07/20/2021

The 10 Most Stunning Instagram Spots in Barcelona

I’ve been to Barcelona a few times because it’s the cheapest place to fly to from San Francisco – with some flights are cheap as $250 roundtrip. It’s a great city to hop to the rest of Europe, but also a great city to explore in general. Barcelona has such unique architecture everywhere, such delicious affordable food, such great walking and Instagram photo spots. Most of my visits ranged from 1 – 4 days, but recently I was able to spend 3 weeks there and walked all around the city. This post lists the 10 most stunning Instagram spots in Barcelona, all of which you can walk to!

1. Hotel Colon

Hotel Colon is the best Instagram spot to both enjoy a view of the Catedral de Barcelona and get some nice pictures. Located right across from the cathedral, Hotel Colon has a small rooftop terrace where you can enjoy some drinks while soaking in the views. If you’re a hotel guest, you can enjoy the views from the swimming pool on the rooftop. Hotel Colon also has a restaurant downstairs where you can enjoy the views from below if the rooftop is full.

2. Park Güell

Park Güell is a huge park that was designed by Gaudí, so there’s a bunch of colorful unique shapes spread throughout the park. The main attraction is the terrace area that has a uniquely shaped bench covered with mosaic tiles. The park is very spacious and there’s a bunch of other areas to hang out and admire the architecture. This is also a great spot to watch sunset. This is an UNESCO World Heritage site and a general ticket costs 10 Euros.

3. Basilica de la Sagrada Familia

Probably the most famous thing in Barcelona is the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. The basilica was an intricate masterpiece designed by Gaudí. So intricate that the church is still being completed. I came here 5 years ago in 2016 and was surprised to see that it’s still under construction in 2021. Looks like the estimated completion date is in 2026. The basilica is open while the construction is taking place though and the entrance fee costs 20 Euros. The inside is really pretty and colorful. This Instagram spot is an UNESCO World Heritage site.

4. Ayre Hotel Rosellon

Want to enjoy the view of the Sagrada Familia without the crowds? The Ayre Hotel Rosellon has the most amazing spacious rooftop restaurant where you have the prime view of the basilica. The food here is really good too. The most Instagrammable spot in Barcelona!

5. Casa Batlló

Another Gaudí Masterpiece and another UNESCO World Heritage site! This house has blue mosaic tiles everywhere inside and the blue changes as you get higher up in the house. Casa Batlló currently has a 10D experience which is a 3 minute digital art show into Gaudí’s mind. It’s super cool. The entrance fee is 40 Euros.

6. Arc de Triomf

There are quite a few similar arc structures in different cities, but Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf is built from red bricks which makes it real pretty. It was built as the gateway to an universal exhibition and leads to the Parc de la Ciutadella. It’s a nice area for a walk (the park looks a lot bigger on the map than it is). There’s a lot of bubbles blown around this area so it’s a nice spot to have a picnic.

7. The Steakhouse Grill Restaurant

I know you’ve probably seen flower cafes all over Instagram, but have you ever seen a flower steakhouse? I hadn’t, so when we were randomly walking around the city and saw this steakhouse, we had to try it. The whole interior is covered with pink flowers and green leaves – it’s like a mix of a flower cafe and a jungle. Taking Instagram spots to a whole new level. The steak was good too.

8. Poble Espanyol de Barcelona

Poble Espanyol is an open air museum with smaller sized replicas of Spanish villages. It also has a street lined with these fun umbrellas. The cost to enter is 11.20 Euros. It’s right next to the Castell de Montjuic, which is also a nice Instagrammable spot with fountains and great views of the city.

9. Hotel Arts

If you’re in the mood for some massages and pampering, the spa at Hotel Arts is located on level 43 and has amazing views of Barcelona’s coast. The spa has a nice vitality pool, ice fountain, sauna, and steam room that you can also enjoy before or after your treatment.

10. W Barcelona

You’ve probably seen this iconic silver structure on Barcelona’s coastline. That structure is the W Hotel. They have a rooftop pool that has nice views of the beach. They also have pool at the Salt Restaurant & Beach Club downstairs. You can get great Instagram shots both inside and outside the hotel at La Barceloneta Beach.