Forget Barcelona! These 4 Authentic Towns Less Than 2 Hours Away Are Less Crowded

With regards to summers in Europe, Barcelona appears to be the primary vacation spot on everybody’s thoughts.

Regardless of the rising anti-foreigner sentiment and the surging crowds, vacationers proceed flocking to the Spanish metropolis yr after yr.

Between strolling the charming Gothic Quarter, as you slowly make your technique to La Sagrada Familia, and lounging on the golden sands of La Barceloneta because the Mediterranean gently caresses your toes, it certain looks like heaven (now and again).

That’s, for those who can look previous the hectic city scenes, the angry-looking locals holding up picket indicators urging you to ‘Go Dwelling!‘, and all of the pickpockets and scammers.

Now, for those who’re not precisely eager on elbowing your means via a mass of our bodies simply to get to the closest gelato parlor, nor await hours in line to enter Park Güell, these 4 smaller Catalonian cities lower than two hours away from Barcelona:

Tossa de Mar

The one remaining fortified city on the Catalonian Coast, Tossa de Mar is finest identified for its picture-perfect sandy seashore, hugged by bright-blue seas, its maze of cobble-paved alleys, nearly unchanged for the reason that Center Ages, and its creative legacy.

Whereas Barcelona is broadly identified for its Gaudí associations, the quaint Tossa has as soon as been residence to artists like Rafael Benet, a Catalan painter, Enric Casanovas, a outstanding Twentieth-century sculptor, and Marc Chagall, one of many main figures in surrealism.

They have been all drawn to the city’s romantic ambiance and Bohemian character, with Chagall himself naming it ‘Blue Paradise’—and guess what, the scenic coastal drive from Barcelona to Tossa takes simply over an hour (extra exactly, 1h15).

Castelldefels

In case you’re on the lookout for a shorter day journey, Castelldefels is the place it is best to go: simply reached from Barcelona, by way of a 25-minute prepare trip, it boasts over 3 miles of unspoiled golden sands, loads wider and fewer crowded than the town’s most important seashores, and family-friendly shallow waters.

Overlooking the historic heart, the placing red-brick Castelldefels Citadel is a must-see for tradition aficionados: it provides one of the best views over the coast from its highest tower, and you may even go to non permanent reveals in summer time.

For the foodies on the market, the coastal promenade in Castelldefels is lined with cozy cafés and seashore bars, serving scrumptious paella and freshly-caught fish at inexpensive costs, and one of the best half is, you not often have to ebook a desk! There’s nearly at all times room for walk-ins.

Besalú

Now, for those who do not essentially look after the seashores, and your main purpose for visiting this a part of Spain is to absorb the sights, you’ll be able to’t miss out on Besalú, a riverside settlement courting again to the Center Ages at a 1h30-drive northeast of Barcelona.

Dwelling to a Romanesque bridge, constructed all the best way again within the twelfth century, a hilltop fort on the confluence of two winding rivers, and one of many best-preserved Jewish Quarters in Spain, it is the sort of real-life postcard so lovely it seems to be AI-made.

Contemplating most day-trippers leaving Barcelona for the day shall be headed to both Sitges or Girona, lesser-known cities like Besalú maintain flying beneath the radar, and are, thus, much more peaceable compared.

Lleida

An unsung cultural hub in western Catalonia, Lleida is an inland metropolis wealthy in historical past and residential to a meals scene that the majority vacationers have but to find. Belief us, a few of the finest butifarras (Catalan sausages) aren’t present in Barcelona’s La Boqueria market, however proper right here as an alternative.

Lleida can also be well-known regionally for its fortress-like Thirteenth-century cathedral, La Seu Vella, and adjoining King’s Citadel, each positioned on high of a hill and commanding a panoramic panorama of the timeless townscape beneath.

The slender pathways in central Lleida, the historic stone buildings, and the leafy plazas all trace at its fascinating previous, and for those who suppose Barcelona’s is the one nightlife value touring for in Catalonia, wait till you attempt Lleida’s vibrant, bar-packed Els Vins district. This can be a college metropolis, in spite of everything.

Heading to Spain this summer time?

Do not forget to make use of our newly-launched TOP 1-Minute Journey Examine device to make sure all of your paperwork, entry permits, and baggage are so as.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead author at Journey Off Path, has over 60+ international locations beneath his belt (and at the moment weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative tales that can have you ever packing your baggage.