With lust-worthy beaches, marvellous old-school art and architecture, and pumping nightlife, Spain’s Barcelona has risen in popularity in the last few decades. The best beach city in the world – National Geographic’s words, not ours – may be late to the party, but Barcelona will definitely be the last to leave. Barcelona’s playful soul means later-than-late bars and nightclubs are commonplace, while the city’s love of casual tapas dining and chilled beach trips offer respite for calmer visitors. No Barcelona trip is complete without a stroll through the many cultural districts. From the architectural Gothic quarter to modern street art, Gaudi’s offerings, and the perfectly imperfect La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s art scene traverses cool to classical and back again across just a few streets. The home of artists celebrated the world over, this city’s mantra of work hard, play hard, proves lucrative. And with a lifestyle like this, they’re definitely onto something.