TRAVEL|CULTURE|HEALTH
This Delicious Beach Town in Spain Could Be Your New Happy Place
Only ten minutes from the Barcelona airport makes Castelldefels a top hot spot with plenty of photos to show you why
A few weeks ago, I flew to Barcelona, Spain with my boyfriend for our first extended vacation in a year and a half. We could hardly wait, especially after a cold, dark, and rainy winter here in northern Germany.
The first time I explored this area was late last autumn when I went to Castelldefels with a friend of mine for a three-day weekend.
I can leave my home in northern Germany and arrive at my apartment hotel in Castelldefels just five hours later.
This particular apartment hotel includes kayaks, bicycles, beach loungers, beach towels, a washer and dryer to use at low cost and offers a small but delicious breakfast for a good price.
I am a vegetarian and Spanish culture is generally into eating meat. However, I still found it easy to find excellent options for food, especially in the supermarkets.
When I arrived, I had not even thought about drinking Sangria in Spain which is surprising since it is one of my favorite drinks.
I had not enjoyed a glass of Sangria in years. I used to make them at home in Philly during the summer but had forgotten about them the past few years.
When I saw a couple in an outdoor restaurant with a pitcher of Sangria on their table I knew I had to have one.
One of the biggest surprises is how delicious the pizza was in Spain!
Italy is still my favorite country in which to eat pizza. However, Spain now comes in at a close second, especially when you factor in the tasty local beer that complements it extremely well.
It also surprised the hell out of me that two beers and a pizza large enough to fill me and my boyfriend up cost us a little more than $15.
Look at this delicious cheesiness of a quesadilla that I ordered back in the fall…
Even though I ate right before I started writing this story, I am salivating simply looking at these photos and remembering how scrumptious the food in Castelldefels tasted.
If you are an American ex-pat living in a non-English-speaking country, you will really appreciate what I’m about to share.
My boyfriend and I started dating when I still lived in Philadelphia and he lived in Germany.
We used to meet in various countries to spend time together.
One time we were in France for three weeks and tried to see The Lion King in the movie theater because it was showing in English and was not far from where we were staying.
Unfortunately, the weather that night was so bad that we did not go.
In the four years that we have been together, we had only been to the movies once.
This past November he found out that there was one showing of Wakanda Forever in English and took me to see it for my birthday.
We were thrilled to bits!
So imagine our delight when we found out that John Wick 4 had one showing in English within walking distance of our hotel.
We happened to find out only several hours earlier when we were looking up information online about movie theaters in our area.
The tickets were less than any other theaters I have been to in a long time and the food selection was damn good!
They have CREPES for crying out loud…waffles, smoothies, cappuccinos, beer, and wine for good prices too!
I wish we had theaters like this in Germany.
The Movie Tavern chain in America is comparable but a lot more expensive.
Speaking of differences between America and Europe, in general, is how often I saw men carrying, playing with, or caring for children.
There were plenty of playgrounds and exercise areas for adults and children along the beach which I think is awesome.
The reason I prefer to go to places like during the off-season is that I am not a fan of crowds or loud noises.
With the beach being easily accessible from Barcelona, the weekends and hot weather mean hoards of people.
Thankfully, the most crowded I have seen the promenade was on Sundays which gave me a taste of what it is like during peak times.
September, October, March, and April are my ideal months to visit this area.
I almost forgot to mention that there are lots of bunnies around too!
There are parts along the beach, between the sand and the promenade, that have tall grasses to help counteract the effects of erosion.
People and dogs are not allowed to walk there.
This is where the bunnies frolic and I squealed with glee every time I saw one.
On my second day there, my boyfriend and I saw five or six bunnies playing and relaxing in the sun, just as we planned to do.
Castelldefels, Spain…cheers to you!!!
