Forget Barcelona — a full-time solo traveler says this lesser-known Spanish city is a hidden gem

• Barcelona faces overtourism, and locals protested this summer, using water guns to deter tourists.
• Solo traveler Claire Sturzaker suggests Zaragoza as a less crowded, culturally rich alternative.

If you're a traveler, you may have heard that Barcelona doesn't want you around.

The hot destination hosts more tourists than the city was built to manage — 15.6 million last year — leading to crowded public spaces, increased living costs, and environmental damage.

This chaotic trajectory of popular places is known as overtourism, and many locals in these destinations have had enough.

This summer, Barcelona locals protested against visitors by marching with signs, blocking off hotel entrances with tape, and spraying water guns at tourists to send the message that travelers aren't welcome.

Those planning trips to Europe may consider this a bummer, or perhaps they've decided they don't want to contribute to mass tourism.

But another city in Spain may be just as enriching without the crowds.

Take it from Claire Sturzaker, a full-time solo traveler who has explored more than 40 countries and runs two blogs about solo backpacking and visiting Spain.

Sturzaker has traveled all around Spain by train and shared with Business Insider a hidden gem as an alternative destination to Barcelona — Zaragoza.

Swap out Barcelona for Zaragoza

Sturzaker spent four nights in Zaragoza during a train trip through Spain in May. She recommends spending at least a weekend in the city as part of a longer journey in Northern Spain.

The city in Spain's Aragon region has been around for more than 2,000 years and has a rich, diverse cultural history, she said. It started as a Roman colony, was under Muslim rule for a couple of centuries, and then Christians with the Crown of Aragon took over in 1118.

Walking around the historic old town, Sturzaker spotted architecture and culture from all these periods. She wandered around Roman ruins like public baths and the Roman Theatre. She spotted Islamic Mudéjar architecture, like the Aljafería Palace.

She wrote on her blog that she recommends booking a hotel in the Plaza del Pilar, a square filled with historic buildings from the Christian rule.

For example, she said La Seo Cathedral combines several architectural styles — Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Mudéjar, and Baroque. And that's not the only noteworthy cathedral in the area.

"There's a really beautiful cathedral by the river — Basilica del Pilar," she told BI. "It has a bell tower that you can go up for really nice views of the city as a whole."

Near Basilica del Pilar, she recommends checking out the Stone Bridge for sunset views.

For delicious local eats, Sturzaker recommends taking a food-and-bar crawl through El Tubo.

"The El Tubo neighborhood is filled with tapas bars where you can try a range of tapas and Basque-style pintxos," she said.

She wrote that some of her favorite spots around there are La Gerencia del Tubo, La Tasca del Tubo, El Meli del Tubo, and Bula del Tubo.

After seeing Zaragoza for the first time earlier this year, Sturzaker thought, "Why haven't I been here before?"

And maybe you will, too.