About What to Do in Barcelona

Hello and welcome to What to Do in Barcelona (and Beyond)!

My name is Claire Sturzaker and I adore Barcelona. I’m the creator of What to Do in Barcelona (and Beyond), and I’m here to help you to plan your dream Barcelona trip without having a negative impact on the local community.

I first came here as a student more than 20 years ago and fell in love with the city. I’ve travelled all over the world since then but nowhere captured my heart like Barcelona and I am very happy to be back living in the city again.

I created this What to Do in Barcelona blog to share my experiences and tips from 5+ years of living here in the city to help you plan your best Barcelona trip with all my local tips.

From planning your trip, to booking hotels and activities, and finding the best restaurants and hidden gems, you’ll find everything you need for your visit to Barcelona – and the areas around the city too.

I’m here to help you every step of the way, and you can ask me any questions in our What to Do in Barcelona Travel Tips Facebook group. Let’s explore Barcelona and Beyond!

Here’s Me in Barcelona!

Why I Want to Do Things Differently

We’ve all heard about problems caused by over-tourism – busy streets, higher prices and tourists taking over a city. I’ve seen that impact in Barcelona myself, where beloved local businesses have been replaced by souvenir shops selling cheap t-shirts with sleazy slogans.

When I lived right in the centre of the Gothic Quarter, I saw how busy it is in the summer, how I couldn’t walk out of my house or enjoy the streets without battling through crowds. How huge groups following a tour guide blocked the way for everyone else.

But I would never tell anyone not to come to Barcelona. It is a beautiful city that deserves to be shared, but we need to look after Barcelona and its residents, which will help everyone enjoy the city more – including visitors!

The way most companies do business is to aim for more profits, more sales, more, more, more. So more flights, more hotel rooms, more tourists – but I think Barcelona has reached a limit. We need to stop asking for more and start to do things differently and try to find solutions to the problems of over-tourism.

So, I want to do everything I can to make tourism in Barcelona more sustainable. Some of the things I’m doing to work towards this include:

Choosing local tour partners who share a similar philosophy – with a focus on small groups, cultural experiences and supporting small, local businesses.
Recommending local authentic restaurants instead of chains, especially those using ingredients from the region, and seek out artisans who craft traditional souvenirs and gifts.
Helping visitors to explore beyond Barcelona, to visit other locations in Catalonia and Spain so you can experience more Catalan culture and see more beautiful places during your trip
Partnering with a community project Esperança Barcelona to volunteer and give something back to this city I love.

I know I’m not perfect but I’m working to be better and invite you to join me on this journey. If we all try to do things a little better, a little differently, together we can make a difference!

What Can You Do?

If we all make small changes to how we experience Barcelona I know we can make a big difference. However, too many people complain about tourists without suggesting ways to improve!

To start with, read my article about Overtourism in Barcelona which has lots of ideas and practical tips to help you to enjoy Barcelona in the most sustainable way.

Easy ways to be more responsible include:

Visiting in the off-season if you can
spending longer in Barcelona and exploring the region outside of the city
eating in local restaurants instead of big chains
Avoiding
avoiding Airbnb and staying in independent hotels instead of international chains
learning about Catalan culture
choosing small group tours with a local guide
volunteering with or donating to a community project like Esperança Barcelona
Reducing plastic use and being mindful of water consumption
Being respectful of local residents

These articles will give you some more ideas and activities beyond the usual touristy activities:

Claire at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

My Story

I first came to the city as part of my university studies, and spent a year here studying at the Universitat de Barcelona – although I admit I spent more time at a local bar and on the beach than I did in the classroom!

I decided to move back to Barcelona in 2013 after losing my job and having somewhat of a mid-life crisis. On a cold, wet October day in Manchester, England, I made up my mind & booked a one-way flight to Barcelona!

I gave myself 3 months to find somewhere to live and get a job, otherwise, I would head back home to England and find work there – but luckily I settled into life in Barcelona very quickly. As well as working and making friends here I also started blogging about Barcelona on my first ever website, Tales of Barcelona.

However, after a few years, my itchy feet took me away from Barcelona, to South America. I quit my job here and booked another one-way ticket – this time to Bolivia – and began a journey to discover South America and a life of travel.

Tales of Barcelona became Tales of a Backpacker and I began to write about my adventures, as well as tips, tricks and musings about life on the road. Tales of a Backpacker is still going strong, but I missed my beloved Barcelona.

Even when I didn’t live here, I visited often and spent as much time as I could here – until moving back full time in early 2025.

So I wanted to share all of my experience visiting and living in Barcelona, with my insider tips to help you enjoy Barcelona as much as I do. What to Do in Barcelona & Beyond was born, and I’m working to turn it into an essential resource for visiting Barcelona and more of Catalonia and Spain responsibly and sustainably, without sacrificing any fun!

If you want to visit Barcelona and have an amazing time – you are in the right place! My name is Claire Sturzaker, and I adore Barcelona! Let’s explore Barcelona and beyond together!

Enjoy!

Love Claire xx

If you’d like to follow me on social media, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest and join our Barcelona Travel Tips Facebook Group here.

Come and explore Barcelona and beyond with me!