Barcelona is a beautiful city… and one of my favourite yoga spots in Europe! I decided to take advantage of cheap airline prices and head to this city again for a few days in the beginning of January.

Yes, it was cold and the sun wasn’t always shining – but in a strange way, I was happy to see what Barcelona was really like – when the tourists were mostly out-of-town, the crowds gone, the festivities over  and the sun wasn’t a main factor. Before I left for this short trip, I was worried that my rose-tinted glasses would fall and reveal a city that I no longer enjoyed – but how wrong this was! This was my first visit in Winter and I LOVED it 🙂

This city is bursting with holistic inspired treats and in just a few days, I wanted to see as many of these on my list as possible.

Here are some places you might like to check out!

Barcelona Yoga Conference [Website / Facebook]

Last year in July and for my birthday, my cousin and I met for our yearly meet-up to go to this event and see the concert of the amazing Krishna Das… it was a beautiful experience being on the roof top, singing and watching the stars come out 🙂

This is an annual festival that happens around July/Summer months and features some of the top international yoga teachers – through classes, concerts, kirtan, therapies and more!

Set in a college (Escola del Sagrat Cor), a few train stops from central Barcelona (Reina Elisenda), we arrived to find people talking in many different languages, stalls with plenty of food and yoga related gear and an outdoor music band playing, with everyone singing along. I love this festival and hope to go again very soon!

Spiritual Dance Festival [Website]

Another growing festival is this one… and if you love to dance and let your spirit lead the way, this is the festival for you! Explore yoga, meditation, movement, sacred music and ecstatic dance in an inspiring environment of like-minded people!

Woki Organic Market [Website / Facebook]

One of the things I do on the first day of any trip is stock up on some veggie food so I can save money and time by making my own breakfasts and sandwiches/snacks on the run. As any veggie person will tell you, eating out in a different country can be tricky – Therefore, I make sure that I research some local shops/restaurants I can visit in advance!

This was one of my latest finds – OK, so it’s not vegetarian but it does offer many veggie options/products and acts as a restaurant, juice bar, cafe and shop all-in-one. So, if you’re like me, you’ll come for a warm drink and find your Self leaving with a few treats to take back and eat on the trip. I couldn’t resist buying chocolate nut milk and honey biscuits while I was here.

The people who came in during my few visits where a mix of tourists and locals, the energy of the place was also very relaxed – great for solo travellers too.

BeOrganic [Website / Facebook]

This shop was tucked away in the heart of the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) – very cute and had some great products to buy. I love coming here and getting snacks while I’m exploring all the winding streets and wonderful architecture in this part of town 🙂

Moaz Vegetarian Restaurant [Website / Map]

Once I found this veggie spot, I kept returning to it over and over again. Their food is quick and yummy to eat – with great choices of salads and falafel wraps, in handy meal deals that you can either eat-in (very small space with only a few shared tables) or take-away (my proffered option).

The location is perfect as it is just off the main Ramblas road. One of my favourite things to do is grab a large salad and falafel wrap with chips, head down the same street to buy a smoothie drink at La Bordiny (see below) and carry on walking down the street, where the park Parc de la Ciutadella and Arc de Triomf is located – perfect for a quiet picnic in the sun and some meditation 🙂

La Bordiny Natural Juice Bar [Map]

After an early morning flight and having to wait a few hours to check-in, I needed something fast to get my batteries charged up again when sleep was not an option! And I remembered this cute little spot 🙂

Situated in trendy Jaume I, this is an all-natural juice bar, where you can choose a huge variety of fruit smoothies and natural yogurt treats. The perfect spot during the hot months to cool off – and equally as refreshing during the Winter when I needed a boost. Free tasters are on offer to see which one you like too 🙂

Hot Chocolate & Churros

Yummy 🙂 I always look forward to treating my Self to some genuine Churros con Chocolate  every time I return to Spain. Essentially, this is a thick choco drink, where you dip in your crunchy churros.

There are two spots that I always visit – Granja La Pallaresa and Cafe Granja Viader… these 2 gems are also tucked away off the bustling Ramblas. It can get pretty busy here, especially in the late afternoons/evening so it’s well worth coming during the morning times. The prices are good and so is the tasty hot chocolate and churros! 🙂

Teresa Carles [Website / Map]

If I had to choose 1 veggie restaurant to eat in, this would be the one! Anything your heart desires, it has – from soups, salads, pasta, juices etc. And each day, they have their own great menu-of-the-day at good prices! This place gets busy during the lunch hours when local worker bees come to catch a bite to eat before heading back to the office.

Happy Yoga [Website / Facebook]

Barcelona is FULL of yoga centres – whatever your style and preference, you will find a centre for it. I’m a Kundalini yoga fan – and this line of yoga centres were perfect for having a centre close by to do daily Sadhana.

I walked in to one of the central branches  and found the whole energy of the place very uplifting… people were smiling, chatting between classes and the reception was very friendly. The decor was also as warm and lovely as the people! And outside, a group of English-speaking yogis were chatting about their experience too, which was a fun insight.

Wake Up Spain [Website / Facebook]

I first came across the Wake Up! Movement in London with Wake Up London. With regular mindfulness meet-ups and planned meditation flash mobs, this organisation has branched out to Spain – mainly in Barcelona. Check out their latest events to join in the fun 🙂

Free Yoga [Website / Facebook]

And while we are on the subject of flash mobs, Free Yoga has been organising national yoga days in Spain, with a mass yoga class in central locations of Madrid and Barcelona – watch out for new dates 🙂