Golf Holidays Breaks in Barcelona, Spain

The first data in the history of Barcelona come from the first human remains in the area, which dates back to 2500 BC, and the existence of a first settlement is between 2000 and 1500 BC. Until the fourth century BC, there were two Iberian settlements in the area: one in Monte do Taber, whose name is unknown and which was called by historians in different ways - Barcilo, Barcinom or Barkeno - and which may be the origin of the term Barcelona;

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, Barcelona became one of the cities where the modernist movement developed with more strength and personality. Painters, artists and architects left a mark on the city that forever underlined the idiosyncrasy of Barcelona. The city was fortunate to have, among its children, the brilliant and immortal Antoni Gaudí, the greatest exponent of Catalan modernism.

Currently, Barcelona is a modern, open and tolerant city, transformed, on its own merits, into a cosmopolitan capital that has everything a city can dream of: good weather, sea, beach, port - which receives the largest number of cruises in Europe, a modern airport, fair and congress centres and some of the best golf courses in Europe.

Where to Stay in Barcelona during your Golf Holidays

Barcelona is a stunning city, full of historical monuments and unique places for a dream vacation. Among all the important points, we highlight the 7 regions that you should not miss at all, the Eixample, Gothic Quarter, Vila de Gràcia, Born, El Raval, Barceloneta and Las Ramblas where charming hotels, such as, Double Tree by Hilton Barcelona Golf Hotel **** a stylish hotel with a spa and hydromassage pool, sensation showers, toning pools, foot baths, a Finnish sauna, Scottish shower and Turkish baths. There is also a gym, and a range of treatments, including the Vichy showers, chocotherapy, vinotherapy and cava therapy.

The Hotel Sant Cugar **** located on the Rambla del Celler, close to the Town Hall at just 50 metres away from the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat station within 300 metres of the auditorium and the monastery, in the Sant Cugat area and with a stunning avant-garde style. The lounge area offers space, comfort and striking style. The guest rooms are superbly appointed, offering unprecedented comfort and style. The hotel offers many exemplary facilities and services, ensuring an unforgettable stay for every type of traveller.

Where to play golf in Barcelona during your Golf Holidays

The downtown area is always the best point to stay for the easy access to the 7 golf courses;
1) Barcelona Golf Course, laid out over a rather hilly terrain on the edge of the Penedes wine-growing region to the northwest of Barcelona, created by José Maria Olazábal and opened in 1990. Surrounded by nature and charm, Club de Golf Barcelona is a brief of calm and peace next to the lively city of Barcelona.

2) Llavaneras Golf Course, with a privileged location just 30 minutes from Barcelona and 45 minutes from the Costa Brava, facing the Mediterranean Sea and where sun, gastronomy, culture and Barcelona merge together.

3) Montanya Golf Course, located only 35 minutes from Barcelona Airport and 45 minutes from Girona Airport by car, designed by David Thomas and opened in 1989. The 18 holes, at Montanya golf course, has environmental biodiversity rich in fauna and flora.

4) Terramar Golf Course, is considered a gem both for its design and its location, next to the Mediterranean Sea, hides in its beautiful journey several challenges for all levels of golf players. Demanding, with not very large but moved, Greens, some of them with double falls and palpable distress when they become fast, as well as a rigorous rough compose a full cocktail of obstacles.

5) Real Club de Golf El Prat, located 25 minutes away from Barcelona, boasts two championship courses, the Pink and the Yellow Course. Founded in 1912 the prestigious Club hosted 10 editions of the European Tour Spanish Open.

6) Vallromanes Golf Course, a prestigious and renowned golf course designer Mr F.W. Hawtree of the MEMBERS BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS, made the design, construction and monitoring of the works of the 18 holes.

7) La Roca Golf Course, very versatile design and in which the sun abounds practically in all tees and greens, with 18 flat holes that can be plaid without the need of a buggy and with different attractions to live and rediscover every time.

The best way for playing these magnificent golf courses at a very reasonable price is with the Barcelona Golf Passport, for 3 or 5 rounds.

What to do in Barcelona during your Golf Holidays

Being Barcelona a city with so much history and culture, it is very easy to visit as in every corner we find something that we marvel at.

To not lose:
1) Essential Museums
With incredible views of the city, Fundación Miró keeps the best of the work of the surrealist Catalan Joan Miró, exhibiting some of his most famous canvases, as well as tapestries and sculptures. To delve deeper into the legacy of the painter from Guernica, the Picasso Museum reviews all the phases of the Cubist genius and explores his relationship with Barcelona, where he studied. To stay on top of the latest trends in contemporary art, go to MACBA and an exhibition by CCCB or CaixaForum. If you want to better understand the feeling of the nation that moves Catalonia, do your history lesson at the Museu d’Història de Catalunya, which occupies the Palau de Mar, in the most beautiful part of Port Vell (Porto Velho). It is also worth seeing the Museu d’Història de Barcelona, where you can walk on a platform over Roman ruins. The most visited in the city, however, is the FC Barcelona Museum, which is up to the calibre of Messi's team. The exhibition has videos of unforgettable moments, a homage to the great players who passed through the club and the vast collection of trophies of the team. A must for fans of Breton sport, the Tour & Museum package also includes a stroll through the stadium, past the lawn and changing rooms.

2) Las Ramblas
Each stretch of the city's most touristic boardwalk has a name, The Rambla de les Flors is the part where the flower stands are. Rambla de Canaletes is the source of the same name (legend has it that those who drink from their water always return to the city). Altogether, six different passages explain the reason for the name Ramblas, in the plural. Among living statues, painters and thousands of people, watch out for the work of the artist Joan Miró stamped in mosaic on the floor, more or less at the height of the beautiful Gran Teatre del Liceu, the “opera” of Barcelona. At one end of the avenue, facing the sea is the monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus, it is possible to go up to the lookout, 60 meters high, by elevator. One of the most interesting spots on the Ramblas is La Boquería, the most bustling and famous public market in Barcelona. Its pubs serve fine and cheap food.

3) Gothic Quarter
The reminiscences of the distant past are still alive in the oldest part of the city. Located between the Ramblas and Via Laietana, the Gothic Quarter is a labyrinth of alleys, squares and alleys that reveal surprises: shops, restaurants, countless bars, galleries and attractions of the first magnitude. To visit the Barcelona Cathedral, in Gothic style, and the beautiful church Santa Maria del Pi, in a charming little square. Another important address is the Plaça de Sant Jaume, which occupies the old forum of Roman Barcelona and, two thousand years later, remains the centre of political decisions and demonstrations (there are the buildings of the prefecture and the government of Catalonia). Another icon of the neighbourhood is Plaça Reial, an elegant square in neoclassical style adorned by imperial palms and lamps designed by Gaudí, already showing what came when he was still just an apprentice. Surrounded by bars and restaurants, the square boils into the night.

4) Born neighbourhood
A cooler version of the Gothic Quarter, the neighbour Born has irresistible shops, great restaurants and great attractions, such as the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, which inspired the bestseller The Cathedral of the Sea, by Ildefonso Falcones. At the other end of the charming Passeig del Born is El Born Center de Cultura in Memòria. Gracefully sculpted in iron and glass by the architect Josep Fontserè in Mestre, this former modernist market houses an exhibition on city life in the 18th century, positioned around ruins found during the renovation of the enclosure. Inside there is a good restaurant and a creative souvenir shop.

5) Montjuic
Ideal for a panoramic view of the city, the cable car connects Barceloneta beach to the hill where Montjuïc Park is located. Once there, walk through the Joan Brossa gardens and go to Castell de Montjuïc, an old medieval fortress with a beautiful view of the port. The park also houses the Olympic Stadium and the pools that were used in the 1992 Games. Every self-respecting tourist must also see the Font Màgica de Montjuïc in action. Built for the 1929 Universal Exhibition, the fountain installed at the feet of Montjuïc “dances” in the middle of a light and music show.

6) Parks
The main attraction of the famous Park Güell is its entrance, designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí with multicoloured mosaics and unusual shapes. The park designed as a luxury condominium by the Güell family, who ended up donating the area to the city in 1922.

To relax or have a picnic, the right place is the Parc de la Ciutadella, which occupies the place where, between 1716 and 1869, there was a detested fortified ciutadella of the Spanish kings, inside the park is Zoo Barcelona.

Gastronomy in Barcelona during your Golf Holidays

One of the great world meccas of gastronomy, Barcelona has a series of typical dishes that we highlight; Pà de pagès, Pa amb Tomáquet, Calçotada, Pimientos de Padrón, Escalivada, Coca de Recapte, Butifarra ou Botifarra, Arròs Caldoso con Bogavante, Arròs Negre, Fideuá, Esqueixada de bacallà, Coca de Montserrat and Bomba de la Barceloneta.
There are great restaurants that promote these adventures on the palate. The hottest of the moment is Disfrutar, which ranks ninth on The World’s 50 Best list. With a modern and informal atmosphere, it bets on “daring, fun and untied” cuisine, making crazy with the textures and flavours of the ingredients. Others that are a reason for pilgrimage are chef Jordi Vilà's Alkimia, Dos Palillos, which serves oriental dishes signed by Albert Raurich and Enigma, the jewel in Chief Alber's crown Adrià. The only restaurants with three Michelin stars in the city, Abac is the HQ of Jordi Cruz, judge of the Spanish version of MasterChef; while Lasarte is the Catalan branch of Martin Berasategui's gastronomic empire, one of the precursors of new Spanish cuisine.

Paella and seafood
To eat a good paella with a view of the sea, two good addresses are Gallito, under the W hotel, and Barraca. Still in Barceloneta, houses that honour the name are La Mar Salada and Cheriff. To impress, 7 Portes is shot and fall. Open since 1836, it has been visited by renowned figures such as Catherine Deneuve and Joan Miró, among other celebrities. Another unshakable institution when it comes to seafood is Botafumeiro, a seafood restaurant in the Galician style that offers the coveted barnacles, lobsters, robust crabs and good rice-based dishes. One of the most talked-about restaurants in the city today, awarded with a Michelin star, Estimar is the home of chef Rafa Zafra. At the other end of the price, scale is the good and cheap La Paradeta chain.

Tapas
An institution of Barceloneta, the Vaso de Oro is tiny and very disputed. It serves succulent tapas with foie gras, excellent patatas bravas (fried potatoes seasoned with a spicy sauce) and artisan beer handled with mastery. Another classic is Cal Pep, hidden in a small square in the trendy Born district. Your tuna tartar, fried squid and other perfect tapas are worth every minute of the (long) wait for a place. The queue is also constant and justified at Cervecería Catalana, where classic tapas are prepared on a whim and at excellent prices. In the “tapas grifadas” category, a must-have is Tapas 24. In the same way, Dos Pebrots is the bar of starring Albert Raurich. The culmination of the category, however, is Tickets (which ranks 20th on The World’s 50 Best list) from the brilliant Abert Adrià, which is also behind Bodega 1900, its most accessible bar.

Cakes
Panellet is a sweet that is eaten mainly in November, as it celebrates the day of the dead. The candy is made from a sugar mass with eggs and almonds. Some mix other flavours, such as chocolate, cappuccino, coffee, or even coconut. This means that if you go to Barcelona in November you will find this sweet in all the pastry shops.

The list of the most famous pâtisseries in the city is headed by Escribà, by the master Christian Escribà.

Buñuelos also have their strong season, lent. These are cookies, similar to dreams and covered with sugar and that is very delicious.

Mel i Mató is a fresh cheese that is very typical of the Catalonia region and that is eaten with honey. It is like a Romeo and Juliet, but with another type of cheese (similar to ricotta) and honey.

Chocoholics also go wild at Oriol Balaguer's store, where the chocolates have unconventional ingredients and are sold in beautiful boxes, like jewels.

Shopping in Barcelona during your Golf Holidays

Barcelona is the shopper's paradise.

To find everything in one place, El Corte Inglés department stores are a classic. But the city also has some good shopping malls, among which the most central are Maremagnum, Arenas and L’Illa Diagonal. Among the commercial areas of the city, the most complete is the one formed by the boulevard Portal del Angel, Carrer Pelai and Passeig de Gràcia, close to Plaça Catalunya. There are the flagship stores (most increased store of a brand, to serve as a business card) of large chains, such as H&M, Zara and Benetton, as well as luxury boutiques, such as Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Stella McCartney, Ermenegildo Zegna, Versace, among others.

Two brands rooted in Barcelona and representing the irreverent way of the city are the very colourful Custo Barcelona and Desigual. To mine local designer shops and other finds, the best neighbourhoods are Gràcia and Born.

In the same region, you can also find strategic stores like Nike, Apple Store, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, among others. 50 minutes from Barcelona, La Roca Village is the most complete stock exchange centre in Spain, with more than 130 stores, including Armani, Burberry, Missoni, Versace, Custo Barcelona, Diesel, Le Creuset, Desigual, La Perla, Levi's, Michael Kors Gucci. To get there, there is a special bus that leaves the centre of Barcelona several times a day.