Are you planning a city trip to Barcelona? Be sure to book a day or two to the beautiful Costa Barcelona!

Costa Barcelona is, just like the popular city Barcelona, ​​located in southern Catalonia. With its Spanish gastronomy, wine tourism, cultureand more than 100 kilometres of coastline, this region is completely underestimated. Did you already heard of ‘Costa Barcelona’? We didn’t and are glad that we can inform you about this wonderful Spanish region! 

Our highlights of Costa Barcelona 

 

Bodega Cavas Llopart 

Cavas Llopart has been the definition of wine tourism since 1887, but not everything went as planned. In the late 1800s there was a phylloxera plague, which came from the Eastern European vineyards. The family could recover itself and have been pioneers in the production of quality cava in the region! Besides cava, they also produce white and red wine.

Since we are not seasoned wine enthusiasts, we especially liked the tour through the vineyards of Penedès! With horse and carriage we went through this mountainous environment. The panoramic views over the Penedès wine region and the mountains of the Montserrat chain made the tour complete.

THERE IS ONLY ONE HAPPINESS IN THIS LIFE, TO LOVE AND BE LOVED ❣ ::::::::::::: Two weeks ago, we had the pleasure to see another side of Barcolona ?? More specifically of Costa Barcelona. ? Everybody knows “Barcelona” for it’s vibrant and colourful city centre✨, but if you go a few kilometers outside, you can do much more. ?For example: Picknick in these beautiful vineyards, with Montserrat? in the background. My number one suggestion for a romantic date in Barcelona.☝?? It really seals the deal… ?? #costabarcelonaweek #barcelonamuchmore #hetisdemerckxinspain #wineyards #couplegoals #couple #montserratlovers #montserratmountain #montserrat

Een bericht gedeeld door Yannick Merckx (@hetisdemerckx) op 31 Mei 2018 om 2:33 (PDT)

 

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 

Time for action! We visited the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, the Spanish race circuit in Montmelo. That day we were lucky, as the pilots were just testing their cars. Aspects such as aerodynamics, technology, speed etc. were tested. You have read it well, we had the honour to see the work of real professionals like Stoffel and Bottas!

Every year, about 16 international races are organised on this circuit, including the annual Formula 1 Grand Prix! Even though you are not a car lover, a visit to circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will be remembered!

Immerse yourself in the Spanish traditions 

Castells is not the Spanish translation for castle, but for a human pyramid. This is an old tradition in the Spanish region of Catalonia, which finds its origin around the end of the 18th century. Very impressive to see how people need to work together in order to form a beautiful and stable pyramid.

Did you know that the bottom layer, called pinya, is the group where you can participate without too much training? Ofcourse, Yannick wanted to try this! Was it because of his interest in the tradition or he wanted to show his masculinity?

 

Gastronomic delights 

Besides the excellent wine tourism in the Penedès region, Costa Barcelona also offers a varied selection of dishes. The sea, the fertile land and the climate all combine to provide a vast array of top quality food. The dishes you should definitely try are the Vilanova scampi, the El Prat artichoke, the asparagus from Gavà and the Olesa de Monserrat oil.

For those interested in fine dining, can go to one of the star restaurants in the region!

 

The monastery of Sant Cugat 

After all the food, drinks, adrenaline and culture it was time for some reflection. We went to the monastery of Sant Cugat. Barcelona has the Sagrada Famila and Costa Barcelona has the monastery of Sant Cugat with a historic church and museum! It is one of the finest examples of ‘Medieval art’ in Catalonia.

If you are in the area, do not forget to visit Mercantic. This is the ultimate hotspot for vintage and antique lovers with more than 200 shops! Every 1st Sunday of the month, they organise a ‘vintage market’ with 2nd hand clothing, decoration items, vinyl records, books, …

If you’re not passionate about antiques, but you have some trained legs? Then Collserola Natural Park is something for you. This park offers many options for walking, because of the 8 different routes. Rather in the mood for mountain biking? There are 4 routes to discover the mountains.

 

Looking for a nice place to stay? 

We stayed at Hotel Gavà Mar ****, this business hotel is located at the coast. As we are used to from the AC hotels, the rooms are modern, bright and spacious. Which is also nice is that all rooms have a view of the beautiful swimming pool.
The hotel also has a ‘Centro de Wellness Accura Gavà Mar’, where you can practice various sports from yoga to swimming. We participated in a mindfulness session, so we could start our vacation in a relaxing way.

 

If you can’t get enough of Spain, we also visited Benidorm!