10 things not to do in Barcelona
Barcelona, like any port city, has several faces, and some of them are better not to see, especially if you want to enjoy life, and not stand in queues for hours or be robbed on the street.
1. To prove to the locals that it is better for Catalonia to remain part of Spain
In response, you are guaranteed to hear a story about how the Catalan language was banned during the Franco era, how the Spanish government is robbing Catalonia and how much the royal family spends per month. It is possible that by the end of the evening they will not want to talk to you either in Spanish or in English and, with pride and ecstasy, switching to Catalan, they will secure for you the status of an arrogant and soulless "giri" — this is how foreigners are disparagingly called here, who have fun to the fullest, but do not want to know anything about the national traditions of Catalonia.
As an apologetic gesture, admiration for Catalan cuisine as the most noble in all of Spain or Catalan hard work can work — the locals believe that they work more than all their neighbors from the south combined.
2. Walking in central and southern Raval at night
There are no beautifully illuminated attractions here, but a brisk illegal trade in everything from booze and drugs to sexual services is in full swing.
Having previously had a persistent reputation as the most criminal district of the city, today's Raval has become much calmer, because it has "moved away" half of the European youth, who settle closer to nightclubs, and Latin American skateboarders. But this does not exclude the main danger that can overtake you here at night — to be doused from head to toe with water by an angry resident of the fifth floor, who is prevented from sleeping by crowds wandering between night establishments.
3. Walking half-naked in the Barceloneta area
All the locals remember the almost legendary story about the crowd of nudist tourists who shocked even more legendary Barcelona grandmothers-the wives and daughters of local sailors who built this area and once even dreamed of making it independent from the rest of Barcelona. In recent years, Barceloneta has become the most oppositional area for tourists, so you should not forget about the rules of good taste here. But grannies are also different from grannies; to understand this, visit the most famous local bar Leo (Carrer de Sant Carles, 34) on Thursday — its owner, an elderly lady, will show you how to have fun.
4. Spend your entire vacation in a triangle between the beach, the Old Town and the El Born quarter
Approximately 90% of tourists are limited to these three points on the map of Barcelona and leave the "vicious circle" only for the sake of excursions to the Guell Park or Mount Tibidabo. Do not follow the well-trodden routes, at least because in the season you are guaranteed to be stepping on your heels here. Go better to capture with your own eyes the romantic Barcelona of the 80s in the Gracia area (keep in mind that the most interesting thing here is not at the Gracia metro station, but in the area of the Verdi Park cinema and Plaça de la Virreina square) or breathe in plenty of fresh sea air in the parks and on the terraces of cafes in Poblenou and do not forget to spend the whole day plotting your own route along Montjuic Mountain (for example, bypassing the Olympic venues‑to the cactus garden and to the ancient cemetery) through the Poblesek area and its incomparable tapas bars on Blai Street.
5. Taste paella on the Ramble
There is simply no worse place for lunch or dinner than a frenzied and commercial Rambla. If hunger drives you crazy and you can't turn off the crowded boulevard, you'd better buy a salad of fresh arugula and tuna with freshly squeezed juice (all together — €4) at the Carrefour supermarket to eat them under a palm tree in Ciutadella Park. For a thorough meal, it is better to move a little away from the center — for example, to the area of the old Mercat del Born market, which has turned into a museum and a Mecca for fish lovers and fish restaurants. The most popular of them is La Paradeta (Carrer Comercial, 7) — you will definitely not miss it because of the huge queue at the entrance. This restaurant is loved by both locals and tourists: the atmosphere here is the most relaxed, the prices are "homemade", and fresh seafood from the showcase is prepared to your taste.
6. Buy products at the Boqueria market
A trip to Boqueria is in principle dangerous for the wallet, for the stomach and for a new pair of summer shoes, which may not be able to endure a hike through the giant fish department with live lobsters and oysters. There is also a risk to buy, without looking at the price, chocolates (€55 per kilogram!), and at the exit to quench your thirst with a glass of juice from coconut, passion fruit or an unknown bright blue fruit for €1 (be careful, these juices are diluted with the most ordinary tap water!). Oh, yes, even if you avoid the fish department, you will most likely not avoid local fish restaurants, where they cook well, but the prices are kept at an inhumanely high level.
7. Start the evening with strong alcohol
Catalans drink beer starting at 11 am (it's no joke if they sell it for €1 per glass even in university canteens!), from two o'clock in the afternoon they lean on wine, and after five they switch to vermouth — in the area of Gracia and Poblesek, even vermouth tours to bars and wine cellars are organized. At the same time, they have a slight dislike for strong alcohol, so cocktails with ice, called "kubata" here, remain a favorite entertainment of Spanish and British tourists. In most central bars, such cocktails are mixed in a hurry and not too skillfully, so for those who are afraid of a hangover, even pure absinthe in one of the bars on Hospital Street will be the best alternative.
Another tip for the merry people: if you suddenly want a cold beer in the morning, do not buy it from the street vendors who meet after midnight in the Old Town on every corner. The police can fine both the seller and the buyer for this, so do not be lazy to walk to the nearest bar on the Royal Square and find that it is not much more expensive here.
8. Lose vigilance on the beach
In the tourist season, it's not the dark corners of the Old City that are scary, but the wide and sunny beaches — they literally attract small thieves like a magnet. Travelers who find themselves in Barcelona for the first time are distinguished by the ease with which they leave all their valuables on a towel and go swimming, or by the fact that they happily agree to both a Chinese massage and an unknown mojito on the beach. Experienced tourists know that in this way wallets, phones, sunglasses and even flip-flops disappear from under their noses, so they leave everything of value in the hotel. The police are genuinely unable to cope with the situation, so get ready to take responsibility for yourself on your own.
9. Visit the Sagrada Familia Cathedral or the Camp Nou Stadium Museum
Officially, the construction of the most odious project of Antonio Gaudi will end only in 2026, and so far the interior of the church is an ongoing construction with all the accompanying attributes, and from the observation deck above, you can only evaluate the layout of the Eixample quarters. As for the Mecca of football fans-the museum at the home stadium of the Barcelona team, it will probably justify the cost of visiting (€23 for adults and €17 for children without a tour), only if you have sincerely dreamed of taking a picture in the locker room all your life, where Messi and Pique were before. If you really want to see the Sagrada Familia Cathedral from an unusual angle, it's better to buy a short helicopter flight over the city (from €50 for 10 minutes), and go to the Camp Nou to the match, not only to save money (tickets - from €19), but also to see with your own eyes how passionately Spaniards love football.
10. Eat only in restaurants
Barcelona is probably the best place in Europe to have a picnic with a great view. However, to do this, you will have to go a considerable distance from the beach and pre-stock up on 100 grams of jamón iberico de bellota (perhaps the best kind of Spanish jamon), fuet pork sausage, Garrotxa goat cheese from the eponymous province of La Garrocha near Girona, grilled red peppers and artichokes in a jar and a couple of cans of canned seafood (surprisingly, they are of excellent quality in Catalonia) — for example, smelling with shellfish in the shape of a razor navajas or white anchovies in boquerones vinegar, a fresh baguette from the first bakery you come across and a bottle of cold sparkling wine, which is called cava here. As both an aperitif and a dessert, there are breathtaking views of the city from the observation deck of Montjuic Castle, or from the pedestal of a real bunker preserved since the civil war in the El Carmel area, or from the green hills of Tibidabo, where you can still accidentally come across a wild black boar. By the way, a picnic will also save those who underestimated the Spanish siesta: many restaurants here really open for lunch no earlier than 14: 00, and for dinner — no earlier than 21:00.
Keywords: Europe | Tourism | Spain | Travel | Barcelona | Tips