BARCELONA: SANT PERE MÀRTIR IN COLLSEROLA

Sant Pere Màrtir mountain in Collserola Park is easily identifiable by the Broadcast Station located at the top. Near this station there is a leisure area, called Font de la Mandra, perfect for a picnic with children after the necessary walk to get to it through the Collserola Park. Besides this walk will offer you fantastic views of Barcelona.

In this leisure area begins El Passeig de les Aigües, a track through Collserola   perfect for running, cycling or walking while enjoying fantastic views of Barcelona, for example, from El Xiprers viewpoint.

Next you have some pictures I took while going to Sant Pere Màrtir leisure area.

Our way to get to Sant Pere Màrtir in Collserola started here

There were more people walking around this area of Collserola in Barcelona

Montjuïc in Barcelona from Collserola near Sant Pere Màrtir

Passeig de les Aigües

Carretera de les Aigües in Barcelona near Sant Pere Màrtir Broadcast Station

Carretera de les Aigües begins here, in Area d'Estada Font de la Mandra

Mirador dels Xiprers

Walking along Carretera de les Aigües from Estada Font de la Mandra you will arrive at Mirador dels Xiprers

Turó de Sant Pere Màrtir 

Sant Pere Màrtir leisure area in Collserola

Plaça Mireia Picnic area in Sant Pere Màrtir

Sant Pere Màrtir Broadcast Station in Barcelona

The particular situation of Sant Pere Màrtir leisure area in Collserola makes it ideal as a starting point for several routes. At the same time, the high situation of the picnic area is a good starting point to routes on Turó d'en Corts, the top of Sant Peter Màrtir (20 min) and Vallvidriera (40 min).

Turó d'en Corts in Collserola

One of the ways to get to Sant Pere Màrtir is from Esplugues de Llobregat. There you have to take the road that leads to Ciudad Diagonal and, finally, to the square Mireia.

Other fantastic parks in Barcelona are:

• Laberint d'Horta Park
• Park Güell
• Ciutadella Park
• Pedralbes Gardens
• Montjuïc - Joan Maragall Gardens
• Montjuïc - Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer Gardens
• Montjuïc - Mirador Gardens
• Montjuïc - Mirador del Migdia Park
• Joan Miró Park
• Cervantes Park and Rose Garden
• Castell de l'Oreneta Park
• Collserola - Bateria Antiaèria Sant Pere Màrtir
• Collserola - Carretera de les Aigües
• Collserola - Pantà de Vallvidrera
• Torreblanca Park in Sant Feliu de Llobregat
• Can Vidalet Park in Esplugues de Llobregat
• Can Mercader Park in Cornellà de Llobregat

Finally, clicking on the following link, you will get more information about other interesting places in Collserola Natural Park.

BARCELONA: SANT POL DE MAR

Sant Pol de Mar is a beautiful town in Catalonia located, on the coast of Barcelona, 50km from Barcelona and 25 km from Blanes, where Costa Brava begins.

It is easily reached by car or train. In fact we went by train because the station is in the town center, next to Les Barques Beach.

Apart from its beaches, I liked walking through its narrow streets and between its small white buildings.

In summer, I think that Sant Pol de Mar it is a fantastic vacation spot, and in spring and autumn, is a great town for spending a nice sunny day walking along its beaches.

Below you can see the places we visited in Sant Pol de Mar:

• Les Barques Beach
• Promenade of Sant Pol de Mar
• La Punta viewpoint
• Les Escaletes Beach
• La Platjola Beach
• Streets of Sant Pol de Mar
• Sant Pau Restaurant (Carme Ruscalleda)
• Sant Pol Beach
• Snack Bar in La Riera Street
• La Casa Restaurant

Les Barques Beach

 Les Barques Beach in Sant Pol de Mar

 Les Barques Beach under a lovely day in Sant Pol de Mar

 

  Church of Sant Pol de Mar from Les Barques Beach

 

 Boats on Les Barques Beach in Sant Pol de Mar

Promenade of Sant Pol de Mar

 

  Les Barques Beach from the promenade of Sant Pol de Mar

  La Punta viewpoint in Sant Pol de Mar

La Punta viewpoint and Les Escaletes Beach

 Les Escaletes Beach from La Punta viewpoint in Sant Pol de Mar

 Mediterranean Sea from La Punta viewpoint in Sant Pol de Mar

La Platjola Beach

 Platjola beach in Sant Pol de Mar behind some beautiful yellow flowers

Streets of Sant Pol de Mar

 The railway station of Sant Pol de Mar is located next to the beach

  

 Typical white buildings in Sant Pol de Mar

City Hall of Sant Pol de Mar

Beautiful place in Sant Pol de Mar

Sant Pau Restaurant (Carme Ruscalleda)

 Sant Pau restaurant in Sant Pol de Mar

 Another picture of Sant Pau restaurant in Sant Pol de Mar

Sant Pol Beach

    

 Sant Pol de Mar beach in Catalonia

   Footprints on Sant Pol de Mar beach

 Sant Pau chapel from Sant Pol de Mar beach

 Checking pictures on Sant Pol de Mar beach

Taking pictures on Sant Pol de Mar beach

Snack Bar in La Riera Street

 Enjoying a drink in La Riera street in Sant Pol de Mar

 This place was really quiet

La Casa Restaurant

 La Casa Restaurant in Sant Pol de Mar (La Riera street), where we enjoyed a succulent meal

 Salmon and tuna brochette with rice, a delicious dish we enjoyed in La Casa Restaurant in Sant Pol de Mar

A last picture of Les Barques beach in Sant Pol de Mar

There are more beautiful places near the city of Barcelona to visit, like for example:

• Castelldefels Beach
• Sitges
• Montserrat Abbey
• Sant Miquel del Fai Abbey
• Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló

Concerning beaches, below you have links of some of the most beautiful beaches in Catalonia:

- Costa Brava beaches

• Blanes
• Tossa de Mar
• Sant Feliu de Guíxols
• S'Agaró
• Platja d'Aro
• Palamós and Sant Antoni de Calonge
• Sa Tuna, Sa Riera and Aiguablava beaches in Begur
• Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell beaches
• Tamariu
• L'Escala, L'Estartit and Les Illes Medes
• Cadaqués, Roses and Empuriabrava
• Port de la Selva Beach

- Costa Daurada beaches

• Barra del Trabucador beach in Delta de l'Ebre
• L'Ametlla de Mar
• Salou beach
• Miami Playa
• Beach beside the Castle of Tamarit
• Beach of Roc de Sant Gaietà

Other fantastic beaches I have visited in Spain and Portugal are:

• Mallorca
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz
• Beaches in  Galicia
• Basque Country - Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián
• Cantabria and Santander
• Alicante

• Beaches in Algarve

Finally, clicking on the next link, you will find links to other beautiful villages and places in Catalonia.

BARCELONA: CASTLE OF CARDONA

The castle of Cardona is made up of a series of structures which are the result of 2,500 years of human occupation of the hill. From its summit, 585 metres high, there is a fantastic view over the basin of the river Cardener and of the salt outcrop of Cardona, a fact which made it uniquely well situated to defend the salt mine of Súria and the salt trade through the Cardener valley.

Castle of Cardona

As it's easily imagined, the views from Cardona Castle are wonderful thanks to its privileged location on the top of a hill

The Castle of Cardona was the residence of the Lords of Cardona during the middle ages. On the right appears the Sant Vicenç collegiate church, a jewel of Catalan Lombard Romanesque

An overview of the external walls of Cardona Castle, where you can see the Tower of La Minyona

Arcade inside the castle of Cardona in Catalonia



In this picture you can see the previous Arcade behind the cloister of the House of Canons inside the Castle of Cardona

Gothic archs of the cloister of the House of Canons inside the Castle of Cardona

Beautiful corner beside the cloister of the House of Canons inside the Castle of Cardona

Overview of the cloister of the House of Canons inside the Castle of Cardona. On the right, the Atrium precedes the entrance to the church

A really well conseved bastion of Cardona Castle in Catalonia

Salt mine of Súria

A view of the well-know salt mines of Suria from Cardona Castle

Views from the Castle of Cardona

A fantastic view of Cardona and surroundings from the Castle

Finally, a panoramic view from the Castle of Cardona

Besides, if you like medieval architecture, clicking on the next links you will find more beautiful castles, villages and fantastic medieval monasteries in Catalonia:

- Medieval castles

• Castle of Miravet
• Castle of Montjuïc in Barcelona

- Medieval villages

• Besalú
• Pals and Peratallada
• Santa Pau

• Beget
• Castellar de N'Hug
• Medieval Villages of La Vall de Boí
• Seu d'Urgell

• Siurana
• Montblanc
• Miravet

• Rupit and Tavertet

- Medieval Monasteries

• Montserrat
• Sant Miquel del Fai
• Sant Pere de Rodes
• Poblet Monastery
• Ripoll Monastery
• Sant Joan de les Abadesses
• Pedralbes Monastery in Barcelona

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find links to other beautiful places in Catalonia.

BARCELONA: GREAT RESTAURANTS

Next I would like to recommend you some nice restaurants where you will enjoy your meal. These restaurants are located next to the most interesting places in Barcelona I have suggested you in previous posts. In all of theses restaurants either I of friends of mine had lunch.

Sagrada Familía

- El Xuletó

Restaurant - Brasserie specializing in grilled meat, paella and fish.

• Address: C/ Sicilia 263
• Phone: 93 457 52 66

Gothic Quarter and La Rambla

- Els Quatre Gats

A high quality restaurant in a modernist building. Here literary gathering took place where the members were modernist writers at the beginning of the 20th century.

Els Quatre Gats restaurant is located in this modernist building next to El Portal del Angel, in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona

• Address: C/ Montsió 3
• Phone: 933 024 140
• Opening time: from 10am to 1am.
• www.4gats.com

- Merce i Vins

Fantastic restaurant of typical catalan and spanish cuisine, although often there are dishes of other cuisines of the world. There is only menu. It's a small restaurant and very often is full, so it's advisable to book before.

• Address: C/ Amargós 1
• Phone: 93 302 60 56
• Opening time: from 9am to 16pm

- Les Quinze Nits

• Address: Plaza Real, 6
• Phone: 93 317 30 75
• Opening time: 13h - 15:45h and 20:30h a 23:30h (opens every day of the year)

- El Consulado

Typical mediterranean cuisine with a cozy and warm decoration.

Warm look of El Consulado Restaurant

• Address: C/ Nou de la Rambla 95 (Metro L3 Paral·lel)
• Phone: 934 419 828
• Opening time: until 24h (friday and saturday until 1am)

Borne

- Pla de la Garza

Great restaurant specialized in catalan cuisine with a wide variety products of the country (cheese, wine, sausages, and so on) located in an old but restored small palace.

• Address: C/ Assaonadors 13
• Phone: 93 315 24 13
• Fax: 93 268 13 20
• Opening time: from 20h to 1h.
• www.pladelagarsa.com

- La Llar del Filador

Good restaurant specialized in fondues.

• Address: C/ Cortines 13 (Metro L1 Arc de Triomf, Renfe Arc de Triomf)
• Phone: 93 315 24 13 / 676 376 046

- Sikkim

High quality restaurant with a beutiful oriental decoration located next to Born Boulevard.

• Address: C/ Plaza Comercial 1 (Metro L1 Arc de Triomf, Renfe Arc de Triomf)
• Phone: 93 268 43 13
• Opening time: from 20:30h to 01:00 (opens every day of the year)

Les Corts

- Quaranta

Fantastic and cozy italian restaurant where you can enjoy delicious dishes

Restaurant Quaranta in Barcelona

• Address: C/Nicaragua, 141 Local 2 (Pasaje Batista i Roca) (Metro L5 Estació de Sants and L3 Les Corts)
• Phone: 93 419 16 10
• Opening time: 13:00 - 16:00 and 20:30 - 23:00h (closed on sunday)
• Website: www.quaranta.es

Hospitalet de Llobregat

- De Angelis

Large and delicious Pizzas and Pasta dishes.

Restaurant De Angelis in Barcelona

• Address: Carretera de Collblanc, 48 - 08903 - L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Metro L5 Collblanc)
• Phone: 934480676
• Email: info@restaurantedeangelis.es
• Website:www.restaurantedeangelis.es/