A wonderland of fabulous architecture highlighted by the intriguing buildings of Antonio Gaudi, this city where Pablo Picasso grew up, is brimming with great art, spectacular scenery, superb food, and sensational shopping along with beaches and plentiful nightspots to dance the flamenco. Consider a spacious, convenient, money-saving vacation rental instead of small, uninspiring hotel room. From modern apartments overlooking lively streets to villas accented by gardens to large homes, your vacation rental choices are varied and numerous. Wouldn’t it be great to return to a comfortable vacation rental with a large living and dining room after a lengthy day of immersing yourself in the vibrant Spanish lifestyle?

If you’re wondering where you start in a city filled with so many sites and attractions, head to La Rambla, one of the most famous boulevards in the world. A series of broad avenues bisected by pedestrian malls, the area has street musicians, flower stalls, fortune-tellers, dancers and great sidewalk cafes where you can observe everything while you sip coffee or mineral water. For more people watching, try the waterfront with its mix of cafes, bars and curio shops or the Gothic Quarter, famous for its historical landmarks and bohemian lifestyles. For fantastic views of the city, try Park Guell and gaze down at an awe-inspiring panorama. Art lovers gravitate to Fundacio Joan Miro, one of the world’s great museums with over 225 paintings and 150 sculptures by the Spanish surrealist artist, and Museu Picasso, which features the artist’s Blue Period. When you want a reprieve from the fast-paced action in the downtown area, head to the golden sand beaches, less than 30 minutes away, where swimming, windsurfing and kitesurfing are popular.

Families relish the city’s many activities such as the Barcelona Zoo in Parc Ciutadella, the glass-blowing demonstrations at Poble Espanyol, the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, a water and music extravaganza, Tibidabo Amusement Park and the Barcelona Aquarium. Dining out in the city is a fun family thing to do. You certainly don’t want to miss out on a local delicacy like chocolate and churros. That said, the fully equipped kitchen in your vacation rental provides you with all of the amenities to prepare a variety of money-saving meals. Whether you choose to prepare a Catalonian style feast or you simply need to heat up some take out food, you’ll have access to utensils and appliances.

Your Barcelona vacation rental will give you easy access to many of Barcelona’s best sights, including the Sagrada Familia, the Barcelona Aquarium, Poble Espanyol (home to a great flamenco show), and La Pedrera, another work by architect Antonio Gaudi. Picasso and Miro each have museums dedicated to their work. A Barcelona vacation rental in the city’s Gothic Quarter puts you steps from Las Ramblas. And don’t forget, it’s fun just to stroll through the streets of Barcelona—make sure you leave some open time in your itinerary to wander.

A vacation rental in Barcelona makes a lot of sense for a family with children. Cramming parents and kids into a tiny hotel room can be stressful for everybody—when you’re traveling, it’s important to have some time to yourself. In a Barcelona vacation rental, you can get more than one bedroom for the same price as a single hotel room, and that extra space means a better vacation! What’s more, if you’ll be keeping the kids up for a late dinner, naptime is much easier in an apartment.