About Why Visit Barcelona

Hello and welcome to Why Visit Barcelona!

My name is Claire Sturzaker and I adore Barcelona. I’m the creator of Why Visit Barcelona, and I’m here to help you to plan your dream Barcelona trip without having a negative impact on the local community.

I first came here as a student 20 years ago and fell in love with the city. I’ve travelled all over the world but nowhere captured my heart like Barcelona. I created Why Visit Barcelona blog to share my experiences and tips from 5 years of living here to help you plan your best Barcelona trip ever!

From planning your trip, to booking hotels and activities, finding the best restaurants and hidden gems, you’ll find everything you need for your visit to Barcelona.

I’m here to help you every step of the way, and you can ask me any questions in our Why Visit Barcelona Travel Tips Facebook group. Let’s visit Barcelona differently!

Why I Want to Do Things Differently

We’ve all heard about problems caused by over-tourism – busy streets, higher prices and tourists taking over a city. I’ve seen that impact in Barcelona myself, where beloved local businesses have been replaced by souvenir shops selling cheap t-shirts with sleazy slogans.

I lived right in the centre of the Gothic Quarter and saw how busy it is in the summer, how I couldn’t walk out of my house or enjoy the streets without battling through crowds. How huge groups following a tour guide blocked the way for everyone else.

But I would never tell anyone not to come to Barcelona. It is a beautiful city that deserves to be shared, but we need to look after Barcelona and its residents, which will help everyone enjoy the city more – including visitors!

The way most companies do business is to aim for more profits, more sales, more, more, more. So more flights, more hotel rooms, more tourists – but I think Barcelona has reached a limit. We need to stop asking for more and start to do things differently and try to find solutions to the problems of overtourism.

So, I want to work with you to make tourism in Barcelona more sustainable. Some of the things I’m doing to work towards this include:

Choosing local tour partners who share a similar philosophy – with a focus on small groups, cultural experiences and supporting small, local businesses.
I always try to find local authentic restaurants, especially those using ingredients from the region, and seek out artisans who craft traditional souvenirs and gifts.
Partnering with a community project Esperança Barcelona to volunteer and give something back to this city I love.

I know I’m not perfect but I’m working to be better and invite you to join me on this journey. If we all try to do things a little better, a little differently, together we can make a difference!

What Can You Do?

If we all make small changes to how we experience Barcelona I know we can make a big difference. However, too many people complain about tourists without suggesting ways to improve!

To start with, read my article about How to be a Responsible Tourist in Barcelona which has lots of ideas and practical tips to help you to enjoy Barcelona in the most sustainable way.

Easy ways to be more responsible include:

Visiting in the off-season if you can
spending longer in Barcelona and exploring the region outside of the city
eating in local restaurants instead of big chains
staying in independent hotels instead of international chains
learning about Catalan culture
choosing small group tours with a local guide
volunteering with or donating to a community project like Esperança Barcelona
Reducing plastic use and being mindful of water consumption

These articles will give you some more ideas and activities beyond the usual touristy activities:

My Story

I first came to the city as part of my university studies, and spent a year here studying at the Universitat de Barcelona – although I admit I spent more time at a local bar and on the beach than I did in the classroom!

I decided to move back to Barcelona in 2013 after losing my job and having somewhat of a mid-life crisis. On a cold, wet October day in Manchester, England, I made up my mind & booked a one-way flight to Barcelona!

I gave myself 3 months to find somewhere to live and get a job, otherwise, I would head back home to England and find work there – but luckily I settled into life in Barcelona very quickly. As well as working and making friends here I also started blogging about Barcelona on my first ever website, Tales of Barcelona.

However, after a few years, my itchy feet took me away from Barcelona, to South America. I quit my job here and booked another one-way ticket – this time to Bolivia – and began a journey to discover South America and a life of travel.

Tales of Barcelona became Tales of a Backpacker and I began to write about my adventures, as well as tips, tricks and musings about life on the road. Tales of a Backpacker is still going strong, but I missed my beloved Barcelona.

I visit often and spend as much time as I can here, so I wanted to share all of my insider tips to help you to enjoy Barcelona as much as I do. Why Visit Barcelona was born, and I’m working to turn it into an essential resource for visiting Barcelona responsibly and sustainably, without sacrificing any fun!

If you want to visit Barcelona and have an amazing time – you are in the right place! My name is Claire Sturzaker, and I adore Barcelona! Why Visit Barcelona differently? Because it’s the best city in the world, so let’s keep it that way!

Enjoy!

Love Claire xx

If you’d like to follow me on social media, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest, and join our Why Visit Barcelona Travel Tips Facebook Group here.

Come and explore Barcelona differently with me!

Claire Sitting on a wall in front of La Sagrada Familia and Laughing