Spain Cruise: Barcelona Part 1
In this first post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Barcelona, Spain on her Spanish Wine Discoveries Cruise on Azamara.
I am exploring the beautiful coast of Spain on my third cruise on Azamara. The 7-night “Spanish Wine Discoveries” cruise on Azamara Quest kicks off in Barcelona, Spain and wraps up in Lisbon, Portugal. Join me as I explore the many wonderful ports in Spain along the way!
Spanish Wine Discoveries Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Pre-Cruise Day 1 in Barcelona, Spain. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- Pre-Cruise Day 1 – April 7: Barcelona, Spain
- Pre-Cruise Day 2 – April 8: Barcelona, Spain
- Cruise Day 1 – April 9: Valencia, Spain
- Cruise Day 2 – April 10: Alicante, Spain
- Cruise Day 3 – April 11: Melilla, Spain
- Cruise Day 4 – April 12: Malaga, Spain
- Cruise Day 5 – April 13: Cadiz/Seville, Spain
- Cruise Day 6 – April 14: Lisbon, Portugal
Hotel – ICON BCN
After two pleasant flights (including some amazing views of the Swiss Alps as I flew out of Zurich on my connecting flight!), I arrived in Barcelona the afternoon of April 6. A short drive from the airport took me to my wonderful Barcelona hotel, ICON BCN. I had a lovely room on the second floor, with a small balcony.
The hotel is centrally located, making it easy for me to walk to all of the sights I wanted to see. It also had easy access to the public transportation system. This charming hotel had lots of fun and funky public areas, including a beautiful atrium, a comfortable lounge and library area, and restaurants serving breakfast and dinner.
Pre-Cruise Day 1: Antoni Gaudi’s Masterpieces
I spent time exploring two of architect Antoni Gaudí’s amazing masterpieces on my first full day in Barcelona. I had a delicious and hearty breakfast at the hotel first, then headed out for a walk through the amazing city of Barcelona.
Casa Batlló
My first stop was the awesome Casa Batlló. The building was originally built in 1877. It was purchased by Josep Batlló y Casanovas in 1903, who then commissioned Antoni Gaudí to redesign it. The original plan was to completely demolish the building, but Gaudí instead chose to keep the structure and completely reform it. The end product is truly a work of art!
Casa Batlló was taken over by different companies and individuals since the 1950s, until landing in the hands of the current owners (the Bernat family) in the 1990s. They have fully restored the house to its current condition, and it has been open to the public since 1995.
I purchased the Gold ticket, which included access to the private residence of the Batllós.
I then made my way up to the rooftop. Along the way up, I found more wonderful sights. The rooftop itself has a lush garden area, funky artwork and architectural elements, and views of Barcelona.
Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
Next up was Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera. In 1905, Pere Milà married Roser Segimon and they purchased a plot of land along the famed Passeig de Gràcia. They commissioned Antoni Gaudí to build the new property, which would include their home on the main floor and apartments above to be rented out. Construction lasted from 1906 to 1912.
After admiring the unusual exterior and the awesome interior atrium, I started my tour with an immersive Virtual Reality experience.
I then did the tour of the interior spaces. This area is called the “neighbors’ flat,” which recreates the life of a bourgeois Barcelona family in the early 20th century.
I then made my way up to the “whale’s attic” which includes an exhibition on Gaudí and his work. The detailed model of the building here is stunning. It was also interesting to learn how he developed and designed some of his shapes – he draped chains to form intricate shapes, then took those designs and inverted them to become buildings (you can see the mirror image of one below to get a better understanding)!
The grand finale of the tour is the warrior’s rooftop. This fun and fanciful space is full of amazing artwork and architecture. There is something interesting to see at every turn! If some of the figures look familiar, George Lucas used this space as inspiration for some of the characters in Star Wars.
Wandering In Barcelona
After the two fantastic building tours, I simply wandered around the fascinating city of Barcelona for a bit. The architecture here is simply stunning. Even small details like the sidewalks and the lampposts are beautiful!
Along the way I stopped to admire the Palau de la Musica Catalana and the Barcelona Cathedral.
Conclusion
My first full day in Barcelona was amazing! The city itself is clean, well laid out, and very easy to navigate. The architecture throughout the city is simply stunning. But the highlights are definitely the Gaudí buildings. I thoroughly enjoyed both Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera). Stay tuned for more details about my second day in Barcelona in the next post of this series.
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
Click the button below for more information about Azamara:
