Barcelona is one of the few big Mediterranean ports where the ship docks within reach of the old city. That makes it a generous port day, and an even better place to start or finish a cruise with a night or two on land. The old city (the Gothic Quarter, El Born and the Raval) is compact and walkable, and holds most of what a short visit needs: tapas counters, medieval lanes, the Picasso Museum and the Palau de la Música. The Eixample, with Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, is a metro ride north.
Practical
How long to go for: One full port day, or two to three nights before or after a sailing
When to go: May, June, September, October
How to get there: Fly into Barcelona–El Prat (BCN). The Aerobús runs to Plaça de Catalunya; a taxi to the port takes around 25 minutes in normal traffic.
How to get around: On foot in the old city. Metro for the Eixample and the Sagrada Família. Taxis are easy to hail.
Arriving by ship
Ships dock at the Port of Barcelona’s cruise terminals. Depending on the terminal, it is a walk or a port shuttle bus to the foot of La Rambla by the Columbus Monument, which is where our port-day distances start.