Your last meal wouldn't be a fat-free tofu burger so why allow your last night of as a single girl to be anything less than an all-singing-all-dancing-spiced-up-salsa-and-sangria-at-dawn affair. Barcelona is ‘Paradise Found' for modern hens who don't want run-of-the-mill tacky, cheesy locations. From the hot food to the cool jazz, everything about this city suggests spice and lots of it. From the freshly caught calamari, steaming seafood paella and wide variety of full-bodied reds, Barcelona will arrest all your senses so you can let your hair down in fun and style.

This is the town where having a good time is as good as being a constitutional right.

The City:
Barcelona stands as a jewel among cities, a heaving kaleidoscope of colour, flavour and style and where culture and commerce thrive at the expense of neither. By day a buzz of ordered chaos fills the streets as street performers, markets, tourists and locals all mingle in a heady mix of commerce, frivolity and art. But when evening falls Barcelona really comes into its own as locals, jet-setters, backpackers and students descend into the city's many tapas bars and restaurants. If you like your seafood freshly caught, your paella steaming hot and your coffee akin to a shot of adrenaline then Barcelona's for you.

The History:
Catalonia (or Catalunya as it is known in the local Catalan tongue) is one of the wealthiest regions in modern Spain. The rich Catalan history informs everything from the often schizophrenic patchwork of architectural styles to the heated football matches at the world famous Barce Stadium. But beautiful women, architecture and weather do not (necessarily) a great city make, what really makes a city buzz is the generosity of the locals who are fiercely proud of their Catalan heritage and are willing to share the spoils with those who visit.

Barcelona's history is one of annexation, coercion, subjugation and renewal. From the Roman settlement of modern-day Catalonia to the perilous and bloody ‘Spanish Inquisition' (established in Barcelona) and even through its annexation by the Castillian court of Felipe V, Catalonia has always marched to the beat of its own drum. Despite revolutions of the 17th and 19th centuries to regain independence from Madrid the attempts left the state bankrupted and again besieged into submission. Despite revolts, attempted coups, strikes and general mayhem Barcelona was never to regain political independence from Madrid but following the Spanish civil war, ending in 1939, it has remained staunchly independent in spirit. Bascially many of its traditions are so fiercely upheld in equal part because of cultural pride but also out of sheer bloody-mindedness to be as different to Castillian Spain as possible.

Don't Miss!

‘The Fontana Magica' at the Placa Espanya - A great spot to take a crate of beers and marvel at a water display lit up by multi-coloured lights with a backing soundtrack of classical music. Oh and girls love it and where there're girls there's...well...girls.

Sagrada Familia - Antoni Gaudi is pretty much the Mick Jagger of Catalan architecture. A true maverick whose approach to design was basically ‘how would this look on acid?'. The Sagrada Familia is an unconsecrated temple and Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece. A sort of cross between a sandcastle, palace and a nightmare, it has to be seen to be believed. Also look out for the most out-of-this-world apartment building you could imagine La Pedrera, where there's no such thing as a straight line and the walls appear to have been made from molten stone. Trippy.

Eating
Everywhere you'll go there'll be Patatas Bravas. The Spanish answer to chips with a wicked spicy sauce. If you're a carnivore your eyes will be bulging from the sheer abundance of mouth watering Serrano ham. Then there's the all-time favourites that never fail to fill the void. Fresh seafood is in abundance and barbequed squid, sardines and shell fish pop up in almost countless dishes. Classic Catalan dishes to try are the Bacalla a la llauna (salted cod baked in tomato, garlic, parsley, paprika and wine) and the Truita de Botifarra (sausage omelette( which has ‘hangover cure' written all over it. Dig in!

Drinking:
This is wine country. It is also beer country. Though you can ‘t really go too wrong, be on the look out for summery Rose wines - Rosados - and the local house wines - vi de taula - are usually of a very acceptable standard. Be sure to try Estrella Damm and Moritz lagers a try as they are firm local favourites.

Getting Around:
Barcelona has an extremely efficient and easy to use metro. Sunday - Thursdays it runs from 5am - Midnight and 5am - 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Taxis are fairly cheap. They are metered so you can see how much you are up for about £10 will get you around town. Buses, trams and Trixis (rickshaw-like cycle taxis) run frequently and are inexpensive.

Weather:
Expect the winter months to verge on chilly but if you're from north of Milton Kenynes you'll still think it's summer as it never really gets colder than 7 degrees Celsius. Things start to heat up after Easter and the mercury continues to rise culminating in peak August temperatures of 39 degrees.

Other Important Notes:
When you get off the plane in Barcelona set your watches one hour ahead of GMT.
Tipping is not customary on top of restaurant service charges but leaving a few euros will be appreciated.
The currency of Spain is the Euro. Check the internet for the latest exchange rates.