Enjoy the party, mojitos in plastic glasses, beach vendors and be close to other people is the beach of Barceloneta place for you. However to have a little more peace and quietness, stretch out on the sand and hear the waves. Jump on the train and go north. Just half an hour away is Vilassar de Mar, Mataro, Premia and other beautiful places where the locals go when they want to sunbathe and take a dip.
Have you read the great books of the Catalan writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón? Millions of readers have stuck to his novels. The action there mostly takes place in Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. Several of the sites exist in real life and many different guide companies offer trips there. If there is no wish to pay for a guided tour, you can download an English map at the author's website. It will be a journey through a different Barcelona that emerge when you scratch a little the beautiful surface.
Checking out the "singing" fountains may sound a cliché. But when dusk falls and Freddie Mercury screaming "Barcelona" from the speakers while the water in the fountains becomes red, then you get "wow"-experience by the whole body. The fountain was set up when the big world exhibition held in Barcelona in 1929. The show combines color, light, movement and music, making it all quite magical.
Many fine museums have free entrance on Sundays at 15:00 in the afternoon. The Museu Picasso, Macba - Barcelona's History Museum and Museu del Disseny de Barcelona – all of them follow this trend. But be sure to go there in a proper time. The queues can be very long.
Sometimes the best way to discover a city is to have a run session. The beach is an old favorite, especially between Bogatell and The Forum. If you like jogging in a park located closest to the town of Ciutadella and the Montjuïc you have even more challenging terrain available. The best place for such time spanding is La Carretera de les Aigües. There is a 20 km route through the park Collserrola up against the mountains.
It can be expensive to run around and visit all kinds of museums, but most of Gaudí's buildings you can admire from the outside. The famous Sagrada Familia is not yet complete and therefore more fancy on the outside instead of the inside. Take a look at Casa Batllo and Casa Mila on Passeig de Gràcia. Nearby there is also Casa Amatller.
Parc Guell is one of Guadís largest and most famous creations. Try to follow walking paths right up at the top of the mountain, here you have a magnificent view over Barcelona and the sea. The best in town.