What a special find... an amphitheater from the 2nd century. It's gorgeous overlooking the…read moreMediterranean Sea.

I toured the Roman Amphitheater during the hottest part of the day and still enjoyed it immensely…read more It was built at the end of the 1st century AD and the start of the 2nd century, AD. It has a long rich..dark history. It was incredible to be able to walk around and experience something from so long ago. I spent about an hour here and learned a lot.

We came for the 8a Get Your Guide tour of Monserrat. We met at the meet-up point (Julia Travel…read moreCenter at the Barcelona Nord bus station, in Barcelona) to checkin for our trip. We met our tour guide Jose Carlos and our driver, Gemma and were on our way. We made a stop at a local train station, exited the motorcoach, and took the scenic train up to Montserrat. Once at Monserrat, we went on a guided tour (equipped with one-ear headphones to hear our tour guide) of the Basilica, viewing the Black Madonna (included with the tour ticket) and having a couple of hours of free time to explore Montserrat with the great instructions provided by Jose Carlos. We hiked up to see the cross, took part in the four liquor tasting (provided with the tour ticket), and saw the "stairway to heaven" a block sculpture with ascending stairs to the sky (thanks to our tour guide Jose Carlos, who gave us directions to where it was...behind the buffet building!) There was an interactive museum on Montserrat ($) as well as a museum ($) with art from Dali, Picasso, just to name a few, and white tents lined the sidewalk with local vendors featuring their local cheese, nuts, and other food items. Montserrat is where you can also see and hear the boy's choir in the Basilica, but that show began at 1p and our tour left at 12.10p (maybe on another visit!) All in all, we enjoyed this scenic, history-filled tour. Jose Carlos was an excellent tour guide, and we appreciated his expertise in all of the details of this tour; Gemma, our bus driver, was pleasant and professional in providing a safe, comfortable drive to and from Montserrat. We highly suggest this tour if you are in Barcelona for a couple of days.

Beautiful monastery, located against the backdrop of the Montserrat mountain where the peaks are…read moreliterally surrounding the monastery. The Cathedral that is at the heart of this monastery is very ornate and gorgeous with classic European craftsmanship from an age gone by clearly visible throughout the cathedral. As beautiful as the monastery is, the elevated views from this location are drop dead gorgeous and worth the trip alone. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, there was a mass going on where they closed viewing of the black Madonna for the day to not be in conflict with the mass which is standard practice. So you need to keep an eye on this if you plan to visit this site. The other negative thing is that the place was slammed with tourist and I felt that the outlying buildings were completely commercialized to sell trinkets to the tourist that visit. I personally am not a fan when places of worship do this, but I do understand that this type of operation probably funds the maintenance and operation of monastery year-round and is probably a necessary evil in this case. All in all, this is one of the main attractions in the Barcelona area and should be included on any itinerary during your visit here. Opportunities to see beauty like this along with it's historical relevance are far few and in between and should be taken advantage of anytime you're given this opportunity.

We visited the Poblet Monastery on our way home back to France from Reus. As a UNESCO World…read moreHeritage site, it is worth visiting for both history and architectural fans. The Poblet Monastery is a Cistercian abbey in Catalonia and one of the largest in Spain. You can visit the grounds and the chapel without a ticket, which is what we did because we had our dogs with us and it was too cold and windy to wait outside while we took turns viewing the interior. The grounds and surrounding walls are very impressive. The price of admission is 11 euros per person. We initially thought that was high but then noticed that aside from it still being a working monastery, it also provides hospitality programs for youth which are onsite.

I treasure UNESCO World Heritage sites, this one was one of my favorites though all are…read moreunforgettable (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/518/). Well preserved Cistercian abbey is an expansive 3 enclosures built from the 12th through the 15th centuries. As amazing as it is, it's not over run with tourists, in some rooms and spaces I was all by myself and it was easy to pretend I was a time traveler. Don't miss the great alabaster altarpiece by Damia Forment (1529). You will also find the tombs of Aragon and Catalonia royalty from the 13th and 14th century. An easy day trip from Barcelona, it is not to be missed, it is incredible. Also, it has one of the best gift shops of any tourist site I've been to.

This site is open air and underground ruins of a Roman chariot racing track, circus area and a…read moretower. It was built in the 1st century AD and probably used through the 5th century. There are long underground tunnels with rooms leading off of the tunnels and lots of stairs going up to the tower area. Plan on walking a lot. It is an amazing site that is in great shape for being so old.

Very nice place to visit - be prepared to walk and climb steps! It costs 1.70€ if you are a…read morestudent, double for non-students. You essentially walk in tunnels underground of what used to be a Roman circus (think more chariots rather than ferris wheels) and there is information in English about what you're looking at. It's self guided and you can take as much time as you need. We spent probably an hour or two walking around and reading. The views from climbing the steps (or taking the elevator) of the town are beautiful! You can see the Amphitheatre and the beach from the top of the lookout. If you're in Tarragona, this is a must see site.

The views are amazing. Don't necessarily need to hit the beach to enjoy the negative ions. Just…read moreenjoy it right from where you stand.

The Balcó del Mediterrani, or "balcony to the Mediterranean," is one of Tarragona's iconic tourist…read moredestinations. It is located at the end of the The Rambla Nova and It showcases amazing coastline. 300 meters long promenade built over the railway on 23 meters cliff offers the best views in town. The vistas overlook the sea, the Roman Amphitheater and kilometres of beaches. Grab the food or at least fresh squeezed orange juice from the restaurants close by and enjoy incredible vistas as long as you can.

Placa de la Font, is the main square at the foot of the old town in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain…read more Close to Rambla Nova, the Town Hall can be found at one end. The outer are edges of the square are adorned by a variety of reasonably priced restaurants including a Chinese, Galateria and various Pasta and Paella restaurants, with seating inside or out, beautiful on a balmy evening. A word of warning, avoid Rufi Restaurant, poor quality food, terrible facilities shared with a constant stream of drug users. The staff are disinterested and unkempt. Hygiene problems are a definite issue in this establishments.the toilets have to be visited to be believed, not clean Placa de la Font Hostal Noria., El huevo Frita, Rufi, cappuccino, Bardela font, Fruit and Veg shop, Tabac, Dancing Shop, Chinese, Toasted sandwich shop, Pharmacia, Gift Shop 2 mins to old town and amphitheatre

Great place for pictures on top of a small hill. The architecture in Spain is magical and this…read morecathedral is nothing less than spectacular.

We are cathedral buffs, and we enjoyed the "no rush" style of the self run tour. Usually, with a…read moreguide, we feel rushed and therefore enjoy it less. Overall, an excellent experience.