Welcome to Barcelona!
I absolutely adore this city. From the charming Gothic Quarter, to the incredible art history to the trendy, metropolitan vibes- Barcelona has it all. If you’re planning a trip to Spain, you’ve got to come to Barcelona. And if you’re coming to Barcelona, you won’t want to miss a glorious sunrise and sunset here.
Best Sunrise: Park Güell
During the day, this park is awash with tourists. The steps will be crowded and the bench pictured below will be a popular spot for photographers. However at sunrise, we had the place mostly to ourselves. We brought a picnic and saw only a handful of other people. It. Was. Perfect.
Not only is this a glorious place for sunrise, if you go before the park technically opens, you can avoid paying the entrance fee! Which if you’re doing Barcelona on a budget, it’s an added perk.
A worker had opened the gate allowing us inside but they don’t start charging admission until later in the morning. It’s a well-known secret of Barcelona that the park is free before sunrise. The early bird gets the worm!
Best Sunset: Bunkers del Camel aka “The Bunkers”
Welcome to uninterrupted 360° panoramic views over Barcelona!
This is the absolute ideal place to watch sunset and one of my favorite spots in the entire city.
This location known as “the Bunkers” was actually anti aircraft warfare installed during the Spanish Civil War at the top of the hill, Turó de la Rovira. Once upon a time, it housed massive artillery to help protect the city of Barcelona.
But in 1938, the guns were taken out. An empty shell remained with the best views of the city. During the extreme poverty of the 40’s and 50’s, the Bunkers were used as a shantytown. But when the city hosted the Olympics, the shantytowns were cleared out. Again, the Bunkers sat empty.
Eventually people realized they could have the best views over Barcelona. You can see everything- the coast, the mountains, la Sagrada Familia.. etc. And it became a popular spot, especially at sunset.
You can visit anytime since it’s just an open space with no fees, no gate and no hours. But sunset is when you’ll get the best views!
Go up early to enjoy the atmosphere.
The Bunkers has a very chill vibe at sunset with lots of people hanging out, having picnics, playing music or drinking a beer. There isn’t anything to do up top (like at Tibidabo) except enjoy a cold beverage, listen to music and kick back with friends.
How To Get There
Type “Bunkers del Camel” into Google Maps and you’ll be able to find it!
It’s about a steep 30 minute climb to the top. (Depending how long you stop to take pictures!)
Follow up the footpath, you’ll see lots of graffiti as you go. Some reads “Tourists go home” but don’t let that deter you, the majority of Barcelona is very tourist friendly and there will be many other tourists at the top for sunset. Some graffiti has even been rewritten over to say “Tourists welcome!”
As you go up the steps, the path will sometimes split in two. Don’t worry, it’s virtually impossible to get lost as the paths rejoin eventually.
As you walk, you’ll likely hear the crowds up top, follow the sounds of laughter and music.
You’ll come to a large metal bridge that looks like a train track, go across that and continue following the path up. You’re almost there!
Keep in mind, these are old war bunkers so there are no facilities up there. No shops, no bathrooms, no visitors center or anything.
So if you want a drink and a snack, bring it with you! However if you are walking to the Bunkers, there are several supermarkets on the way right around the Alfons X metro stop.
I hope you enjoy chasing sunset and sunrise at these epic spots in Barcelona! If you go, tag me in your Instagram post or story so I can reshare it on my account 🙂
More on Barcelona: THE BEST ROOFTOP BAR IN BARCELONA- JUST LOOK AT THIS VIEW! & THE BEST BARS IN BARCELONA’S GOTHIC QUARTER (ACCORDING TO LOCALS)
Looking to travel Europe? Check out TourRadar’s discounted Europe trips!
I love Park Guelph but have never heard of the bunkers??? Definitely adding this to my list!! These are such stunning photos! So thankful to be inspired by someone like you.
I only found out about the Bunkers because I had friends living in Barcelona! Otherwise I don’t think I would have stumbled across them!