Day Tripping: Places to Visit Near Barcelona

“After a few days exploring Barcelona’s bustling streets and iconic landmarks, you might be ready to leave the crowds and venture beyond the city limits. You’ll be glad you did. You’ll discover Catalonia, a region filled with windswept beaches, medieval towns and majestic mountain ranges. You can see works from a world-renowned artist, hike in the mountains or sip cava in a vineyard. Here’s our pick of the best day trips from Barcelona.

_Photo by Blanche Peulot on Unsplash_

Sitges: Sand, Sea and Sophistication
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Protected by the Garraf mountains, Sitges has up to 300 days of sun a year. Perfect for enjoying its 17 beaches; if you’re with the family, Playa de Sant Sebastià is the place to go, and if you just want an all-over tan, try nudist Playa Balmins.

Known as Spain’s best gay-friendly holiday destination, Sitges has a cultured old town with galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Within an hour of Barcelona, the city is also renowned for its nightlife with the world’s first Pacha nightclub and one of the best carnivals in Spain.

By car: approximately 45 minutes

By train: approximately 35 minutes

_Photo by Fikri Rasyid on Unsplash_

Girona: Charming Medieval Fortress City
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Girona is a combination of medieval and modern. The River Onyar divides the city with the winding cobbled streets of the old town on the eastern bank and the commercial centre on the west. If you watch Game of Thrones, you’ll recognise the city’s 12^th-century Arab Baths, and the lanes of the Jewish Quarter.

Get a taste for Girona’s culinary heritage at El Celler de Can Roca. The three-Michelin-star restaurant showcases local ingredients and has twice been voted the best restaurant in the world.

By car: approximately 1.5 hours

By train: approximately 1.5 hours

Montserrat Mountain: Holy Site and Spectacular Scenery
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Montserrat is a sacred mountain range northwest of Barcelona. The mountain is home to a Benedictine monastery that sits in the shadow of the rockface. Inside, you’ll find Our Lady of Montserrat, a dark-skinned statue of the Virgin Mary that draws pilgrims.

Catch a funicular railway up to the Chapel of Sant Joan and the Santa Cova (Holy Grotto) to see the original home of the image of the Virgin Mary. There are also hiking trails through the national park and you can rock climb among the jagged peaks.

By car: approximately 1.5 hours

By train: approximately 1.5 hours (requires two changes)

Penedès Wine Region: Cava Capital
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Holding a coveted DO (Denominación de Origen) accreditation, the Penedès region is the official cava capital of the world. It also produces dry whites, reds and dessert wine alongside the Spanish sparkling.

The area’s three sub-regions – the Baix Penedès and the Garraf are on the coast and the Alt-Penedès is the inland centre of wine production. Hire a bike to cycle the cava route, stopping at bodegas for tours and tastings (and the odd hiccup).

By car: approximately one hour

By train: approximately one hour

_Photo by Blair Vermette on Unsplash_

Tossa de Mar: Idyllic Former Fishing Village
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Tossa de Mar sits on a quiet bay 100km north of Barcelona. The medieval walled old town is home to the iconic Castillo de Tossa de Mar, a castle overlooking the beach. Follow the ancient city wall past Romanesque towers to the Far de Tossa lighthouse, arriving at sunset for stunning views.

Travel a few kilometres outside the historic centre to the picturesque coves and beaches – the horseshoe-shaped Cala Giverola and rocky Cala Bona inlet are ideal for diving and snorkelling.

By car: approximately 1.5 hours

By train: approximately 1.5 hours

Figueres: Home of Surrealist Salvador Dalí
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Figueres is best known as the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí and has a theatre-museum dedicated to its famous son. With its huge collection of surrealist art, Teatre-Museu Dalí encourages you to immerse yourself in Dalí’s signature style. A must is a visit to The Mae West room, with its red lips-shaped sofa.

Figueres also has the 32-hectare Castell de Sant Ferran, one of the largest fortresses in Europe and once home to 4,000 men.

By car: approximately two hours

By train: approximately two hours

_Photo by M. R. on Unsplash_

Tarragona: Roman City by the Sea
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South of Barcelona, Tarragona is a Roman port city overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Walk the city’s original Roman walls, visit a second-century Roman Amphitheatre where gladiators once battled and see the Forum. For a bit more Roman history, a 30-minute walk from the city gets you to El Pont del Diable, an impressive 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct.

Visit Tarragona during the Concurs de Castells Festival to see the nerve-shredding Catalan tradition of human towers.

By car: approximately 1.5 hours

By train: approximately one hour

Cadaqués: White-Washed Village on the Costa Brava
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A trip to Cadaqués puts you in good company – this is where Dalí, Matisse and Picasso used to unwind. On a remote bay in the middle of the Cap de Creus peninsula, Cadaqués is white-washed houses with painted doors and terracotta roofs, and twisting alleyways leading to the clear blue sea.

Book a tour of Dalí’s eccentric seaside home and grounds at Portlligat or head to the 16^th-century hilltop Església de Santa María. As you take in the sweeping views across the bay, you’ll see what so inspired the artists.

By car: approximately 2.5 hours

By train: approximately three hours”