Hey, I'm Daniela, living in Barcelona since April 2022. I'm from Colombia and lived most of my life in Costa Rica.. My philosophy when traveling is to go beyond the touristic places, talk with the locals, hang out with the locals and learn from them, that’s how you get to really see a city/country. Couchsurfing is an amazing community and I’ve been lucky to meet amazing people along the way, some which have become good friends.

I’m happy to share what I know about Barcelona and Costa Rica, and loove to make travel itineraries. You can find below some useful info for your trip to BCN.

If you are requesting to be hosted please be mindful that I live with a roomate, Sharon, and expect you to be clean and care for the place, and leave it as you found it. Also we don’t use hot water, be ready for cold winter showers :D I’m more likely to be able to host during weekends and for 2-3 nights. Please write Pura Vida in your request.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I believe that to really know a country, you have to know its people, how they live and what they do in their day to day. Tourist attractions are of course nice, but for me this only half of the picture. Couchsurfing is an amazing way to do get the full "experience" while meeting people and sharing. I love to meet and make new friends from all around the world, both when I host people or when I travel.

Feel free to write to me if you need any tips about your trip to Barcelona or Costa Rica.

Interests

.. almost everything. I'm always learning, discovering, trying new things!

I'm very interested in cultural life, finances (investing & cryptos), and nature (I specially love volcanoes)

• traveling
• music
• science
• language exchange
• food
• epidemiology

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to all kinds of music. I'm always changing my playlist and "what kind of music do you like" is one of my favorite questions to ask. My special pleasure in music is Jazz :D I believe music is all around us even in the most mundane sounds. And my guilty pleasure is reggaeton ;) there is nothing like it to lift the mood.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Once I went to Thailand for a month to do a medicine internship

Teach, Learn, Share

TIPS and FAV PLACES for your trip in BCN

Mainstream but...MUST DO In BCN
1. Casa Batlló Gaudi BCN General/Silver Visit: It may seem a bit expensive but it is totally worth it. Save 5EUR by buying online: https://www.casabatllo.es/en/online-tickets/

2. Mirador torre Glories + Cloud Cities Barcelona: https://tickets.miradortorreglories.com/en/778-entradas-generales/4471-mirador-torre-glories-cloud-cities-barcelona/info

* Near Torre Glories is the Westfield Glòries Shopping Center, with many mainstream shops and a cozy cute food market. Do visit Carrefour Supermarket to look at the variety of hams, sausages and cheese.

3. La Boquería Market & El Gótico Walk: walk from Plaza Catalunya through La Rambla, until you reach Mercado La Boquería. After you finish your visit, cross la rambla and walk around El Gótico. If you want some Spanish churros with chocolate, visit Granja Dulcinea.

4. Walk through Paseo De Gracia – From Plaza Catalunya up to Diagonal, there are beautiful old houses with modernist architecture, such as Casa Batlló, Casa Milá, Casa de les Punxes, Casa Amatller. This inks has a map of all modernist buildings in the “golden square”, as they call it: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1RW2YIgNXiNR53zpZxZSWJBqh3RM&hl=ca&ll=41.39193641549073%2C2.1728718342498343&z=15. Many fancy shops are located there as well. You can also visit el Nacional (https://www.elnacionalbcn.com/en/), a beautiful market with restaurants for an authentic (and a bit overpriced) gastronomic experience.

5. Visit la Sagrada Familia

6. Hike from Park guell to Mirador de San Joan Sales. Hike a little bit more to Turo de la Rovira for some amazing views of BCN.

Tips and Tricks to enjoy the most (and safe some money) in BCN:
1. THE BEACH: If you want to spend a day at the beach, go to Blanes or Sitges, they are nicer and reachable by train (45min – 1hour) + you also get to know a cute nice little town.

2. FOOD and; DRINKS:
- Carry a bottle of water and fill it up in the fountains arund the city. Water is safe to drink. I always carry my water bottle to the restaurants and safe 2-5 euros, as they charge it and do not like to offer it free.
- Avoid the terrace in La Rambla or in crowded plazas, they are a TOURIST TRAP = expensive and horrible food. Tapas are usually small, and because you need many to be full, it ends up being very expensive. Find restaurants to eat whole meals and leave tapas for afternoon bite.
- Download THE FORK APP. This app is my best friend when it comes to eating & restaurant reviews. It shows you multiple eating options, you get to reserve online, and in many restaurants you get 20-50% discount. Each action you do with the app gives you YUMS, which you can later exchange for more discount; 1000 YUMS = 10EUR discount. Use my code 82EDFCBB to earn 500 YUMS.

3. TRANSPORTATION: You do not need a car for Barcelona. Use the public transportation (buy 10 ticket pass, it’s cheaper and works for train + bus), or rent a bike. There are also motosharing apps that you can use. CAREFUL with google maps. Don't trust it 100%, I don't know why, but it's not accurate when it comes to transportation. Is better to confirm with buss/drivers or help center in metro station before taking the bus/train, specially if you are going outside the city.

4. BOOKING and ; ACTIVITIES: Book online and book with time. This will save you time and money. Make sure to book with the official websites, to avoid a reservation fee. I like to use GetYourGuide (offers tickets for the right price). Take advantage of the free walking tour available through the city (there are many!). You can also check eventbrite, where many events are published and promoted (some are free too!)

Now I will share some of my personal favorite places and restaurants in BCN:

- RESTAURANTS:
1. Silan: Middle East food near Paseo de Gracia
2. Rooster & Bubbles: Confort food near Pla de Palau, they have AMAZING chicken and very good prices
3. Lúcuma y Camote Icaria: Peruvian restaurant near La Barceloneta. Have only tried such amazing food in Perú.
4. Kibo Brunch Restaurant: My favorite for Brunch so far, near Diagonal Mar

- ACTIVITIES:
1. I just looove to walk around Parque de la Ciudadela and seat in the grass near the Cascada Monumental
2. Take a motorcycle and ride around Montjuic and Vila Olimpica neighborhood; enjoy the gardens and the views. Visit The Montjuic National Palace, it's stunning.
3. Get lost between the streets of El Gotico and el Raval: contrary to what many people say, El Raval is not dangerous, and brings a lot of nice cultural spots to walk around. On sundays I'd like to get lost around this neighborhood and discover little coffee shops or small city parks.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Unfortunately, due to lack of space and frequent work travel I'm not currently hosting.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Scotland, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Colombia, Costa Rica, Spain