
Catalonia Vacations
Hiking Vacations | Family Adventures
Story of Barcelona

It's quite incredible to think that Barcelona was something of a forgotten backwater until 1992. Then the Olympics happened, low-cost airlines happened and now it become a bit of a poster child for overtourism.
Except, that's not quite how we see the city.
Barcelona is a grand old city, whose culture has shifted and morphed for thousands of years. There is, somehow, an unbroken line of humanity running between the four remaining Roman columns of the Augustus Temple and its annual Sonar Techno music festival.
In between Emperor Augustus and the Pet Shop Boys are 2,000 years of humans trying to express their beliefs and aspirations through architecture and art. This evolution is brought to life in the streets...


Barcelona was the most significant hub for Mediterranean trade during the medieval period, a time when, despite being such a tiny region, Catalan was the second most widely spoken language, after Arabic, around the Mediterranean. The extent of the wealth generated by this trade is evident in the streets of the Gothic quarter of the city, centred around the enormous cathedral
The elegant columns and vaults of the cathedral and the stained glass windows of Santa MarĆa del Mar church are relics of a time when churches and palaces were symbols of great Aragónese power. In the open avenues of the adjacent Eixample neighbourhood, the booming Catalan bourgeoisie choose to express their modernity and wealth with GaudĆ's Art Nouveau style.
The 20th century brought Picasso's cubism and Miró's colour to Barcelona and ended with an explosion of urban remodelling and contemporary art and architecture precipitated by the 1992 Olympic games. Strolling through the Port area or visiting the Contemporary Art Museum starts to give the city this sense of ordered development.


Yes thereās the Sagrada Familia, the seafront and the views from Montjuic. Frankly, you donāt really need us for those. But Barcelona's constant changes leave a mark on the city's faƧade, sometimes in a way so subtle that only a local guide can reveal them.
If we can share it all with you, let us know.
You'll find a couple of ideas below to get you started.
Around Catalonia: Drive & Explore Vacation
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$3,350 pp
- 12 days
Self Drive
Around Catalonia: Drive & Explore Vacation
When: Mar-Nov
Guide Price: $3,350 per person
Guide Duration: 12 days (can be made longer or shorter)
From storied city street to Pyrenees peak; forested volcanic cone to sunny sea cove, we present Catalonia's greatest hits, entwined with its trademark hospitality.
Walking Highlights of the Pyrenees: Bay of Biscay to Costa Brava
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$4,900 pp
- 17 days
Self Drive
Walking Highlights of the Pyrenees: Bay of Biscay to Costa Brava
When: Apr-Jun; Sep-Oct
Guide Price: $4,900 per person
Guide Duration: 17 days (can be made longer or shorter)
Our greatest walking vacation along the Spanish Pyrenees, from the Basque Country to Catalonia, and from fishing villages to deserts, high mountain peaks to beech forest.
Great Road Trips: Spain's Month of Wonders
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$9,600 pp
- 31 days
Self Drive
Great Road Trips: Spain's Month of Wonders
When: Apr-Jun; Sep-Nov
Price: $9,600 per person
Duration: 31 days
Everything we love about Spain in four epic weeks on the road. Let us immerse you in its cultures and cuisines, tales and trails, on a journey tailored to you.
Travel with Pura Aventura
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