El Paraigua

Nestled behind Plaza Sant Jaume in the Gotico, don’t let this unassuming restaurant fool you. What used to be a modernist shop in 1902, has turned into a trendy bar and live music lounge. When you walk into the upstairs dining area, don’t linger long before veering to the left and heading downstairs into an underground jazz scene with an amazing cocktail bar and plush leather couches. This is a small and intimate venue, ideal for romantic evenings or a fun night amongst close friends.

Harlem Jazz Club

Another Gothic Quarter hot spot, the Harlem Jazz Club has live music almost every night of the week with everything from rock and jazz to funk and soul. Admission is 5 Euros but it includes a drink.

Jazz Sí

Head towards the more ‘pijo’ (posher) area of Barcelona and on Rambla Catalunya you’ll find Jazz Si, where they play flamenco music nightly. Shows start around 6pm and are always packed so be sure to get there early. This is an off the beaten path, city-gem, so if you’re looking to experience Barcelona’s authenticity, this is the place to be.

Big Bang

A small, unpretentious, extremely fun bar, Big Bang usually has nightly shows with plenty of jazz as well as other types of live music. It’s a tiny venue with few seats, so be prepared to stay on your feet for most of the evening.

If you’re solo in Barcelona here are a few ideas of how to spend your time:

1: Rent a scooter: This is one of the best ways to take in as much of the city as you can in a short period of time and of course there’s the fun factor. Motorbikes and scooters are a great way to venture out to places that are harder to get to on foot or via public transport. Check out Montjuic, Tibidabo and the Miro Museum or head outside of the city along the coast to some of the quieter, lesser-known beaches such as Ocata.

2: Exhibits and Museums: Depending on what you’re into Barcelona’s museums and one off exhibits are always a nice way to spend the day. A few key ones to note include the Picasso Museum located in the trendy Born neighborhood and the MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art) which often has innovative and creative displays.

3: Beach & Boardwalk – Barcelona’s beaches are just a stone’s throw from the city center and a relaxing, cheap way to spend the afternoon. If you feel like kite surfing there are a few places that offer it.

4: Park Guell: If you want to read a book, enjoy a picnic or just explore ‘Gaudi’s Wonderland’, Park Guell is an excellent way to pass the time, learn about the life of Gaudi and his incredible work and soak up the sun.

5: Tapas Hopping: You don’t need to be with other people to enjoy Barcelona’s pinchos (food on a stick) and delicious array of tapas. With an eclectic mix of bars and restaurants, pick a few places that look interesting and design a route for yourself. Before the night is over you’re guaranteed to pick up a few friends/stragglers along the way (especially if you venture into the Gothic Quarter and the Born neighborhoods).

Here are a few ideas to keep entertained in Barcelona…for free!

1: Parc Guell - Gorgeous, relaxing and ideal for the architecturally inclined or for those simply wanting to spend a day amongst the nature in a beautiful setting. One of Gaudi’s masterpieces and home to the longest bench in the world, Parc Guell is an architectura dream parc. It has gorgeous city views, a few cafes to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat and plenty of space to spread out, read a book, listen to music and have a picnic. The only thing that costs money is if you choose to go inside Gaudi’s house, which is inside the Parc. Otherwise this is an entirely free way to spend more than a few hours outdoors. The best way to get here is to take the green metro line to the Valcarca stop and just follow the signs (and the crowds) towards the Parc.

2: La Playa (the beach) – The Mediterranean Sea is easily one of Barcelona’s strongest selling points. Ideally situated along the coast, Barcelona’s boardwalk was revamped and cleaned up for the 1992 Olympics and since then it has become one of the most popular places to spend time, especially during the summer. With a mix of both man-made as well as natural beaches, Barcelona’s coastline has plenty of different beach option, depending on what you’re into. Whether you’re looking for the nude beach, gay beach, early morning swimming crowd or feel like dancing to electronic music beside a chiringuito (beach side hut), each playa has its own special vibe and best of all it’s completely free! The best way to get to the beaches is to take the yellow metro line to Barceloneta, Bogatell or Poble Nou or any of the stops in between and walk along the boardwalk until you find the beach that best suits you.

3: Boqueria Market - Barcelona’s famous Boqueria is a definite ‘must see’ and best of all it doesn’t cost a penny to browse through its stalls and gawk at the innovative and often ‘eclectic’ (dead baby pigs wearing baseball caps – for example) food arrangements. Even if you’re not looking to buy, some of the stands often have free samples and if you’re into food and enjoy markets then this is an excellent way to pass the time without dipping into your wallet.

Competitors range from novice and intermediates to seasoned professionals who have competed at the highest international levels. This is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, strolling through the different venues, watching the competitions, relaxing by the water and shopping at the various stalls selling extreme sports merchandise.

Another exciting addition to this year’s event is a kids skateboard park with ‘kid size’ skate ramps and rails.

Tickets are 12 Euros per day or 15 euros for two days. Children under 8 get in free.

The event will take between 10am – 8:30pm.

Click here to buy tickets

The festival will take place at several venues throughout the city, including Barcelona’s Parc del Forum and Poble Espanyol. Day tickets cost 80 euros, however if you want to check out some of the late night bands, after 12am you can buy a ticket for 20 euros and have access to some of, but not all areas of the festival.

If you feel like starting the party sooner, you don’t have to wait until the 26th. On Monday the 23rd, Sala Apolo 2 will feature Betunizer, Capsula and Bullitt in its downstairs space and upstairs they’ll have Darren Haymen & the Secondary Modern, The Bitter Springs and Nacho Umbert & La Compania. On Tuesday  check out Dead Western, Capillary Action, Schnaak and other special guests also at Sala Apolo 2.

A welcome developments at this year’s Primavera Sound, is the more efficient payment system at the bars where you can simply swipe a card in order to buy drinks.

Buy festival tickets here.

In Barcelona, 48 museums showcasing everything from art, to history, to ceramics, photography and poetry amongst others, will open their doors to the public. La Nit Dels Museus (in Catalan) begins at 7pm and goes until 1am, leaving you plenty of time to check out a few of Barcelona’s museum  hot spots.

A new addition to this year’s Barcelona Museum Night, is the gallery walk. Between 8pm-12am, gallery owners and employees will take to the streets carrying different works of art and parading them throughout the city.

Here are a few ‘must see’ museums on May 14th:

Museu Picasso – If this is free it’s worth a visit. Barcelona’s Picasso Museums doesn’t feature as many of his greatest works as some of the other Picasso Museums, however it is an excellent window into his life and explores the evolution of his career.

Joan Miro Foundation -This was the first public institution in Barcelona to focus on contemporary art. Located atop Montjuic it’s slightly outside of the city center, but a nice evening excursion, especially if you don’t have to pay an entrance fee.

MACBA – Barcelona’s Museum of Contemporary Art always has the most diverse and interesting displays. Located in the Raval, it’s an exciting place to explore, especially on a Saturday evening.

Take a look here for a complete list of Museums which will be open to the public on Saturday, May 14th.

1: George Payne – This two-storey Irish bar in the city center is ideal for watching any major sporting event. The walls are plastered with large, flat screen televisions, the atmosphere is always electric and the rooms are packed with beer drinking ex-pats and locals alike. Be sure to go early because once the bar is full they close the doors.

2: Chiringuito 23 – Assuming the weather is nice, which it usually is towards the end of May, many beach side restaurants often put up TV screens. This is by far one of the best ways to enjoy a football match in Barcelona. With the backdrop of the beautiful blue Mediterranean,  happy hour cocktails and a lively partisan crowd, the vibe along Barcelona’s boardwalk becomes infectious.

3: Your Local Neighborhood Bar – Most ‘barrio bars’ in Barcelona have their own atmosphere – particularly in the Born, Gotico, Raval, Poble Sec and there’s hardly a single one that won’t have the game blasting out on May 28th. One of my favourites  is Cal Papi in Barceloneta. The owners, Carmen and Miguel are warm, inviting and have a great sense of humour. While you’re watching the match do try their special own-label Vermouth (made with secret ingredient…)  but pace yourself as the stuff is quite strong!

Anti-Karaoke takes place every Monday night between 9:30pm-1am at Sala Apolo.

The story goes, that after Saint George killed the dragon, he gave the princess a red rose that he took from a rose bush that sprouted from the dragon’s blood. Thus the tradition was established that on Diada de Sant Jordi, men gave women roses. And, ever since 1923 women have given men books in return.

This came about when a business-savvy Spanish book seller began to promote the holiday as a way to honor  two of the greatest men in literature: Spain’s Miguel de Cervantes and England’s William Shakespeare, who both died on April 23rd, 1616. Since Barcelona is known as the publishing capital of the Spanish-speaking world, the city took advantage of the day combining both love and literacy, and creating one grand fiesta.

In order to make the most of Barcelona’s day of love, wake up early on the 23rd and watch the street vendors begin setting up their stalls. From the crack of dawn onwards, you won’t be able to walk a block without being bombarded with locals selling books, roses and even special Sant Jordi pastries. From La Rambla, to Paseo de Gracia, up Rambla Catalunya and back down to Passeig Del Born, the city has an incredible vibe, with lovers, honeymooners and friends showering each other with presents.

Even if you don’t have anyone to give a gift to, it’s definitely worth a stroll around town, simply to take in the impressive amount of roses, books and people filling the streets.

Although Sant Jordi’s day isn’t officially a Catalan holiday, the majority of offices enjoy a fairly relaxed schedule, while most people are out and about, browsing for gifts and enjoying the atmosphere. Roughly six million roses are sold  and 20 million euros worth of books change hands.

Roses will, of course, be  more expensive than usual on Sant Jordi’s and can range anywhere from between 3-12 euros for a single long stemmed rose.

One important thing to note when buying a rose for a loved one, is to make sure you’ve got the right color. Here’s a few tips to ensure you’re buying the right rose for the right person:

• Yellow Rose – symbolizes friendship
• White rose – symbolizes innocence
• Orange rose – symbolizes passion and desire
• Pink rose – symbolizes happiness
• Red with White roses together -  signify togetherness
• Red Rose – The most common rose remains the single long stemmed red rose, which signifies love.

If you’re not a local and visiting the city during Semana Santa, it’s helpful to check out what’s open on which days, so you can plan your trip accordingly.

Easter in Barcelona celebrates various religious ceremonies and the best way to figure out what’s going on and when, is to find the Church closest to where you’re staying and ask for a schedule. They’ll have a list of the events taking place, as well, they can tell you when masses will be and when the choirs are singing. Check out Barcelona’s Catedral in the Gothic Quarter as well as Santa Maria Del Mar in the Born, two of the bigger Churches both of which are sure to have a lot going on.

As for shops, most are closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, so if you want to browse and buy, Thursday and Saturday are your best bets. Museums and other main attractions should be open on all days, but be sure to check specific websites as schedules during the holidays are quite erratic. Public transport should operate the same, however with fewer buses and subways, so give yourself extra time to commute.

As far as restaurants go definitely call in advance as many restaurants shut down for the entire week. Here are a few which are sure to be open:

El Trobador-c/Enric Grnados, 122

Gran Paris-c/Paris, 196

Tragaluz-c/Ptge. de la Concepcio, 5

Bestial-c/Ramon Tria Fargas, 2-4

Aqua-c/Pg Maritim, 30