I’ve always been weary of traveling alone but it’s safe to say that I can officially start traveling alone after my holiday in Barcelona. Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture and expect nothing less when you visit. The architecture is exquisite and all the buildings are well maintained, which was beautiful to see.

I knew the language barrier was going to be a challenge because English is not really a vibe in Barcelona but I made it work and Google Translate also saved my life because I used it quite a lot when I was asking for directions. The locals are very friendly and always willing to help whenever I got lost, even when they were giving me directions in Spanish, I still managed to make it work somehow. There is actually a lot to say about Barcelona and so many things to do and see but as you know, there’s never enough time to do all the touristy things but I’ve summed up some of my favourite things I enjoyed about this beautiful city.

1. Barcelona Cathedral

You can’t visit Barcelona and not visit The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also known as Barcelona Cathedral, which is the Gothic cathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona. It’s a tourist site, so expect a lot of people. It’s located in a busy district and you can have lunch after sightseeing.  Some people prefer to do the paid tour guide and learn more about the cathedral but you can also admire it from outside and google more information about it.

2. Les Quinze Nits

One of my highlights of Barcelona was the food and it was quite a shock to find it affordable, I thought I was going to run out of money and end up buying street food but there was none of that. I had the most amazing lunch at Les Quinze Nits, a cute restaurant with outdoor tables on the Placa Reial. I had a 3 course meal including a drink for 12 euros and it’s safe to say paella is my new favourite dish.

3. Barcoa Burger Bar

You can almost say this is their version of RocoMamas, just with better burgers and fries. It’s situated at the heart of Catalunya and I came across it while I was taking a walk in the evening and I decided it was going to be my dinner spot. All you do is create your own burger and be as creative as you want but you will enjoy their gourmet burgers with the best buns.

4. Barcelona Colour Bikes

It’s so beautiful to see Barcelona while cycling, even better for aesthetics with Color Bikes which was quite affordable compared to a lot of biking shops. For Europeans, cycling is the best way to get around. Check out http://www.color-bikes.com/en/ to see the nice deals they have. At least you will have your own cycling lane.

5. Barceloneta beach

I almost wanted to go to gym immediately after arriving at Barceloneta beach because the criteria to be there looked like it’s for everyone who worked on their summer bodies. There’s a lot of nude beaches but this one is not one of them, grab your book, drink and enjoy sun bathing. There’s also a few restaurants by the beach where you can get something to eat and drink.

There’s a lot to say about Barcelona but the above were some of my favourites about the city and the cherry on top is that the transport system is good, so don’t even use an Uber because it’s expensive. Try buying a train ticket which you can also use to hop on a bus to move around and use a maxi taxi if it’s a short distance and you don’t feel like walking.

To see more pics from Lebo’s amazing Barcelona trip follow him on Instagram @Lebza4Sho