No Spain No Gain, A Curated Trip Itinerary By Michelle Gage

Your Highly-Vetted Guide To Barcelona and Madrid.

Dec 02, 2024

Well, folks, we’re back from Spain - and let me tell you, it was INSANE!

Spain has been on my bucket list for a few years now. Having travelled to the more popular destinations in Europe, Spain felt like the seemingly inevitable next step.

In late October, Alex and I traveled to both Barcelona and Madrid (plus Portugal in the middle - more on that soon). As always, I came prepared with a general itinerary of what I MUST SEE and then made a few pivots while actually there. This go-around we wound up with some extra time that allowed for a little bit more exploration so we stumbling upon some really sweet spots.

There’s no gatekeeping here, so I guess I’ll just get to the good stuff!

While in Barcelona, we stayed at The Hoxton, which I highly recommend. In addition to the comfortable room and cute lobby, they have a few wonderful restaurants attached to the property. Their rooftop was also the perfect place to nosh on some tapas.

As far as “sites to see,” you simply cannot visit Barcelona without seeing Gaudi’s masterpieces. Be sure to get to Basílica de la Sagrada Família (to be completed in 2026 - book tickets in advance), Casa Batllo, Casa Mila and Park Guell.

I found the shopping to be better in Madrid, but there were a few cute spots in Barcelona - such as Roberto Victoria, Rouri, Casa Gralla, Revival & Co. and Lullaby Vintage.

When Alex and I travel, we really try to immerse ourselves into the city and discover spots that the locals would visit. Sure, we visit the suggested tourist haunts too - but we really enjoy finding cool restaurants and shops that wouldn’t be in your standard guide book.

The food in Spain did not disappoint! With all the walking we did in Madrid, we were in constant search of a cafe pick-me-up. We loved Mision Bakehouse, Mood Coffee Bar and Panic Bakery. Madrid has a few amazing food markets (think Reading Terminal) but Mercado de San Miguel, filled with incredibly plated food (seafood, empanadas) was by far the best. For brunch, I’d recommend Frida and Billy Brunch (my friend Nicole found BB) and for dinner, Jardín Secreto or Habanera - though many of our dinners came from the market or Honest Greens.

I think it was my Merida trip guide where I exclaimed that I found the most incredible gelato of my life…well, that spot has been dethroned by Gelateria Nicolo. As an ice cream aficionado, I kid you not when I say that Nicolo served the most incredible gelato of my life. Try the Oreo (it’s the dark chocolate one next to the perfectly pink pile) - delicious! Speaking of delicious chocolate, if you are looking to bring something sweet home, stop by Vicens for a thousand different chocolate selections.

Lastly on the food front, get yourself a stiff drink at Ficus Bar or Jack’s Library. We ended our trip with Jack’s and MAN was it just THE PERFECT way to send us back to the states. Alex was OBSESSED and thrilled that I found a book-themed speakeasy. It was an incredible experience. They have a “no photos” policy, which just aided in the mysterious feel.

Now for some SHOPPING because LIKE FUCK it was incredible. I had a handful of stops on my list but wound up stumbling on some of the best ones. This itinerary would be too long if I talked through each one, so I’m going to just share a list.