhibit. Now it serves Catalan fare and great seafood dishes, though it’s pricey at night.

LA RIBERA & LA BARCELONETA
Comme-Bio (%933 19 89 68; Vía Laietana 28; menú €8.45) It’s not just vegetarian, it’s organic at this casual restaurant with a shop attached.

Origins 99.9% (%933 10 75 31; Carrer de Vidrieria 6-8; mJaume I; menú €12) Another shop-eaterie combo, Origins boasts that 99.9% of everything sold is from Catalonia. The ever-changing daily menú features local specialities such as escalivada (roasted veggies on bread) and Catalan sausages.

Comerç 24 (%933 19 21 02; Carrer de Comerç 24; mJaume 1; mains €14-20) Head here for a splurge and a real gastronomic treat; this modern one-off is one of the city’s most talked-about restaurants.

Barcelona is the city to eat seafood. Stroll along the waterfront and around the ports for a wide array of fishy favourites. One of the best priced options is Can Maño (%933 19 30 82; Carrer Baluard 12; mBarceloneta; mains €6-12; closed Sun), where décor isn’t a priority but lip-smackingly good fresh seafood is.

L’EIXAMPLE
Laie Librería Café (%933 02 73 10; Carrer de Pau Claris 85; mPasseig de Gràcia; mains €5-12) The delicious buffet and lunch menú is packed with healthy food, local specialities and vege­tarian options.

La Cervecería Catalana (%932 16 03 68; Carrer Mallorca 236; mPassieg de Gràcia) Arrive early to try the tapas and delicious long, skinny sandwiches. The same owners run La Flauta (%933 23 70 38; Carrer de Aribau 23; mUniversitat) a few blocks away.

L’Hostal de Rita (%934 87 23 76; Carrer Aragó 279; mPasseig de Gràcia) For a bit of style, this place does the trick. Be prepared to wait in line for samples of its pastas, seafood and traditional dishes.

LIVE MUSIC
London Bar (%933 18 52 61; Carrer Nou de la Rambla 34; mDrassanes) This popular expat hang-out hosts concerts almost every night. Groups range from jazz to rock to flamenco.

Harlem Jazz Club (%933 10 07 55; Carrer de la Comtessa de Sobradiel 8; mLiceu) Head here for a guaranteed dose of quality jazz and enough smoke to cook a sausage.

Otto Zutz (%932 38 07 22; Carrer Lincoln 15; mFontana) Frontliners often play here. Though Barcelona is not the best place to see flamenco, you can still catch a reasonably authentic show at Tablao Cordobés (%933 17 57 11; Las Ramblas 35; mLiceu).

SPORT
Football fans can see the Fútbol Club Barcelona play at Camp Nou (%934 96 36 00; www.fcbarcelona.com; Arístides Maillol; mCollblanc). If you can’t score tickets, nose around the museum (%934 96 36 08; gates 7 & 9; admission €5, tour €9; h10am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun).

THEATRE & OPERA
Most theatre productions in the city is performed in Catalan, but there are a few that stage vanguard drama.

Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (%933 06 57 00; Plaça de les Arts 1; mGlòries) If you’re up for a language lesson, check out the performances at this classy theatre.

Anything put on anywhere by the wild troupe La Fura Dels Baus (www.lafura.com) is bound to be funny and energetic. They manage to communicate without words, so language isn’t a problem.

Gran Teatro del Liceu (%934 85 99 00; www.liceubarcelona.com; Las Ramblas 51-59) Barcelona’s glitziest stage is the sumptuous opera house.

BARS
On weekends bars stay hopping until 2am, but most of the places listed here are open for quiet drinks as early as 8pm.

Head to the Passeig del Born for a great selection of laid-back bars like Miramelindo (%933 19 53 76; Passeig del Born 15; mJaume I), a Barcelona favourite, and La Vinya del Senyor (%933 10 33 97; Plaça de la Santa María 5; mJaume I), a romantic wine bar sitting under the shadow of the basilica.

Muebles Navarro (%607 18 80 96; Carrer de la Riera Alta 4; mLiceu) In El Raval you’ll find this funky place decorated like a furniture flea market. Kick back with a cold one and a cheese plate.

Lletraferit (%933 01 19 61; Carrer de Joaquim Costa 43; mSant Antoni) Just as chill but a bit more sophisticated is Lletraferit, a book-lovers’ café by day and a cocktail bar by night.

Rita Blue (%933 42 40 86; Plaça de Sant Agustí 3; mLiceu) More upbeat, everyone at this restaurant and bar orders the house speciality, a blue margarita.

The Philharmonic (%934 51 11 53; Carrer de Mallorca 204; mProvença) In L’Eixample, this is one of Barcelona’s most popular pubs. Stop in for all the football matches, some English conversation and a mouth-watering English breakfast.

The Gràcia district, with its intimate plazas and narrow streets, is the perfect spot for a quiet drink. Café del Sol (%934 15 56 63; Plaça del Sol; mFontana) has a fantastic terrace for sipping outdoors. Gusto (Carrer Francisco Giner 24; mFontana) offers a friendly atmosphere and some of the city’s best DJs.

GAY & LESBIAN VENUES
The gay and lesbian scene is mainly in the blocks near Carrers Muntaner and Consell de Cent (dubbed ‘Gay-xample’ by the locals). Each night you’ll find ambience of the week in the bars, discos and drag clubs.

Oui Café (Consell de Cent 247; mUniversitat) A sophisticated style and all-white décor reigns here, with a spiffy clientele dropping in for low-key drinks.

Party hard at classic gay discos like Arena Madre (%934 87 83 42; Carrer de Balmes 32; mUni­versitat; hclosed Mon) and Salvation (%933 18 06 86; Ronda de Sant Pere 19-21; mUrquinaona; hFri-Sun).

Bar-Bodega Fortuny Low-key Fortuny is a popular lesbian hang-out.