3 Things Every Sport Lover Must Do in Barcelona
Barcelona has long had a reputation as a sports lovers paradise, whether it’s a visit to Camp Nou, or participating yourseld.. Whether you’re one for supporting the home team or participating yourself, there’s plenty to do here, including an Olympic legacy to explore and a vibrant football scene. Flights to Barcelona from the UK remain some of the cheapest in almost every country in Europe and if you’re going hand luggage only, you can cut down even more on the costs. For our handy guide on how to make the most of your sporting time in the city, see below.
Table of contents
Explore the Olympic legacy
Barcelona hosted the Olympics in 1992 and the year is often looked upon as a watershed moment for the city. Its beach and port received a much-needed facelift, while the promenade Las Ramblas also became a household name. Despite the fact we are now more than twenty years away from the Olympics, it is still possible to discover the marks it left upon the city. Visit the Olympic and Sports Museum Joan Antoni Samaranch, which opened in 2007 and includes some of the most fascinating sporting-related exhibits on the planet. Also worth seeing is the Olympic Village itself, which is credited with opening up Barcelona’s seafront and transforming a deprived run-down area.
Football stadium
If there is a sport Barcelona is known for, it is football. Not the American kind though folks, that hasn’t caught fire in Europe YET! But it’s on the way, with games regularly played in the UK now. So it’s coming. Make sure you work out how to bet on NFL in anticipation of the explosion that’s about to come!
And with good reason – it is celebrated with enormous gusto by the city’s residents. On the days when the home team plays, the pubs and bars are lined with thousands of supporters chanting the name of their messiah – ‘Messi! Messi!’ If you experience one sport in Barcelona, make sure it is football. Tickets can be notoriously difficult to get hold of to a home game, but if all else fails, you can always join the barflies. Most of the pubs in the centre of town understand the appeal of the sport and set up projections so that the game can be watched cinema-style on a screen against the wall. If you can’t see a game in the stadium, it is worth experiencing the Barcelona FC Stadium tour, which allows you to witness the splendour of this extraordinary building.

Participate!
If watching sport isn’t for you, then why not participate? Amateur football clubs are very popular throughout the city and some do welcome holidaymakers who might only be there for a game or two. The beach is also populated with dozens of watersports clubs should you wish to try your hand at windsurfing or kitesurfing, and there are a number of establishments offering Scuba diving for newcomers and professionals alike. Failing that, the city is a magnificent place to go for a jog, although it’s better to go in the morning or the evening during the summer months to avoid the worst of the heat. The beautiful old buildings make for ideal eye candy – you never know when you might next spot a fantastic example of the famous Gaudi architecture.
Remember, never travel without travel insurance! And never overpay for travel insurance!
I use HeyMondo. You get INSTANT quotes. Super cheap, they actually pay out, AND they cover almost everywhere, where most insurance companies don't (even places like Central African Republic etc!). You can sign-up here. PS You even get 5% off if you use MY LINK! You can even sign up if you're already overseas and traveling, pretty cool.
Also, if you want to start a blog...I CAN HELP YOU!
Also, if you want to start a blog, and start to change your life, I'd love to help you! Email me on johnny@onestep4ward.com. In the meantime, check out my super easy blog post on how to start a travel blog in under 30 minutes, here! And if you just want to get cracking, use BlueHost at a discount, through me.
Also, (if you're like me, and awful with tech-stuff) email me and my team can get a blog up and running for you, designed and everything, for $699 - email johnny@onestep4ward.com to get started.
Do you work remotely? Are you a digital nomad/blogger etc? You need to be insured too.
I use SafetyWing for my digital nomad insurance. It covers me while I live overseas. It's just $10 a week, and it's amazing! No upfront fees, you just pay week by week, and you can sign up just for a week if you want, then switch it off and on whenever. You can read my review here, and you can sign-up here!