Hello friends. Recently, we visited the newly opened Olympic Port, now serving Barcelona locals. We walked through the Poblenou neighborhood toward the sea to reach this place known as Olympic Port.
This area was actively used during the 1992 Olympic Games. Now, there are plenty of residencesand it’s considered a modern, chic district. Many things have been renovated here over the past two years, with new restaurants and bars opening.
This is a fantastic space for walkers, touristsand cyclists. There’s a large promenade aboveand it’s crowded right now, almost no empty spots. People were watching the regattaand we joined them. Palm trees have always been here, giving it a lush vibe, but now it’s even more organized and clean. New restaurants have opened below, currently only two or three, but more are expected to come over time. We watched the American regatta taking place in Barcelona. Downstairs, there are plenty of benches and spaces to sit or lie down. It’s a great relaxation spot. In the distance, you could see the sails of the regatta boats. Some construction is still ongoing, but that’s normal as it wasn’t finished before the regatta. What mattered was that the area had opened and was ready for use. These little details will be improved over time.
Entry here is free. You can explore the area and watch the sea. When we went, it was packed with people watching the regatta. This event isn’t for everyone, but it’s a fascinating experience because something like this is rare in Barcelona. This was the 37th Cup race, so we thought we’d check out what was happening on the water. There were speakers providing live commentary by professional commentators, explaining the races. This meant we weren’t just watching but also understanding what was going on. It was an excellent opportunity for those wanting to watch the races from the sea!
There are yacht and boat viewing areas here, so people can sail out and watch the races. But for those who don’t want to go out to sea, it’s possible to watch from the pier. The view is clear even from a distance. We could also watch people boarding boats and catamarans, which were going out to join the regatta. It was quite a scene.
To stand in the best spots for watching the races, you need to know where you can stand in this area since the race course passes through here. Only when certain boats and catamarans were moving did it look a bit chaotic. The commentary about the race wasn’t always clear. But of course, the team discussions were in English, saying things like "Thank you, our speed wasn’t enough today, but we’ll try harder." You hear the same thing repeatedly, but it’s still a fun event. You must stroll along the coastal path, as it’s a new attraction in the city, definitely worth seeing. People brought binoculars and snacks. Everyone here seemed to know what to do. Many even had binoculars on. The races went on until around 2 p.m.and there were fan zones where we could rest and grab a snack. We could also watch the races on a screen. So, you could watch from the pier and follow the races in the fan zone.
Our main purpose for coming to Barcelona that day wasn’t actually the regatta. we came to explore this area. We were really here to try some amazing ribs. We wanted to taste those delicious ribs at Barcelona’s only Hard Rock Cafe. It was the closest Hard Rock Cafe before the one in Andorraand the ribs there were unforgettable. The best ones we’d had in the last five years were there. We’d had great ribs in Amsterdam before. Now we wanted to test the Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona and see if the taste would be the same. Forty minutes later we arrived at Plaça de Catalunya.
We took a stroll around Plaça de Catalunya,hoping Hard Rock Cafe was open because we were really hungry. I especially was ready to eat everything! We knew exactly what we wanted. The key was to find a spot and make sure they had ribs available. There’s a terrace here where you can sit, or you can choose to sit indoors. On the menu, we could get Baby Ribs for €25.95.
We chose to sit on the terrace. The ribs were amazing. I couldn’t finish my portion.I think I only ate half, so we packed up the rest. The interior is lovely too, not just the terrace. There are guitars behind the bar, the ceiling is stylishand there are seating areas around the bar and restaurant. It really has a great atmosphere. There’s also a shop here selling t-shirts and souvenirs.
If you live in the area and are tired of eating the same foods, or if you’re simply craving ribs, I definitely recommend Hard Rock Cafe. It’s right in the city center, but it might not be ideal for tourists looking for something more traditional. However, if you’re a local and missing good ribs, you should definitely check it out.
Then we came home and had the leftover ribs from Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. I also made an appetizer with some figs. I had a lot of ripe fruit hereand my figs were perfectly ripe, so I picked them right away to use. Even my lemons are growing.they’re almost the size of eggs now.
And here’s my orange growing on my terrace. I’ve been growing oranges here for a while nowand my lemons are ripening too.
Sending lots of love to all of you!