Beaches and brunch: How to spend a leisurely post-lockdown Sunday morning in Barcelona

Catalans are night owls – dinner is rarely before 9pm, bed is rarely before midnight – and Sunday mornings are a late and leisurely affair. During the mild winter months they reclaim the beach as their own, strolling along the boardwalk with family and friends, perhaps stopping for coffee at one of the sprawling terrace bars that overlook the sea.

In summer the beach is left to the sun-worshipping tourists, and Catalans are more likely to be found seeking shade in tree-lined squares, where the stillness is interrupted only with the peal of church bells and the squawking of the monk parakeets.

Here they take part in the time-honoured tradition of el vermú (vermouth), which doesn’t just refer to the drink (served over ice with a slice of orange, a couple of green olives and an optional squirt of soda), but the whole occasion. In Spain there is still a strong tradition of getting together with the family for Sunday lunch, so el vermú is a chance to catch up with friends beforehand and share a few tapas of boquerones (fresh anchovies), ensaladilla (Russian salad) and béchamel croquettes.

Here's how to spend an easy Sunday morning like a Spaniard, once post-lockdown travel resumes and these treasured ritals can bookmark the end of the week again.

Brunch

Barcelona was late to the brunch concept, but has made up for that in enthusiasm, and the city is full of cool spots for a midmorning protein hit. The most lavish are to be found in hotels, such as the Sunday morning gargantuan spread at Soho House Barcelona (Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli 4, Barri Gòtic; 0034 93 220 4600), which includes one drink and costs an entirely justifiable €45 (£40).

As the name suggests, the €16.90 brunch menu at Benedict (9am-4pm daily, Carrer de Gignas 23, Barri Gòtic; 0034 93 250 7511) centres on egg dishes, but includes a pancake, coffee and orange juice. There is no fixed menu at Flora (9am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, Sun; Passeig de Pujades 21, El Born; 0034 610 081 511), but you’ll find good-value eggs benedict, avocado toast and so on, served on a terrace just in front of the Parc de la Ciutadella.

Where to stroll

The Parc de la Ciutadella in the Born is the archetypal Spanish park, with a boating lake, long tree-lined avenues for strolling, a neatly manicured rose garden and a couple of playgrounds for younger children. What makes it unique is its wealth of curious buildings, statuary and sculpture, as well as a waterfall that was partly designed by the young Gaudí.

For a longer walk, however, the city has a couple of very different options. The hill of Montjuïc is crowned by its castle, reached on foot or via an exhilarating cable car ride, the best way to see the city and shoreline from on high. There are gardens galore, along with some of the city’s most interesting museums and the Olympic stadium. Barcelona’s other favoured location for a breezy stroll is, of course, the beach – four sandy miles from one end to the other, and dotted with lively bars and restaurants.

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Quiet sights

On the first Sunday of the month (and after 3pm on the other Sundays), many of the city’s municipally run museums are free to enter. The big hitters, such as the Museu Picasso and the MUHBA history museum, can consequently get very crowded, but some of the smaller and most charming museums remain relatively under-visited.

One such is the Museu Frederic Marès (10am-7pm Tue-Sat, 11am-8pm Sun; museumares.bcn.cat; Plaça Sant Iu 5-6, Barri Gòtic; 0034 93 256 3500; €4.20), a fascinating collection of collections, ranging from ladies’ fans and paper theatres to cameras and religious carvings.

The Jardí Botànic (Botanic Garden; 10am-6pm daily; museuciencies.cat; Carrer de Doctor Font I Quer 2, Montjuïc; 0034 93 256 6002; €5) is a very distinct but equally peaceful place to spend a morning, and is also free on the first Sunday of the month. Its futuristic design showcases mostly Mediterranean plants against a stunning backdrop formed by the view across the city.

Happenings

Along with its distinct language (don’t even think of calling it a dialect), what really marks Catalunya as different from the rest of Spain are a set of folk traditions that have endured over centuries.

The sardana is a genteel and intricately choreographed dance, performed in circles, where the participants hold hands and hop from one beribboned-espadrille-clad foot to another. The musical accompaniment comes from a “cobla”, an 11-piece band playing flutes, woodwind and brass instruments and a double bass. You can see the dancers and musicians in action (and even join in, if you’re brave enough), outside the cathedral on the PLA de la Seu from noon to 2pm every Sunday.

Shopping

The archetypal Sunday morning experience in Barcelona is the second-hand book market at the Mercat Sant Antoni. The handsome Modernista market building, dating back to 1882, was spectacularly revamped a couple of years ago and the rather tatty book stalls have been pushed out to the periphery, but the atmosphere remains. After browsing through novels, maps, DVDs and film posters, to make like a Barcelonin head to the pavement tables of Els Tres Tombs (6am-2.30am; Ronda de Sant Antoni 2; 0034 93 443 4111) for a midmorning beer.

Other notable Sunday markets include the Raval vintage clothing markets of El Fleadonia (10am-5pm, Plaça Salvador Segui, first Sunday of the month) and El Flea (10am-5pm, Plaça Blanquerna second Sunday of the month), and the crafts and street food fair at Palo Alto (11am-9pm Sat, Sun every first weekend of the month; palomarketfest.com; Carrer dels Pellaires 30; €4.50).

Best church services

Mass is held at Barcelona’s spectacular Gothic cathedral (Pla de la Seu, Barri Gòtic) at 9am, 10.30am, noon, 1pm, 6pm and 7pm. Tourists are not allowed to enter at these times, so worshippers are given a rare opportunity to appreciate in peace the beauty of the building from within. Another atmospheric church – with an elaborate façade and elegant cloister – is the Romanesque Sant Pau del Camp (Carrer de Sant Pau 101, Raval), which is more than 1,000 years old. Mass is held at noon on Sundays, in Catalan.

The English-speaking Anglican community is served by St George’s church, in the uptown barrio of Sarrià (Carrer d’Horaci 38). The service is at 11am.