Hola, I'm
Alexandra F.
I was born and raised in Barcelona, and although I have tried to live in other places, Barcelona is like a magnet for me. I am very Mediterranean and need the sun and the sea. I love living in a city that offers everything at all hours. I studied Sociology and then specialized in Visual Anthropology, dreaming that one day I would work for National Geographic studying the tribes of the Amazon :) Although I haven't given up on my dream, life has taken me down other paths, and I really enjoy what I do. I love to travel, try new foods, and enjoy good wine.
- Barcelona, Spain
- Guide since 2013
About Me
Q. What inspired you to become a guide?
I never planned to be a guide, but I have been one for 12 years now. After traveling for a year through Asia and Latin America, I had the opportunity to be a guide for the first time in Chile. A whole new world opened up for me: the interaction with people, meeting hundreds of individuals each year from all over the world, the ability to share my love for my homeland with others, being able to share everything I know, and never stopping to learn! Being a guide fulfills me; I love my job, and it gives me the action and variety I need.
Q. What do you love most about Barcelona?
I love Barcelona and its surroundings—everything is within an hour: The Pyrenees, La Costa Brava, The Vulcanic Zone of La Garrotxa, Priorat Wine Country… Sharing that with our visitors is priceless. People come here for two days and want to stay for a week, and those who come for a week start looking at apartment prices to rent and live here for a while.
Q. Tell us a story from one of your tours.
I love bringing visitors closer to the personal stories of the vendors we visit. Some of them are incredible, like Pepe from our Barcelona Tapas, Taverns & History Tour. In the mid-20th century, during the dictatorship, the port was a great source of money and job opportunities so people migrated to Barcelona from all corners of Spain in search of a better life. At 13, Pepe left school and had to start working washing dishes at small bodega where he still works more than 50 years later.
Fun Facts
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I scuba dive and love seeing sharks during dives, but I am very scared of butterflies and moths.
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I always say that Crema Catalana is better than Crème Brûlée (of course!), but I have never tried Crème Brûlée :)
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I did the Camino de Santiago by bike with my father at 15-years-old. My first solo backpacking trip was at 18. The rest is history!
My Insider Tips for Barcelona
Q: Best time of year to enjoy Barcelona?
May! I love spring. The weather is super nice and with sunshine almost every day. People are back on the terraces, rooftops are open and there are a lot of cultural activities on the weekends.
Q: What do you tell your visiting friends to see in Barcelona?
An ideal plan for a day is: to get down to the Twin Towers in the Olympic Village. Walk towards W Hotel along Barceloneta beach, explore the neighborhood, and visit the Mercat de la Barceloneta, or find a spot in a Chiringuito by the beach and enjoy a drink while people-watching. Take the Aeri de Montjuic (cable car) up to Montjuic Mountain. Enjoy the views from Mirador de Miramar and walk Fundació Joan Miró (must visit!!). If you are hungry at this point, walk down to Poble Sec and have some pintxos in Carrer Blai and a vermut; if not, keep walking up until the Olympic Stadium, then Palau Nacional -or MNAC- (must visit too!!) and enjoy the views over Plaça Espanya from the top. Walk down to Plaça España.
Q: What are some unmissable foods and drinks?
Croquetas are always the answer! You had a bad day? Croquetas! Your kids are having a tantrum? Croquetas! You and your partner are arguing? Croquetas! Believe me, croquetas will save you from any bad moment in life. And Vermut de Reus along with it! Good news is that there are as many vermuts as bars in Barcelona: two minimum, three for the bravest. Best Saturday and Sunday morning plan: self-guided vermut and croquetas tour.
You might see me on these tours
