City and the Coast - A Perfect Catalunya Experience
Spain | Jul 7 - Jul 17, 2022

David
David M.
Marlborough, MA | Reviewed on Jul 24, 2022

Our trip to Catalunya was fantastic. Working together with Bea translated into a perfect mix of city culture and relaxing fun on the coast.

We absolutely loved our tapas tour to kick off our first day in Barcelona. It was a PERFECT introduction to the Catalan culture. Another food orientated experience we enjoyed was a cooking class. The experience was special because we were welcomed into the chef's home with a small group. The personal and semi-private atmosphere with other people from around the world was wonderful.

One of the highlights was our private Gaudí Architecture Walk. It. was. fabulous. Our guide was excellent and continuously responded to our interests and needs. We also enjoyed having the flexibility in our schedule to explore. Our lodging was in the thick of the activity on La Rambla, but we also enjoyed taking the public transportation and getting to other parts of Barcelona. We went to the beach and up to Park Gruel, both very "outdoorsy" for an urban location.

Once our trip shifted to the beach, we loved the relaxing vibe of the coast. We were still able to tap into cultural experiences such a Dali's museum and home while kayaking the next day. After a few days in the city, it was a perfect transition for our vacation.

We loved working with Bea and KimKim for our vacation. Providing a downloadable app that held our itinerary and all important links, etc. was impressive. We could easily contact KimKim during our trip and we appreciated this availability.

Monica M.

Hotel Reviews
Alta House Begur
Begur, Girona

Perfect location. The room was meets all your travel needs. The breakfast is very nice as you can take it outside to the pool area. The pool was wonderful because it was so hot. Even though the A/C is fine, it was nice to dip into the pool after a hot day. The lounge on the roof was a wonderful bonus. Wonderful! Everyone was very nice and professional. Note - you can't park there, you need to park in one of the lots outside the city. Not a far walk at all, but good to know.

Authenticity & Character
It was modern and minimalist. It was 100% fine.
Location
On a quiet, quiet street within a minute to the center of the evening activity. Really perfect.
Staff
Very helpful, very professional.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean, but the rooms aren't the kind of room you stretch out in and relax. The pool is for that. Or the roof top lounge is for that.
Arc La Rambla
Barcelona

Very professional and helpful. Our room was on the lower end, I believe, so we were in an "inside" room. Whereas this felt like a negative, I will admit the room was very, very quiet. Located on La Rambla, it was impressively quiet. The front desk people were always helpful and polite. We appreciated them a great deal. The breakfast was wonderful. The common room was also helpful to sit and relax and plan your day.

Authenticity & Character
Everything was professional, clean, and to a high standard.
Location
Right. On. La. Rambla.
Staff
Always helpful and in a good mood.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Well, the room had a window to an air shaft. Not ideal. But we used the common room to sit and relax in couches, etc. As already mentioned, I believe this room was super quiet and we appreciated that.
Activity Reviews
Tapas Culinary Experience
Tapas Culinary Experience
Barcelona

This is the best idea for one of your first nights in Barcelona. It was fun, educational, and culturally enriching. We loved our guide and we loved sharing the experience with a handful of other people from around the world. What fun! Perfect!

Quality of Experience
Interactive, engaging, educational, cultural!
Food
I liked getting to know the tapas that I enjoy and the tapas I would not choose.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was a perfect mix of causal and teacher. Loved her.
Barcelona & Gaudí;  An Architecture Walk
Barcelona & Gaudí; An Architecture Walk
Barcelona

An amazing 4 hours. Our guide taught us about Gaudi while we immersed ourselves in the architecture. I liked that we did not go into every house/building. It was not needed. We went into one and that was very thorough and interesting. The guide was excellent at working with us as far as how fast we went or when we needed a break. This experience proved the value of a private tour vs a group tour.

Quality of Experience
Personal and extensive.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was fantastic. She was very good at her job and we were comfortable asking questions or for more/less time at different places.
Flamenco Night
Flamenco Night
Barcelona

Bravo! What a wonderful experience! It was the most culturally authentic experience of our time in Barcelona. I enjoyed the smaller, more personal theater and the energy of the show. Also, the show is not super long, it is a perfect amount of time to include in an evening. The tapas afterward was excellent in that as you spill out of the theater you don't have to start to figure out where you are going to eat. The transition is perfect. Add it to your itinerary. You won't regret it.

Quality of Experience
Authentic x 1,000
Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class
Boquería Market Visit & Cooking Class
Barcelona

Fabulous! We enjoyed all 3 parts of this experience. First, a tour of the market. Second, the chef cooked different tapas and explained the food in the different areas of Spain as we ate and drank. Finally, we prepared our meal under her watchful guidance. All 3 parts were engaging, intriguing, and educational. The chef was extremely personable, fun, yet professional. To add to this, the shared small group experience was delightful.

Quality of Experience
It is a great concept and the chef makes in a win.
Kayaking Excursion
Kayaking Excursion
Spain

We enjoyed our kayak excursion very much. Nile, our guide, was terrific. He made the trip personal to our needs and interests. It was also a good amount of time. This is a great activity for a vacation on the coast.

Quality of Experience
We were kayaking in and out of rock caves. What's better than that?
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Nile was terrific. We lucked out with this super young guy.
Local specialist: Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Beatriz
Beatriz De Pablo Rocha
Local specialist in Madrid | Replied on Aug 02, 2022

Hi Dave and Monica, Thank you so much for your kind words to the entire team and for taking the time to write this review! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed every part of your trip and the activities, this is what our team always strives for and all your feedback helps us improve :) It has been a true pleasure working with you to plan your trip to Catalunya. Best regards, Bea.