My husband and I are meeting up with another couple at the end of July for 5 nights in Barcelona. After that we'll have 4 nights on our own before flying back out of BCN. Can you suggest how we can spend those 4 nights.

We're in our late 30's and enjoy the outdoors, good food/drink, absorbing the culture of the area. We live in San Diego so the beach is not much interest to us. Ideally, we would love to see the Basque country and hike the Pyrenees but I'm afraid that might be too far to travel. We prefer to drive no further than 3 hours in one day. Is Llavorsí a good option? Any other suggestions?

Hey surf_encinitas,

Glad to see you are coming to Barcelona for a little while!

Will you be doing a lot of sightseeing in Barcelona in the 5 days you are here with another couple?

If you are a fan of the outdoors then I believe Llavorsí would be a good option for you. It is picturesque small town located in the mountains, perfect for a refreshing walk. It will be over a 3 hour drive to get there.

You will find companies running outdoor activities of which I'm sure at least one will be suitable. This company http://www.raftingllavorsi.com/new/i...idioma=english, offers many things to do including rafting, kayaking, horse riding, bungee jumping and trekking amongst other things.

It also offers hotels and hostels as well as package deals which include accommodation along with an itinerary of activities. As regards restaurants and bars, these two links give a list of each in or outside of the town.

http://www.mispueblos.es/cataluna/ll.../restaurantes/
http://www.mispueblos.es/cataluna/ll...i/bares_copas/

I hope this helps and have a nice trip!

OHandrew

(OH-Barcelona)

I'd consider these cities also in Catalonia and easy to get to from Barcelona:

Cadaques - lovely beach town
Begur/Callela de Pallafrugell/Lafranc
Girona - beautifully preserved old quarter
Tarragona - great Roman ruins
Besalu - small beautiful stone village

You could pick a couple of these cities and get a good feel for the more rural side of Catalonia. This is a beautiful area of Spain - enjoy!

Thanks for the recommendations. Splitting my time between two places sound great. Right now I'm thinking of Llavorsí for the first two nights and then Girona for two nights to be closer to BCN since our flight leaves at noon the next day.

Is there enough to see and do in Girona for two nights?

Another option in the Pyrenees I was considering is the Hospes Villa Paulita in Puigcerdà. How does this compare to Llavorsí?

Ditto to CathyM's suggestions above, plus

the "cava country" of the Penedès, whose cava (Spain's bubbly) capital is Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, where you'll find the Freixenet and Codorniíu cellars, among many.
www.freixenet.com
www.codorniu.es

This makes a very easy day trip from Barcelona on the commuter train. Freixenet is located directly opposite the train station.

For the commuter train schedule, see www.renfe.es, then under Cercanías (the commuter lines), choose Barcelona, click on Horarios (schedules). Choose Plaça de Catalunya as your origen and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia as your destino. You'll see that the C4 trains run very regularly and take about 45 min.

The Basque Country lies too far away for a day trip, but if you enjoy spectacular mountain scenery and hiking, within an easier reach (closer than Llavorsi) you can venture to the gorgeous Vall de Nuria (by train or by car in 90 minutes). The cremallera, or "zipper" train ride from Ribes de Freser or Queralbs up to the Sanctuary of Núria is one of Catalunya's most memorable rail journeys, well worth the effort for the breathtaking scenery. Just unforgettable.

www.valldenuria.com

Hey again,

Having done a bit of research the Hospes Villa Paulita seems to be a beautiful place to stay. It is located by the lake of Puigcerdà and surrounded by a forest park so there should be no difficulty in finding a pleasant walk in the area.

This link suggests a walking route which might be interesting to explore should you go to the town:

http://en.costabrava.org/suggestions...AxADcAMgBcAA==

The town has a much larger population than Llavorsí though of course it is still dwarfed by any large town or city. It has become quite an important destination due to the rise in popularity of skiing in the area. Should you choose not to stay in the Hospes Villa Paulita then finding a place to stay shouldn't be a problem as many hotels have popped up around the town.

If you happen to be in the town on a Sunday then there is a popular market which even attracts people down from France.

Have a great trip!

OHandrew

(OH-Barcelona)

Pyrenees and Valley of Ordesa/Valley of Benasque
Valley of Benasque in Pyrenees lies 4 hours away and Valley of Ordesa perhaps 15 minutes more from Barcelona.
You will find very good hiking route descriptions from here:
http://www.topwalks.net/en/aragon.htm
There are parks in Catalonia aswell, but I find it irritating that you need permission to walk in some places. Also, I haven't found as detailled route descriptions for that part of Spain.
I am a big fan of Pyrenees and hiking. I recommend one of those valleys if you decide to do some hiking.