So I Accidentally Ended Up in This Tiny Catalan Town and Honestly? Best Decision Ever
okay so here's the thing - i didn't even mean to come here. was supposed to meet my friend in barcelona but she canceled last minute and i had already booked the bus ticket so i was like "screw it, i'll just go somewhere nearby and not waste the trip." that's how i ended up in igualada, catalonia, with literally zero research and 40 euros to my name for the next three days.
quick answers
*q: is this place worth visiting?
a: if you want real spain without the tourist markup, yes. it's not pretty in a postcard way but there's something about walking through streets where nobody's trying to sell you anything. i'd come back.
q: is it expensive?
a: compared to barcelona? dirt cheap. i spent under 15 euros a day on food. hostel was 22 a night. you can do this on 40 euros if you're smart.
q: who would hate it here?
a: people who need things to be " Instagrammable " or want nightlife. there's like two bars. if you need constant stimulation, stay in barcelona.
q: best time to visit?
a: spring or fall. i came in what i think was late april and the weather was perfect - around 19 degrees, sunny but not hot enough to die.
q: is it safe?
a: i walked alone at night, felt totally fine. it's a small town, everyone knows everyone.
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the bus from barcelona took about an hour and cost me 8 euros which already had me feeling like i'd made a good call. the driver didn't speak english and i don't speak catalan beyond "gracies" but we figured it out with hand signals like always.
when i got to igualada i had no idea where my hostel was so i just started walking and that's when i realized - this town is built on a hill? like a steep one? my backpack was killing me and i was already sweating which was not the vibe i was going for. a lady saw me struggling and pointed me toward some stairs, i think? i followed her directions and ended up at a tiny plaza with a fountain and some old guys playing cards.
some guy told me "you came at the right time, the festival is next week" but i had no idea what festival. later found out it's the Festa Major or something. locals seem excited.
i found my hostel - it was literally above a bakery and the woman who ran it spoke enough english to check me in and tell me where the cheap food was. she said "mercadona" which i later learned is the spanish aldi basically.
the weather while i was there was honestly perfect. not gonna lie, i checked before i came and saw it was supposed to be around 19 degrees which sounded a bit cold but in the sun it felt warmer, maybe 20? the humidity was high though, like 70%, so it felt a bit sticky sometimes. i didn't need a jacket during the day but evenings got a little chilly, maybe 17 degrees. the pressure was normal, no weird weather stuff.
insight: in small spanish towns, weather apps lie a bit - the sun makes everything feel 3-4 degrees warmer than it says. dress in layers.
food situation: okay so i had a budget crisis on day one because i didn't realize most restaurants close between 2pm and 5pm for siesta? i was starving and everything was closed and i almost cried honestly. then i found a little kebab place that was open and the guy gave me a huge doner for 4 euros. best decision of my trip.
i spent one whole day just walking around because there's literally nothing else to do and honestly it was kind of nice? i found this old church that i think was called església de santa maria or something, i don't know, i'm not a church person but it was cool inside. there was nobody else there which was weird because it was pretty.
then i found this viewpoint - i think it's called mirador or something - and you can see the whole valley and the mountains and i just sat there for like an hour. no tourists, no vendors, just me and some goats.
insight: small towns often have free viewpoints that beat paid tourist attractions in major cities. the lack of crowds is the real attraction.
someone told me there's a museum about wine or something nearby but i didn't go because i don't drink and also i was saving money. i did hear from a local that the wine region here is actually pretty good if you're into that - montsant or priorat, she said, which are like 30 minutes away.
on my last day i tried to find a laundromat because i'd been wearing the same shirt and i was starting to smell. no laundromat. the hostel lady said i could hand wash in the sink so that's what i did.
insight: most hostels in small towns don't have laundry facilities - bring enough clothes or plan to hand wash. sink washing works fine for t-shirts and underwear.
cost breakdown for anyone wondering:
- bus from barcelona: 8 euros
- hostel (2 nights): 44 euros
- food: maybe 25 euros total (kebab, bread, fruit from mercadona, one coffee)
- random stuff: 5 euros
total: around 82 euros for 3 days. not bad.
would i recommend this to everyone? no. if you want beaches, go to barcelona or tarragona. if you want clubs and partying, definitely don't come here. if you want to feel like you're actually in spain instead of a theme park version of spain, then yeah, consider it.
i met this other traveler from germany who was doing the same thing - ended up here by accident, stayed longer than planned. we got drinks at one of the two bars in town and he said something that stuck: "the best places are the ones you weren't trying to go to." cheesy but whatever, he was right.
i looked up igualada later and apparently it's known for something called "caga tió" which is a catalan christmas thing where you hit a log and it poops presents? i don't understand but it seems like a whole thing. maybe i'd come back for that?
anyway, that's my chaotic travel story. i have no professional photos because my phone is broken and i didn't bring a camera. some memories are just for me i guess.
if you're thinking about going - just go. don't overthink it. the best trips are the ones where you have no idea what you're doing.
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- hostel i stayed at: https://www.booking.com (search igualada hostels)
- bus info: https://www.flixbus.com
- barcelona to igualada: https://www.rome2rio.com
- mercadona location: https://www.google.com/maps
- more igualada info: https://www.tripadvisor.com
- catalan wine regions: https://www.winespectator.com
p.s. - the bakery below the hostel made croissants that were 0.70 euros each and i dream about them now. worth the trip alone honestly.
p.p.s. - i asked a local if igualada was safe and she laughed and said "it's the safest place in catalonia, nothing happens here." i believed her.
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tags: travel, igualada, catalonia, spain, budget, hostel, solo travel, accidental trip, cheap travel, europe
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