Where is the best place to relax in Spain? Barcelona or Costa Brava or?. . Where is the best beach? and got the best answer

Answer from La rosa[guru]
in Barcelona

Answer from 2 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Where is the best place to relax in Spain? Barcelona or Costa Brava or?. . Where is the best beach?

Answer from Serg tihom[guru]
if you need a beach 100-200m wide and + sightseeing in Barcelona (i.e. drive closer),
then I recommend the town of Callela (Calella) - north of Barcelona, ​​40 minutes drive to Barcelona by train.
Buy a BONATREN ticket at the train ticket office - and you will have inexpensive 5 round-trip trips to Barcelona (that is, only 10 trips and a big discount price).
All other beach villages are further away. In the north there is still Malgrat, Tossa. And in the South of Barcelona - Solow is known, but it is a 3-hour drive from Barcelona.

Answer from Filaret[guru]
In Barcelona, ​​​​the city has a large wide beach, but the sea is a little dirtier.

Answer from Marina Anatolievna[guru]
in Salou, silky golden sand, excellent beaches, near PortAventura.. . and Barca is only 110 km, an hour by train

Answer from Prischepka[expert]
The best beaches on the islands of course! Mallorca is heaven on earth! I'm flying there myself next week 🙂 Ibiza is also good, but people fly there to hang out and it's insanely expensive there... And from Mallorca you can get to Barcelona, ​​and to Ibiza if you want! Ferries run regularly plus domestic flights are inexpensive. A friend was vacationing on the Costa Brava, she didn’t like it at all ... too crowded and feels like Türkiye. It's always better on the islands 🙂

Mediterranean Europe is an absolutely stunning travel destination. On the one hand, this is an opportunity to visit European cities and see the sights, and on the other hand, to pay tribute to a beach holiday. Agree that if you are traveling for 2 weeks, then such a program will most likely appeal to all participants in the trip.

Today we will talk about how to plan a similar trip to Spain, and more specifically, we will consider the route Barcelona - Mallorca, combining two of the most popular places in Spain.

In terms of popularity among our compatriots, Spain has long been in the top three along with Turkey and Bulgaria. And no wonder, the Spanish coast is famous for its beaches. In 2012, Spain ranked 1st in terms of the number of Blue Flags received, a quality mark awarded annually the best beaches peace.

Spanish beaches stretch along the entire coast from Barcelona to Malaga. When buying a ticket, our tourist usually naively believes that having settled somewhere in the Tarragona region, he will easily visit all the interesting things that are in Catalonia, and at the same time drive him to Valencia - they say, how much that Spain is there!

Don't fool yourself. After the first tedious (2 hours by train, a whole day on foot in the heat in the city and 2 hours back) excursion to Barcelona, ​​you will say that well, these sights to hell, we’d better lie down on the beach. Or, if we really want to see something, we will buy an excursion from a tour operator - they will pick it up, take it, bring it back. Expensive, but not so hard, especially for children.

As a result, instead of a trip to Europe, you, in fact, get the same Turkey, but with a Spanish accent. It's a shame.

Planning a trip to Spain

In order not to be “excruciatingly painful” for the money spent and lost impressions, we will try to refuse to buy a tour and plan the trip ourselves. We will omit the technical details about, and, we will omit - our other articles are devoted to these issues, and let's talk about how to combine a full-fledged excursion program in Barcelona with an equally full-fledged beach holiday.

First, we are looking for a hotel in the city. Do not try to kill two birds with one stone, arguing that 20-30 minutes on the train is nonsense. Not nonsense! Even if the trip is very short, it is psychologically difficult to make several trips a day, which means that you will go to Barcelona as if you were going to work - there in the morning, back in the evening - do you need it? Trust me, it makes a big difference. If you know that at any time you can return to the hotel to change, relax, leave your shopping bag - you never know! - this allows you to relax, not to check the train schedule and not put an end to night events. To select a hotel in Barcelona, ​​you can use the hotel map below:

If you are going to Spain for a week, then take 2 days to walk around Barcelona. Devote another 2 days to long-distance excursions - to the Montserrat Monastery, to Girona and Figueres or to Port Aventura. Special tourist buses run there regularly from Barcelona, ​​and it is more convenient to get to Port Aventura by train. After the trip, return to the hotel, relax, have dinner, walk around the evening city.

Do not rush to the beach - the second half of your holiday will be devoted to the sea.

From Barcelona to Mallorca

Of the more than 500 Blue Flags received by Spain, 40 belong to the beaches of Mallorca - a solid contribution to the country's reputation, isn't it? Mallorca's beaches are really good: white sand, palm trees and crystal clear water. No wonder holidays in Mallorca are considered prestigious, and its 5-star hotels are often chosen by stars and celebrities for holidays.

Again, we will provide you with the choice of a hotel in Mallorca. And there is plenty to choose from, the whole island is a huge resort. You can live in the city, or you can choose a beach hotel, but given that the "city" part of the trip has already taken place, we would recommend a hotel on the coast. By the way, many of them work on an all-inclusive basis. To select a hotel in Mallorca, you can use the hotel map below:

How to get from Barcelona to Mallorca? There is a ferry from Barcelona - it's 6-7 hours on the way and 60-70 euros one way. In our opinion, it is long and expensive, so we recommend flying by plane. There are many flights, the choice is large.

One of the airlines serving this route is the Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling (Vueling or Vueling, as we often call it). They make from 5 to 9 flights a day, starting from 7 am to 10 pm. Fly from Barcelona to Mallorca in 50 minutes.

Since Vyuling is a low-cost airline, be prepared for the fact that you will have to pay extra for choosing a seat in the cabin (if this is important for you) and limit your luggage to 23 kilograms. You will also need to pay extra for checking in luggage, and it’s cheaper to do it online; for checking in luggage at the airport, they charge 35 euros. But as hand luggage, you can take a bag or suitcase weighing 10 kg into the cabin.

As usual, minor payment troubles common to all low-cost airlines are compensated by an excellent price for a flight: the most cheap airfare Barcelona - Mallorca will cost 35 euros one way. For large families (from 3 children) Vueling provides a 5% discount.

You can buy tickets from Barcelona to Mallorca on the official website of Vueling Airlines: . The site is Russified.

By the way, Vueling offers both direct flights from Domodedovo to Palma de Mallorca, and not expensive tickets to Barcelona.

Have a nice holiday in Spain!

Article author: Katya Kim

I travel and write about travel. I don’t use the services of travel agencies, I don’t like sights that everyone “must visit”, I don’t talk about “resorts with developed infrastructure”. I share my experience on how to travel on my own.

Thousands of tourists from year to year choose Spain for a long-awaited vacation with the whole family. Before them the question arises: where is it better to relax? Fabulous Barcelona beckons with its Gothic buildings, museums and shops. Mallorca teases with beautiful landscapes, beaches, nature reserves and ancient castles. To make a choice, you need to know about the features of recreation in these resort centers in Spain.

The first thing that comes to mind at the mention of Barcelona is the famous architectural monuments of this city. Sagrada Familia (Sagrada Familia) became the life work of Antonio Gaudi, who declared a taboo to straight lines in architecture. In addition to this grandiose building in Barcelona, ​​​​many other of his brainchildren. They forever changed its appearance and made it unlike any other European city.

But in the capital of Mallorca, Palma, there are also unique buildings in the Gothic style. The Cathedral also did not go unnoticed by Gaudí during its reconstruction. The appearance of Palma was affected by the influence of the Arabs. A vivid example of this is the fortress of Almudaina.

History buffs will love Barcelona. It has many museums: historical, military, art. Many of them are located in medieval buildings. There are also favorites for tourists: the Gaudi Museum, Picasso, the Egyptian Museum, the Spanish Village complex.

Palma also has museums. Some are located in private medieval houses. The City Historical Museum is located in the only round Gothic palace in Europe, Bellver.

If architectural sights are more to the liking of adults and teenagers, then little travelers will like the aquarium in Barcelona. Thanks to the tunnel through the huge Oceanarium, you can see the life of underwater inhabitants from the inside.

In the vicinity of Barcelona there are 8 water parks, the nearest one is 30 minutes away. They have entertainment and attractions for all ages, both for adults and children.

Mallorca also boasts the presence of several water parks, there is also a zoo, an aquarium.
Beach holidays are the main goal of many tourists. Barcelona has many beaches for relaxing family vacation, and for youth with noisy discos. In most cases, they are crowded, have a developed infrastructure for entertainment and games.

Mallorca has over 80 white sandy beaches with turquoise waters. They encircle the island around the perimeter. In most cases this sandy beaches, there are calm bays, protected from waves and wind. The most popular among young people and surfers is Magaluf with its wild nightlife and discos. For families with children more suitable: Palma Nova with a gentle entrance to the sea, Paguera, Santa Ponsa, Alcudia, Cala d'Or.

Ancient quarters, interesting museums, iridescent mosaics, Mediterranean cuisine, gorgeous beaches - these are just some of the reasons why you should visit Spain!
As always, my husband and I planned our trip to Spain long before the trip and, of course, on our own. We have not used the services of travel agencies for a long time, as we prefer to develop routes and choose hotels ourselves. Yes, and preparing for the next trip is an extremely exciting thing.
This was our first trip to Spain (usually we choose Asian countries). But this time we were practically persuaded to choose Spain, and we did not regret it. Warm sea, amazing beautiful landscapes, an abundance of fruits, cheeses and jamon, as well as the friendliness of the local population made our stay excellent.

Barcelona

Barcelona

Tickets were bought a few months before departure. The choice was this: either expensive tickets for a direct flight from St. Petersburg to Barcelona, ​​or cheap tickets with transfers. We are not looking for easy ways, besides we travel quite often, so we chose tickets through Helsinki and with a transfer in Riga. AirBaltic airline tickets came out cheap (about 15,000 rubles per person in both directions with a flight from Helsinki), but they had their limitations: luggage was paid separately (we flew with hand luggage), and you had to register online. If you do not check in online, you will have to pay additional fees when you check in at the airport. Hotels in Mallorca were booked almost six months in advance, since in the summer good hotels There is a very high demand here.

Embankment

Travel itinerary to Spain

Two weeks flew by. Five days were allotted for Barcelona. We did not try to cover as much as possible in one trip to Barcelona. After all, in the Catalan capital there are so many interesting places: cathedrals, basilicas, monuments, beautiful squares and narrow streets! And I want to consider everything, without hurrying anywhere. In addition, the suburbs of Barcelona: Figueres, Girona, Sitges - also attract tourists from all over the world.
For the first visit, we determined that we definitely want to visit the Gothic Quarter, see the Sagrada Familia by the great architect Antoni Gaudí, climb Mount Montjuic, walk along the main Las Ramblas, look at the Boqueria market and, of course, visit one of the most popular parks in the world entertainment - Port Aventura.

Most of all, I like to combine dynamic holidays in big cities and the tranquility of a beach holiday in one trip. This time we chose the Spanish pearl - Mallorca, and managed to live on two opposite parts of the island. So, first things first!

Spanish market

The trip was strictly planned by day, and we did not deviate from the plan. Briefly describing our journey, here is what happens:
1 day: departure to Finland. Since we have a Finnish Schengen, a trip through Finland was beneficial for us (we didn’t have to go there specially). So, early in the morning we took a bus from St. Petersburg to Helsinki Airport (we ordered a transfer). On an evening flight we flew from Helsinki to Riga. We had to spend 6 hours at the Riga airport, during which time we had dinner and even slept a little. In the morning we were already in Barcelona, ​​tired, but with the anticipation of a great holiday.
2 day: Barcelona met us with great weather! In the afternoon we checked into an apartment booked in advance on booking.com. Despite being tired, after checking in, we immediately went for a walk around the city. And the first sight on our way was the Sagrada Familia.

Sagrada Familia

Then we went for a walk along the famous Rambla, looked into the shops along the way, visited the old Boqueria market. And late in the evening we managed to go to shopping mall Arena.

Arena in Barcelona

3 day spent in the amusement park Port Aventura and the water park. And it was a very emotional day!

Port Aventura

Day 4 We didn't plan it ahead of time. We just went for a walk in the city center. And we found an amazing place - Citadel Park.

Barcelona

We walked along the old streets of the Gothic quarter and, of course, could not pass by the Picasso Museum.

Picasso Museum

Day 5 On a morning flight, we flew from Barcelona to a heavenly place - Mallorca. We took a taxi to the hotel, located at the westernmost point of the island. Sant Elm is a picturesque and peaceful place for a beach holiday.
6, 7, and 8 days we spent at the beautiful hotel Universal Aquamarin & Aquavilla. The main attractions of Sant Elm are the beautiful beach, walking along several streets and amazing cuisine at the hotel.

Day 9 In the morning we packed up and took a taxi to the eastern part of the island of Mallorca - the small town of Porto Colom. Here is located popular with tourists sand beach Cala Marsal.
9 - 11 days we lived in the JS Cape Colom hotel, located among the picturesque cliffs. His calling card is an observation platform on the top floor, from where a breathtaking view opens. The hotel has an all-inclusive system, but the kitchen was not at all pleased. But I was very pleased with the presence of a good tennis court, the use of which was included in the price. Please note that this hotel is adults only. And rightly so, since the beach near the hotel is very peculiar, entering the sea is by stairs from a cliff.
Day 12 In the morning we moved to a hotel in the capital of the island - Palma de Mallorca. Here we spent only a day. On the first day we saw the main sights of the city - Cathedral And central square and Bellver Castle.

Day 13 In the morning we walked along the main square of Palma de Mallorca, devoted a couple of hours to shopping. After lunch we flew to Barcelona. We spent a romantic evening in Barcelona in one of the restaurants in the Gothic Quarter.

Seafood in Spain at every turn

Day 14 The last full day in Barcelona was very eventful. In the morning we went to the Laberinte d'Orta park, located next to the hotel where we were staying.

Barcelona

Then we went to the center, planned to visit the great creation of Gaudi - Casa Batllo. But due to the huge queue, we postponed his visit until the next trip to Spain. Instead, on cable car we got to the famous castle of Montjuic, admired the beauty of the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, walked around the Olympic village, and even had lunch in the cafe of the Olympic stadium.

Barcelona Olympic Park

Also on this day we saw Spain in miniature at Poble Espanyol. This so-called Spanish village was actually just a large cluster of overpriced outlets and restaurants.

spanish village

We spent the evening, of course, in our already beloved Gothic Quarter.
Day 15 In the morning we stocked up on cheese / jamon in the shops closest to the hotel. In the evening we flew to Riga. It turned out that on this very day - August 13 - Riga celebrates the day of the city. We hardly found our small hotel, had a delicious dinner at a local restaurant (the food seemed insanely delicious to us compared to Spanish). We did not go to the square to watch the fireworks, as we were tired and did not want to freeze.
Day 16 In the morning we walked along the central streets of Riga, looked at all the disgrace that was happening on the streets after the celebration of the city day. After lunch we flew to Helsinki, from where we finally got to St. Petersburg by evening bus.

Prices in Spain

Holidays in Spain left a lot of positive emotions. What I especially liked was the general goodwill and openness of the Spaniards. And their language is just music to my ears! I even wanted to learn it in order to understand not only the well-known ones - “gracias”, “ola”, “buenos dias”, etc.

Barcelona from the observation deck

Of course, during the trip, we involuntarily compared holidays in Spain with Asian countries that we managed to visit. And everywhere there are pluses and minuses. The biggest disadvantage of Spain is the rather high prices for food, transportation, souvenirs, excursions. But it's all in comparison! But the key to a good trip is not to compare with the previous vacation. But planning independent travel to Spain, take more money! The average bill in a cafe is 30-60 Euros for two without alcohol, a taxi around the city is 10-20 Euros, entrance tickets, for example, to Aventura Park - 47 Euros per person.

A little about food

The only thing we were a little disappointed in Spain was the local food. Perhaps because of too high expectations. Before the trip, we read that Spanish cuisine can be considered one of the main attractions of the country, it is so good. We had lunch and dinner in many restaurants of different price ranges, from cheap cafes to a famous restaurant in Mallorca. But they didn't enjoy it much. Paella, gazpacho, tapas (various appetizers), chorizo ​​- it's all, of course, delicious! But after a few days, I want something completely different. This does not apply to our beloved brie cheese, jamon and, of course, sangria!

Spanish salad

When it comes to holidays in Mallorca, here everyone can find something to their liking. Either calm beach holiday and an evening promenade along the local streets (as, for example, in Sant Elm), or unbridled fun for young people in the Arenal resort.
In a short time of travel we saw a large number of sights of Barcelona, ​​rested on the famous island Spain and even managed to see Riga a little. We will start our next trip to Spain from Madrid, and then we would like to see Seville, Zaragoza, Valencia, and the island of Tenerife. But even in Barcelona, ​​we didn’t see all the sights, besides, we want to visit the Port Aventura amusement park again.

The largest of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca, washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. His geographical location contributed to the fact that at different times the island was owned by the Arabs, then the Carthaginians, then the Greeks. Mallorca is now part of Spain.

As soon as the island is called by those who have visited it and loved it forever - and perfect place for sailing, and paradise, and the best beach resort.

If you are fed up with the noisy, many-sided Barcelona and have studied its sights, it's time to expand your borders and go further to Mallorca. In our article, we will tell you how to get from Barcelona to Mallorca and back and how to get from Palma de Mallorca Airport to the city center.

Distance from Barcelona to Mallorca- 203 km.

How can you get to the island? Of course, by sea. From Barcelona to Mallorca and back daily ferries run two companies Balearia and Acciona. Departure time from Barcelona at 23:00 - arrival in Mallorca at 06:30. From Mallorca to Barcelona, ​​ferries leave at 12:30, arriving at 19:45. There are other flights - choose the appropriate time.

Ticket price one way for seats - from $121 in the hot August season, you can buy them right at the port of Barcelona (or Mallorca) just before shipping. You can book a ticket online, for example, through the website.

It is not difficult to do this - just enter the necessary data in the window on the left: from where and where you are sailing, the number of people, the date of the trip. The system also asks if you need a car and if you need a ticket back (or only one way). Finally, having seen the proposed ferry raids, you can choose the right one and pay for tickets online (bank cards are accepted for payment). Don't forget to print the email you received. e-ticket!

Redemption of "cabin" places is possible, for a night's rest. If you decide to immediately buy a round trip ticket, there is a chance to get a significant discount. On the ferry, you can not only enjoy the beautiful views floating overboard, but also listen to music, watch a movie, sit in a bar with a glass of cocktail.

Vacationers, for the most part, are very satisfied with ferry trips:

• Many people praise the cabins and overnight stays, speaking positively about the comfortable stay and delicious food served on board.
• Others say that sailing on the ferry is easy and pleasant. In addition, everything went without delay and clearly on schedule.
• Still others mention that the deck is very clean, the seats are comfortable, and the staff is polite, employees help to get on board, bring luggage.

Cruise Barcelona - Mallorca

Now more and more often choose short cruises on mediterranean sea. The amenities on the liner are the same as in an expensive hotel, and the atmosphere is romantic and mysterious.

For example, lasting 4 days will allow you to see several seaside cities. All day the liner will stay in a picturesque bay, you can have a good time, swim and sunbathe, and all transfers are carried out at night.

Thus, you significantly save on hotel and ground transportation.

For those who are not afraid to fly and want to save time by leaving it to explore unexplored places, there is a great option to travel from Barcelona to Mallorca and back by plane. Travel time is from 45 minutes to 1 hour - agree, this is quite a bit.

Ticket price also very sparing - about 30 euros one way. There are plenty of airlines offering their services for flights from Barcelona to Mallorca and back, among them are Vueling, Air Europa, Air France, Iberia, Air France, Niki, Ryanair, etc.

Flights operate daily from 7 am to 10 pm, so choosing the time that suits you and booking tickets is not difficult. We advise you to opt for trusted low-cost airlines (for example, Iberia or Vueling) - tickets are inexpensive and travel time is less than an hour.

List of airlines flying to Mallorca and the approximate cost of tickets (August, one way for one passenger):

Iberia	from 37 euro
Ryanair, Vueling	from 19 euro
Air Europe	from 47 euro
Niki	from 217 euros
british airways	from 230 euros
Air France	from 234 euros
Swiss Air	from 257 euros
germanwings	from 261 euros

And now a few words about where and how to buy a plane ticket from Barcelona to Mallorca and back. The most convenient way is to use Internet services that specialize in finding tickets for specified conditions (route, dates, fares).

We advise you to pay attention, for example, to aviasales.ru. On the main page, it is enough to enter the point of departure and arrival, the date of the flight, the number of passengers and the class (economy, business, etc.). The search engine will select all possible flights, and you, in turn, choose the one that suits you in terms of time and price by going to the seller’s website (as a rule, the sellers are the air carriers themselves - Ryanair, Vueling, Iberia, etc.).

Further - it is quite simple, it is enough to check everything again and pay online (bank cards are accepted for payment). An e-ticket will be sent to the mail you specified, which must be printed before the flight and presented at the airport.

Barcelona-Majorca: by ferry or plane?

Often, travelers are faced with the question, what is better to use to get from Barcelona to Mallorca and back, by ferry or by plane?

Ferry fares more expensive than by plane. Travel time also varies - by plane 40 minutes-1 hour, and by ferry about 7 hours 30 minutes. So, if you are running out of time, you should choose a plane.

If there are plenty of free days left, and you are not afraid of seasickness, you can safely take ferry tickets and enjoy the seascape and the bright sun. However, we note that it makes sense to go by ferry to Palma de Mallorca for more than one day. True, there is also a “combined option”: sail to Mallorca by ferry, fly back to Barcelona by plane.

How to get from Palma de Mallorca airport to city center

Palma de Mallorca Airport (or Son San Juan Airport) is 8 km from the city centre. You can get from the airport to the center and back by taxi or public transport.

Bus number 17 takes you from the airport to the city center for 3 euros. And by bus number 1 - from the airport to Plaza España and the port for 2.5 euros. Movement interval public transport- 15-20 minutes.

If you want to travel with great comfort and not tire yourself waiting for the bus, you can take taxi or rent a car.

It is more convenient to order a taxi by phone or online, through the official websites of companies. A trip from Palma de Mallorca airport to the city center will cost you 30-40 euros (depending on the location of your hotel).

Taxi in Palma de Mallorca

It is most convenient to order a taxi on a Russian-language service, where you can clarify your wishes and choose a car class. The prices for taxis and transfers in Mallorca are reasonable. Use:

• KiwiTaxi (transfer cost from 42 euros)
• (from 10 euros for shuttle bus transfer)

Car rental in Mallorca

Another option for moving from Palma de Mallorca Airport to the city center and back is by renting a car. Rental services are provided directly at the airport.

You can see all the offers of international and local car rental companies, find free cars and book online on the website