Winging It: Barcelona
DO: Barcelona carnival, 27 February – 3 MarchBarcelona doesn't really need a dedicated carnival, as every day in the Catalonian capital is fiesta time. But f
Barcelona doesn't really need a dedicated carnival, as every day in the Catalonian capital is fiesta time. But for a few days at the end of February, the city properly lets its hair down to celebrate the start of Lent – think hotdog eating competitions, dancing in the street and general debauchery. If you fancy escaping the Barca crowds, Sitges, around half an hour south of the city, also holds its carnival over the same days, and is just as loud and proud.
Down on the iconic Barcelona beachfront, the W Barcelona overlooks both the city and the Med. In true W style it's also got a top restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef at the helm, a hip rooftop bar and a pool surrounded by loungers and cabanas – and it's the only hotel with direct access to Barcelona's beautiful beach. You don't really want to stay on touristy and over-populated Las Ramblas, right?
Wander: Eixample
We mainly like this place for its confusing mix of vowels. The Eixample, translated as 'the expansion', is an area of central Barca known for its vast amounts of modernist architecture (you know the Sagrada Familia, right?), tree-lined avenues and neighbourhood restaurants, bisected by the famous Passeig de Gràcia. Head to Taranna cafe for vintage furniture and beer, and then onto an outdoor cafe crawl after dark – it'd be rude not to.
