Where locals relax — and where visitors go

What visitors choose

First-timers follow a clear arc through the landmarks: Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Montjuïc with MNAC, and a slow walk across the Gothic Quarter. The day often ends at Barceloneta Beach for that “I touched the Mediterranean” moment. It’s a beautiful route because it gathers the essentials: architecture, views, old streets, and sea.

What locals pick inside the city

When someone who lives here takes a day off in Barcelona, their map looks different.
• Sea with more space. Locals head to the long, open sands of Castelldefels–Gavà Mar. There’s room to breathe, cafés by the shore, and an easy rhythm for families. Another simple option is Badalona: close to town, calmer than the central beaches, and good for a quick reset.
• Green over spectacle. Instead of the busiest viewpoints, people choose lived-in parks: Parc de Cervantes with its lawns and roses or the gardens by Pedralbes. These places feel residential and quiet.
• City from above. The balcony-like trail under Tibidabo — Carretera de les Aigües — runs along the hillside with open views across the entire city. A few steps more and you’re in Collserola Natural Park: pines, dirt paths, and that mountain stillness that changes your breathing.

When locals leave the city

On free days, many residents flip the script: less city, more nature. They step out — to the coast or to the hills.
• Coastline escapes. Castelldefels–Gavà Mar and Sitges are classic choices: long sand, space between umbrellas, and enough cafés to make a full day effortless. South along the Costa Daurada you’ll find gentle beaches and family-friendly towns; north toward the Costa Brava the water clears and coves appear between rocks and pines.
• Catalan mountains. The mountains pull like a magnet. People drive or take a train toward ranges such as Collserola just behind the city, or out to well-known massifs like Montseny or Montserrat. Trails weave through oak and pine, climb to viewpoints, loop past small hermitages, and return along ridgelines with wind and sky for company. It’s common to spend a few hours walking a marked path, then linger over a long lunch in a village before heading back.

Trails that locals actually walk

Ask for “a nice path” and you’ll hear about simple, satisfying routes:
• Hillside traverses above the city with wide views and easy footing.
• Forest loops inside Collserola where shade, birds, and resin-scented air reset the mood.
• Short summit walks in the Catalan ranges that reward you with a chapel, a tower, or a cliff-edge panorama.

These aren’t epic expeditions. They’re everyday escapes — the kind that fit into a morning or an afternoon and still feel like a small journey.

If you follow the local logic 

Keep the icons if it’s your first time — they’re worth seeing. Then give yourself one day that leans toward the landscape. 

• Choose a shoreline outside the center when you want ease and space. 

• Choose the hills when you want air, quiet, and a different view of Barcelona’s outline. 

 Both choices still belong to the city; they simply tune the day to a different frequency.

Shooting with me: beach, city, or mountains

I’m a photographer and videographer in Barcelona and Catalonia. I love taking clients beyond the postcard — into places where the light and the setting shape the story.
• Beach sessions: Castelldefels–Gavà Mar, Sitges, and small coves up the coast.
• City-plus-nature days: parks in Pedralbes or Cervantes combined with a hillside walk for skyline frames.
• Mountain stories: Collserola for easy trails close to town; day trips to ranges like Montseny or Montserrat for wilder scenery.

Before we shoot, I prepare a tailored route map and creative plan that fits your pace and style — family session, couple’s story, engagement or pre-wedding. You’ll know where we’re going, how the scenes connect, and what each location can give on camera. The goal is simple: images and video that keep the feeling of your day — the reason you came to the sea and the hills in the first place.