Trickster

My first encounter with Barcelona was more than ten years ago when I came to see the iconic Erykah Badus live. It was the beginning of a summer at the castle whose name, sadly, I cannot recall, but the experience made me fall hard for Barcelona, and since that hot June week, my love for this city has only grown. 

I can´t think of any other place that has such a winning combination of nature - from sea to mountains, incredible architecture, food, and culture beyond Spanish and Catalan. In recent years, it has become even more multicultural than before, and for me, the free-minded, eclectic, and supportive creative community is one of the main attractions.

Enough of the introduction. Let’s get into my fav spots with the very talented cuties of Barcelona.

This vast green and rocky hill has more treasures that you can discover in just one visit. Impressive castles, art museums, botanical gardens and multiple parks, Olympic village, stunning views of the rest of the city(especially at night!), and venues for different events from theatre to music festivals. While most of these sights are on the side of the city center there is also the other, less visited side. And as you probably already guessed, that's where the true gems are hidden.

1.F.O.C @foc.tot  

The hidden location ensures that only those who are truly curious about music and visual and performing arts will find this place. One of the collectives running this place, @jokkoo.collective, regularly hosts music events, workshops, talks, and more. In this warehouse, they turned into a venue. They are a group of producers and artists whose influence in the community expands beyond music and sealed my love for the city. Make sure to listen to the music they put out - it's magic. And don't be surprised if you see local superstars like Arca in the audience; they know where the good stuff is at.

2.MONTJUIC CEMETERY

 I have always dreaded being buried in a conventional way yet felt a strange pull to cemeteries, and to be honest. I wouldn't mind having this grand hill with a panoramic view as my last resort. In all honesty, at the time I’m writing this, I haven’t yet had the chance to visit the insides of this seemingly majestic place because I only learned about it a few weeks back, even tho I have traveled to this city for more than ten years, and this just goes to show how much there is to discover over here.

3. SECRET LOOKOUT POINT

The exact location of this wild-wild west meets gritty urban port will remain well…. a secret so it won't lose its charm. Let's just say it's somewhere after the cemetery on the uninhabited side of the hill. The best part is that the spot is unknown even to many locals. If you manage to hike uphill all the way to the deserted viewing platform, you will have stunning nature meets urban landscape views with mixed audio of wind, seagulls, and industrial noise. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect sport for an adventurous date ;)

When you google Raval, you might be discouraged by all the negative opinions about the place. Now, while some of it might be true-it is noisy, it is chaotic, it can be dirty, and yes, there is crime. Despite all of this, there is a charm like nowhere else in Barcelona. No other district is as multicultural, with almost half the population born outside of Spain. On a good day, they seem to coexist in harmony. During the summer season, each district has its own block party, and Raval’s diversity manifesting in traditional clothing, music, dances, and food is something incredible to see.

1. COMMUNITY

It's not only during festivities that you can see the spirit of Raval. It's also in the hardships that the power of the community really shines through. A beautiful example of that is the community garden that is named after a victim of police brutality-Plaça de Juan Andrés Benitez. Despite many witnesses, justice was not served, and locals decided to take over the space as a memorial to keep raising awareness. The same applies to many other social injustice issues, such as the Palestinian struggle- you can see Palestinian flags and murals everywhere to show solidarity.

2. FOOD

Affordable, tasty, and authentic are the keywords here. If you enjoy non-European food this is the place to be. Some of my favorites are the lavishly decorated Moroccan “Rahma” and Afgan “Kabul”. For yummy cocktails and tacos, try Mexican “El Pachucho”

3. SHOPPING

From traditional wear, Arabic bazaars to wigs, vintage, and designer-there is truly something for all hoarders over here. One of the coolest spaces that sprung recently in the area is the concept store and gallery space “MANIFESTO” @manifestobarcelona. You can find selected vintage and designer clothing and jewelry from Barcelona and beyond, plus weekly pop-up events and exhibitions make this place always exciting to visit.

Poble Nou is one of the newest areas of Barcelona, and it translates literally as the “new city.” It completely lacks the gothic or the fantastic-gaudi- esque vibe that Barcelona is known for, but it makes it up by serving industrial, brutal elegance.

1. PARC DEL FORUM

next to the sea with its huge sleek solar panel looks like something out of a science fiction film while the industrial towers in the background give the scenery a dramatic villain-vibes

The whole architecture gives off more Berlin than Mediterranean vibes, especially in the nighttime.

It is here where the major music festivals such as Primavera take place.

2. MERCAT DEL ENCANTS

It is a big, chaotic flea market where anything and everything goes for sale, from underwear to antiques. Even if you're not into shopping, come to see the art of hustle that extends beyond the market territory all the way to the metro entrance.

3. FOOD

This area is excellent for vegetarian and vegan delights. “Desoriente” has a great ambiance, and no flavors or textures are lost while being fully vegan. Que Rico! “All you eat is love”—the name says it all. The three-course lunch is a triple delight of generous size, quality, and price, with a glass of wine as a cherry on top.

4. MUSEUMS

Time to get cultured - this section is heavily biased by my own interests.

Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona: If you are into the history of Earth, fossils, animal skeletons, rocks, and gems, you will love this place. All of it is well played on a dark background. I've been twice, and I don't feel like it's enough.

Barcelona Design Museum is one of the few museums I haven't been to yet, but it is on my list. The building itself looks intriguing in the futuristic style of Poble Nou. The great thing about museums here is that most of them are free on Sundays after 3 p.m., and who wouldn't love freebies?

There are many beautiful towns and natural sights within a few hours' drive from Barcelona—desert landscapes, the mountains of Montserrat, Dali museums in Figueres, etc. But let's be honest, as basic as it is, we all need a bit of beach in our lives, and Barcelona has plenty. 

The general advice is to avoid city ones. As long as you take a train to Badalona and further east or to Garraf and further west, it gets less crowded, and the water is cleaner. Just get the 10 euro Renfe monthly card for unlimited rides.

Just do some research, and you'll find the beach that matches your mood. Queer-friendly, topless, birthday suit, or traditionally fully covered from head to toe - there is a beach to feel free for every kind of lifestyle on this beautiful Mediterranean coastline.

CREDITS

Production, styling, makeup @lisasalvaje

Photography and retouch @tompintos. Tomas is an Argentian photographer based in Barcelona. PS He is also an amazing dancer with a distinctive style of movement. A must-follow!

RAVAL

Yehia Kandeel @jehi.aa is an artist from Cairo who is mostly based in Barcelona. He can be found behind the decks and organizing events to bring Cairo's exciting sound to Barcelona.

Yehia is wearing @espirituclub @shaiwai and @gohara.ruya

MONTJUIC

Yaiza Da Moura @yaizadmoura is a Barcelona-born and raised girl with Cape Verdian roots. She is a model and aspiring fashion stylist with her own distinctive flava.

Yaiza is wearing @whois_lupe @eytys @new_life_studio_official and @gohara.ruya

POBLE NOU

Panda @pandawaack is a dancer, choreographer, and movement director from Hong Kong. She's an outstanding member of the Barcelona dance scene who shines equally bright while performing, giving classes and workshops, or working with big names such as Shygirl and Mabel.

Panda is wearing @georgielastudio and @gohara.ruya

BEYOND

Selene Pliez @selene.alexa is a freelance creative consultant based in Belgium who often finds her way to Barcelona. Her work with musicians has connected her to the community here and kept her coming back.

Selene is wearing @gohara.ruya and @robertaeiner