These five favorite Barcelona attractions just outside the city are especially interesting for experienced visitors who have already seen all the main tourist spots in the city itself.
What are the best attractions around Barcelona?
- The forests of Collserola Natural Park
- Wine tasting in the Penedès region
- The beach villages along the Costa Brava
- Relaxing in Sitges
- Enjoying the views at Montserrat
The Catalan capital is a place where many visitors return because it’s so easily accessible. Numerous flights depart daily to this metropolis. For those who know the city well, it’s wonderful to visit something different than the usual attractions. Fortunately, there are plenty of interesting locations just outside Barcino, as it was called in Roman times.
Barcelona attractions accessible by bike
In this top 5 of things to see in Barcelona’s surroundings, the first three are easily accessible by bike. In fact, the vineyards of Penedès is even a bike tour that we offer with a guide at Baja Bikes.
Walking in the forests of Collserola on the edge of Barcelona
At the top of our list of top 5 places to visit in Barcelona’s vicinity is Collserola. This national park is located right on the edge of the city. At the highest point, at 512 meters, you’ll find Tibidabo. This is the hill with a church, amusement park, and Jesus statue that can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.
Behind these hills lies an enormous park of more than 8,000 hectares. The forests and hills are extremely suitable for wonderfully relaxing walks that allow you to escape the hustle and bustle of the busy city.
For the local population, this is the perfect location to celebrate a day off with the family through a picnic or a calçotada, a traditional barbecue where grilled spring onions are eaten with sauce.
Collserola is accessible by bike, but keep in mind that there’s climbing involved. Fortunately, you can also get there quickly by public transport.
Wine tasting in the Penedès region during a bike tour
The region south of the Catalan capital is called Penedès. This area includes several villages, including the beautiful beach village of Sitges, which we’ll discuss below. What this region particularly excels in are the vineyards. Hundreds of different farmers grow their grapes here and make numerous excellent wines from them. Besides the standard red and white wines, many cavas—sparkling wines—come from this area. So if you enjoy a good wine and like to combine it with cycling, you’ll be in your element with our Barcelona wine tasting bike tour.
The Barcelona wine tasting tour takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00 AM. The total duration of the tour is approximately 7 hours.
Visit rustic beach villages along the Costa Brava
North of the Catalan capital, you’ll find the Costa Brava. Besides popular locations like Lloret de Mar, this coast is also characterized by small, quiet villages where you can truly relax at the beach. The first one, within cycling distance from Barcelona, is Montgat. It’s a small beach village where you can really unwind. In less than three-quarters of an hour of cycling, you’ll have left the city’s hustle and bustle completely behind and can relax on beautiful beaches with wonderfully clean seawater. The beaches of Montgat cannot be compared to the crowded stretches of beach you find in the city.
Further north lies Sant Pol de Mar. This is the favorite spot for Catalans to relax. For a small village, it has a lot of beach, so there’s always plenty of room for your beach towel. After sunbathing, you can quickly walk into the village to enjoy an excellent paella.
Montgat is accessible by bike, but trains also run regularly. From Plaça de Catalunya, the R1 train departs every 10 minutes. After about 20 minutes and 5 stops, you arrive in Montgat. If you stay on the same train a bit longer, you’ll automatically arrive in Sant Pol de Mar. This train journey takes an hour.
Barcelona excursions and villages accessible by public transport
If you want to combine beach with delicious food in picturesque streets, then Sitges is the place par excellence.
Be yourself in Sitges
Take the train from Passeig de Gracia and in about 40 minutes you’ll be walking through this beautiful Spanish village. In the old streets, you’ll find numerous excellent restaurants, and the boulevard also offers a wealth of delicious food and nice spots to have a drink.
If you’re in Catalonia around carnival time, then Sitges is definitely the place to be. The carnival celebration in this village is the biggest in the entire region. People from all corners come dressed in beautiful outfits and party until the early hours in the streets of Sitges.
October is another important month in this village’s calendar. The Sitges Film Festival is one of the leading festivals in Europe. Every year, filmmakers and film lovers gather and look forward with anticipation to the presentation of the Maria Awards.
Furthermore, Sitges is a popular destination for the gay community year-round. The village is very gay-friendly and the Gay Pride celebrated there is perhaps even more spectacular than the carnival celebration.
Sitges is most easily accessible by train from Passeig de Gracia. Every 20 minutes, the R2S train departs in the direction of Sant Vincenç de Calders. After 4 stops, you arrive in Sitges. A single ticket costs 4.20 euros.
Discover breathtaking Montserrat
On the other side of the Collserola hills lies a large valley. In the middle of that valley, Montserrat rises out of nowhere. This breathtaking mountain is an excellent destination for a day trip. Montserrat, or serrated mountain, stands out due to its completely different appearance compared to the hills in the region. But viewing the mountain itself isn’t the only reason to visit it. Easily accessible by public transport, Montserrat offers unique panoramas on clear days. You can overlook the entire valley and with a bit of luck, you can see as far as Mallorca. At the top of the mountain, there’s also a monastery and museum that’s definitely worth visiting.
If you already know the Catalan capital like the back of your hand, for example thanks to the Baja Bikes Barcelona highlights bike tour, then this top 5 of Barcelona attractions just outside the city might be an interesting option for you.
Also read our article guided day trips from Barcelona for more tips and villages outside Barcelona. Or if you’re only in Barcelona for a very short time, go for the best day itinerary: Barcelona in 1 day.
The region and villages near Barcelona offer experienced visitors numerous other options. In short, traveling to Barcelona truly never gets boring.