Spring has sprung in Barcelona!

Barcelona is a paradise for those who seek a cultural life in the city they live in. Sónar, Cruïlla, Jazz festival… music is very well represented in the town, but one of the most popular festivals is Primavera Sound. Usually happening the last weekend of June, it has become one of the favourite spring plans for locals, visitors and ex-pats living in the city. A word for the wise: wear comfortable shoes. The amount of walking you will do is just as impressive as the line up. If you prefer smaller groups of people and the newest theatre, keep an eye on the Mutis Festival of emerging and contemporary theatre, an annual meeting for new professional companies and training theatre groups. And if you are interested in digital art, you can always visit Digital Impact, from April 28th, a disruptive exhibit that offers a broad look at the current state of digital art and design.

A great way to discover Barcelona in the spring is to start learning how to sail, surf, windsurf or paddle surf while it is not unbearably hot and the swarms of people ready to spend the whole day by the water still have to arrive. Check out Centre Municipal de Vela, where there is a range of courses for all ages: dinghy, sailing initiation or continuation, catamaran… They even offer the possibility of celebrating children’s parties with a two-hour crash course, including a snack so kids and their friends can have their first experiences at sea. The Escola Catalana de Surf has several options to learn to ride the waves and paddle. Once you know your way around the Barcelona coast, you may rent your boards and materials from them too. These are just two of the many schools that a simple search online will throw at you, so be sure to look at the options and choose wisely, sailor!

Experience spring in Barcelona simply and inexpensively: just walk around. The days are getting longer and warmer, and anywhere will be good to sit down and call a friend for an impromptu beer on a terrace. Or maybe you are interested in seeing how the cacti are doing in the Costa i Llobera Gardens in Montjuïch, one of Europe's biggest parks specialising in cacti and succulent plants. Or perhaps you can wander around in one of the lesser-known neighbourhoods of the city like Horta and Guinardó, each with its own character and a lot to offer.

Whatever you choose to do, one thing is sure: spring has sprung in Barcelona, and we are all happier because of it!