We will be flying into Barcelona and are 2 adults with 2 teens who love nature, hiking, culture and history, and then some beach time at the end. We will have a rental car. So far this is what we have booked. I would appreciate any advice and comments. We will spend 2 nights in Barcelona at Casa Camper. Is it worth the money? Then we are planning to do some hiking up north. I'm not sure what the best town is for accessing hiking, but I booked Hotel Vol Fosca in Los Molinos. I then booked 4 nights at the beach where we will take day trips at Hotel Hostalillo Tamiriu in Tamariu for 4 nights. We will then have 2 nights in Barcelona at the end. I'm worried that we are not covering enough ground and not seeing enough. Yet, I find that too much running around is not pleasant either. I would love any suggestions, comments or modifications. Also, I would love a suggestion in Barcelona for the last 2 nights. Many thanks.
Posted by
Used to be Steilacoom, now it’s Las Vegas
2202 posts
How nice to hear about a trip that sounds like a true vacation. You may not have seen as much as others, but you'll probably know Spain better than the rest of us. Enjoy!
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thank you Patty. Any other suggestions?
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Casa Camper got a flurry of press and industry attention when it first opened years ago. I see it is still #2 on Tripadvisor for Barcelona with 85% of reviewers giving it 5 out of 5 - so I guess it must be doing something right. I have looked inside but not stayed there, and it does look fabulous. Is it worth it? I would say so, if you can afford it. I don't know much about hiking the Pyrenees, but it is a L-O-N-G drive from Molinos to Tamiriu on the coast, which by the way is beautiful. For the last 2 nights I would suggest a more traditional hotel in Eixample as contrast to the funky Casa Camper in Raval.
Alma http://www.almabarcelona.com/
Olivia http://www.oliviabalmeshotel.es/
Majestic http://www.hotelmajestic.es/es
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
One idea for hiking is to start at St. Jean Pied de Port (just on the French side of the border from Pamplona) and hike a little of the pilgrimage route toward Santiago de Compostela, maybe between there and Pamplona. If that seems like a good idea, I'd probably train to Zaragosa then rent a car and stop at Olite to tour the great castle there on the way.
If you don't want to venture that far out of Barcelona, or that's too much hiking, you can spend a day at Montserrat. A rental car will give you as much time as you want to hike, but there are one day bus tours that take you and bring you back for pretty cheap. The monastery is worth seeing but the mountain is covered with hiking trails. I'm sure there's lodging close to there, so you could spend two days if you like.
Best beaches in the area are Costa Bravo beaches north of Barcelona. For about 7 euro you can train to Arenys de Mar or similar town and spend a couple of days there.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Hotel Hostalillo Tamiriu in Tamariu that you mention is indeed on the Costa Brava (not Bravo).