We just got back from the trip of a lifetime to Spain! We visited Madrid and Barcelona and many small towns around Barcelona. I want to share the top activities we did along with pictures. I have two full vlogs on my youtube channel from the trip which I will link at the bottom of this post.

1. Climb to the top of the bell tower at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Madrid

I am glad I got over my fear of heights for this one because the views at the top were so worth it. Be prepared for a lot of climbing up stairs, some a bit treacherous. We carried our 16 month old up there and our 6 and 3 year old loved the climb.

2. Geology and Mineral Museum in Madrid

I thought this was just going to be a lot of fossils, but it was filled with every type of rock and mineral ever. Even parts of meteorites from outer space! The architecture was also spectacular. We used AI on our phones to translate info plaques and read them aloud to the kids.

3. High speed train from Madrid to Barcelona

This was definitely the way to go, saved so much time. We took the one that made stops just due to availability and it took 1.5 hours, but try to get the nonstop one for a quick 45 minute trip!

4. The home of Salvador Dali and wife in Cadaqués

This was a real treat that I wasn’t expecting. Dali took 3 fishing cottages on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean sea and turned them into the home he lived in and worked in for 3 decades. When his wife passed away in the home, he left and never returned leaving behind half finished art pieces that are still in position today. He was quirky and his home perfectly reflects that with mirrors to create optical illusions and taxidermy rhinos with wings. We took a gilded tour through the home and then explored the grounds overlooking the sea at our leisure.

5. S'Alqueria gran Beach in Cadaqués

A 5 minute drive from Salvador Dali’s home, was our favorite beach. It was quiet and secluded, in a little cove, all rocks which made for easy clean up with our kids, and minimal waves and no sudden drop off into the deep water which was also perfect with our kids.

6. Montserrat

Montserrat is a sweet, quiet little town with a lot to offer. We took a quick cable car up the mountain which saves you from a 20 minute drive up windy roads and was a fun adventure in itself. The city is built around the Montserrat monastery which today is home to 75 monks. The order and monastery was formed when a statue of the Virgin Mary was found in a cave in the mountain. Many attempts were taken to move her down the mountain which were unsuccessful. So she stayed and a church was built around her. The sight has become a pilgrimage site for many. There is a lovely art museum right next door to the monastery which has an interactive exhibit showing the tumultuous history of the monastery and was very interesting. My favorite pieces at the museum were two paintings by Picasso completed at age 15 and 16.

There are also many hiking trails and treacherous rock climbing spots up here, neither of which we did, but would be fun for the adventurous soul!

7. L’Encant de l’Empordà VERGES/ MARKET ANTIC

This is the vintage market that we went to and it was SO good! We avoided the ones in the city of Barcelona due to the high rate of crime, but we were not disappointed with this one. It is tucked into the middle of the sweet sleepy little town of Verges. Bring water and hats as there is very little shade. Open from 7am-2pm on Sundays. I share a haul of what I brought home in the second vlog down below.

7 top adventures in Spain- from churches to flea markets!