| Barcelona Tourist Guide |
Barcelona Tourist Guide > Shopping
Whether you´re looking for the latest in fashion and design, traditional ceramics to the avant guarde, from current best-sellers to used books, from tiny traditional shops and open-aired markets to modern day malls, Barcelona has it all. For the classic to the hippest, you can find that perfect gift for your loved ones or for yourself in this diverse city.
Hours | Credit Cards | Sales
| Pickpockets | Tax | Refunds
Guide to downtown | By neighborhood
| Markets |
Barcelona Shopping Line
| Spanish Brands
Ground Rules:
Most stores are open Monday–Saturday 9am-1:30pm and 5-8pm. Some are closed Saturday afternoon. Sunday virtually all stores are closed in Barcelona. Large department stores tend to be open 9am-9pm Monday-Saturday. But be aware that stores that aren’t directly in the center often have limited hours or close in August - often a week or more for vacation. Tancat is Catalan for closed.
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Note that if you’re paying by credit card, you usually have to show photographic ID, such as a passport or driving licence. Most large department stores accept American Express, DiscoverCard, MasterCard, Visa. Smaller shops may vary. Markets do not accept credit cards in Barcelona. |
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Sales usually run from the second week in January to the end of February, and during July and August. Don’t get in the way of the natives at the Cortes Inglés on the first day of rebajas. There are first rebajas, then a bigger mark down for second rebajas, and finally remate – final clearance sales in Barcelona.
As in any foreign city, you should be especially aware of pickpocket. So always have your hand on your bags, and don’t allow yourself to be too distracted by fantastic selections in the gorgeous settings in Barcelona.
The rate of sales tax (IVA) depends on the type of product: it’s currently seven percent on food, 16 percent on most other items. In shops that display a ‘Tax-Free Shopping’ sticker on their door, non-EU residents can request a Tax-Free Cheque on purchases, which can then be reclaimed either as cash, a certified cheque or charge card credit at the airport in Terminal A (a handling fee will be deducted).
Even when they are faulty, it can be difficult in all but the largest stores. But all shops are required to provide a complaints book (ask for an hoja de reclamación). The mere act of asking for it sometimes does the trick, but, if not, take your copy of the completed form to the local consumer information office in Barcelona, OMIC (Ronda Sant Pau 43-45 (93 402 78 41 / omic@mail.bcn.es), which may be able to help.
Starting at the heart of town in Plaza Cataluña, you find El Triangle Mall with FNAC – the book store with so much more. You can order your concert tickets, develop film, find all types of books, music, movies, and more. Also in this mall you will find Habitat with everything for your home, Dino's yummy italian ice cream, Sephora's makeup and perfumes, watches, candles, eyeglasses, and more. Across the Plaza is, one of the several El Corte Inglés stores. It is the largest, department store in Spain,, anything you need you can find there, and most foods that you miss from home are available in their extensive grocery store downstairs. Just below El Corte Ingles the pedestrian Portal de L’Ángel holds some great shoe stores and jewelry stores as you stroll between Plaza Cataluña and the Cathedral of Barcelona.
Or, heading down the Ramblas you will see the bird vendors followed by the flower stands followed by the artists, where you can get a portrait of yourself in any style you might desire.
Or taking a left off the Ramblas, you will find yourself wandering through the windy stone streets of the gothic quarter. Barrio Gótico is filled with shops from the trendy and inexpensive to the fine and delicate. Be aware that there are some stores throughout the city, including some tucked away in Barrio Gótico that sell only to official wholesalers, they will have a sign posted saying “Venda al Mayor”, and tend to discourage individual shoppers who are even “just looking”.
For artisan cheeses, herbs, and honey, on Thursdays and the first and third weekend of the month, there are vendors in the Plaza del Pi in front of Santa Maria del Pi off the Ramblas. And follow the church around to the other side, where you’ll find artists selling their work. Open each weekend. Surely you’ll come across some street musicians on the way to brighten your day.
Further down still, between Plaza Real and Plaza San Jaume, just off of calle Ferran on calle Avinyó some of the newest trends in design can be found. You can follow c/Avinyó to c/Escudellers where Art Escudellers is located. This fine shop has and extensive collection of ceramics from all over Spain divided by regions. You can also pick up a copy Barcelona Walks, by George Semler a first class travel writer who will show you Barcelona through its history and anecdotes, to a level that most natives couldn’t show you. Or, follow Ferran past the Plaza San Jaume to the Borne, often considered the Soho of Barcelona. Galleries, along with shops from Pepe Jeans to second hand stores from the Picasso Museum to Passeo del Borne. Don´t miss the shop of El Café de la Princessa on Calle Flassaders with innovative, classy, moderately priced unique gifts, gallery, and restaurant. Follow this little street to find an assortment of galleries and trendy shops recently installed in the the classic architecture.
At the end of the Ramblas, follow the statue of Colon across the bridge to Maremagnum a modern mall on the water. Take a break and see an IMAX film nearby.
Still at the bottom of the Ramblas, on the weekend you’ll find the Brocanters del Port Vell (open 10am-9pm weekends). It is a seafront bric-a-brac and antique market, held below the Columbus monument, that’s great for shopping or just a wander and a look at the stalls. Popular with locals who are on the lookout for china, coins, collectors’ records, costume jewelry, lace mantillas, pocket watches and even military gear.
If you're in the market for markets, don't miss the Mercat de la Boqueria (mentioned above).
If you’re looking for more flea markets in Barcelona, head for Plaça de las Glòries Catalanes, C/Dos de Maig 186 (Metro Line 1 Glòries) with its the Mercat de les Encants, which has all kinds of old and, if you are lucky sometimes antique things, and new articles. Try and avoid Saturdays, when it’s very crowded, and be on your guard for pickpockets. The antique auctions are best either at 7am,when the commercial dealers buy, or at midday, when unsold goods drop dramatically in price. Although the market is officially open in the afternoons, many stalls pack up at midday; for the best stuff, get there early. And bargaining is accepted and expected. It opens on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8.30am-6pm (auctions 7-9am).
There is another flea market outside
the Mercat de San Antoni. (Metro Line
1 Metro San Antoni) On Sunday mornings, vendors gather there and sell old books,
collector cards, movie posters and records.
Also on Sundays, there is a stamp and coin market in the Plaza Real.
The antique market is located in front of the Cathedral and dates back to the Middle Ages. Vendors display pocket watches, antique lace, cameras and a random assortment of jewelry among the bric-a-brac. Prices are tourist-oriented, so come prepared to bargain. Before Christmas the market transfers to the Portal de l’Ángel. In the Plaza in front of the Cathedral, Thursdays 10am- 9pm. Closed in August. (Plaça Nova, Barri Gòtic)
Hip
The Raval is down the Ramblas and off to the right. Home to commercial underdogs like second-hand shops and retro music stores, this area is gradually gaining momentum and showing the city that giant commercial centers aren’t the only way to rejuvenate a neighborhood in Barcelona. There are plenty of great restaurants on and around calle Doctor Dou and Calle Carme to try after scavenging through the neighborhood.
Chic
For a more posh shopper’s day out in Barcelona, starting again at Plaza Cataluña, head up Paseo de Gracia to find Barcelona’s 5th Ave. The posh, bright, spacious stores are the complete contrast of the windy streets and alleys of the Barrio Gótico. This wide boulevard fills the spaces between the Modernista architecture by Antonio Gaudi. From Zara to Adolfo Dominguez and Giorgio Armani , from window shopping to bridal gown shopping, this is the place. Parallel and one block over, you can stroll in the shade of the trees back down Rambla de Cataluña which is lined with assorted stores, and outdoor cafes where you can rest you feet on your way back to Plaza Cataluña. Paseo de Gracia and Rambla Cataluña fall in a neighborhood called L´Eixample. Wandering through L'Eixample, you’ll find galleries, fine food stores, paper stores, jewelry stores, and more.
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Along this five kilometer route, and in other parts of Barcelona, you will find shops displaying the Barcelona Shopping Line sticker. These shops, which are part of the history of the city, are characterized by a wide range of products which set Barcelona apart and make it different from other cities. |
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| They are also synonymous with quality, due to their service and the way they attend to customers, their excellent products and attractive and stunning window displays which turn a stroll into an unforgettable experience. | |
| The comfortable TombBus, (tomb means a round-trip) links the areas, running from Plaza Cataluña (in front of Banc d’Espanya or El Corte Inglés) to El Corte Inglés store at the top end of the Diagonal and back, making 28 stops along the way. |  |
| A single ticket costs €1.25, or a one-day travelcard is €5. Buses leave every seven minutes from 7.30am to 9.30pm on weekdays, and every 15 minutes from 9.30am to 9.30pm on Saturdays. Tickets are available on the bus or from tourist offices.The Barcelona Card transportation pass will give you a discount at a number of shops on the route: They're identified by the Shopping Line logo -- four colored diamonds in a white circle within a blue circle in Barcelona. | |
Diagonal, the Barcelona of business and commerce. This zone is set out in two sections. One running from Plaza Maria Cristina to Plaza Francesc Macià, where tradition and modernity exist side by side, and which is known for its English-style shopping centers And another running from Plaza Francesc Macià to Paseo de Gracia, where all the stores of national and international prestige are located. Also you can find the city's most select shops in Plaza Francesc Macià and around the newly renovated and stunningly beautiful Turó Park.
L'Eixample, Modernist Barcelona. There can be no doubt that this is one of the city's best known areas, and today comprises its most unique business and shopping areas. Located around Paseo de Gràcia and Rambla de Cataluña, it brings together all kinds of shops which make walking an ever more pleasurable experience, and is a blend of architecture, culture and services geared to the consumer.
| Plaza Cataluña / Gothic Quarter, the Barcelona district with the most history. Here we find traditional shops and culture brought together in a harmonious blend. Shopping in this neighborhood is mixed with the delight of street performers in the gothic setting. By the Cathedral there is a cluster of antique and art shops, where visitors can lose all notion of time for a moment. |  |
| But it is in the Plaza del Pi and carrer Petritxol, two of the busiest parts of the Gothic Quarter, where the most historic shops reveal all their charm, not forgetting the neighborhood’s main shopping streets, such as Ferran, Portaferrissa and, most importantly, Portal de l'Àngel, the city's liveliest shopping thoroughfare, which links the old town with Plaza Cataluña. Plaza Cataluña, connects the old town and the Eixample district. Its many shops, together with a department store and a shopping mall, have given the whole area a boost, turning it into a magnet for shoppers. | |
El Born
Certainly one of the trendiest shopping areas, with up-and-coming designer
shops selling everything from the funkiest of clothing to wierd & wonderful
household artifacts. Coupled with its many cafes & bars.
El Born is a must for window shoppers and label junkies alike.
La Rambla / Port Vell. By the water's edge we find a major shopping and leisure complex - Maremàgnum - and, nearby, at the foot of the Columbus Monument, begins La Rambla: Barcelona's busiest and most colorful thoroughfare. Its newspapers kiosks, bird stalls and flower sellers, together with the traditional shops, ensure that the entire route is a lively, entertaining and enjoyable experience. Don't miss the Boqueria Market, the city's main market which sells a dazzling array of fresh produce.
Malls
Barcelona Glòries
Diagonal 208, Metro Glòries. Open Shops 10am-10pm Mon-Sat.
When this giant commercial center opened in 1995 it did much to revitalize
a rather barren part of Barcelona. As well as offices, it houses 230 well-known
shops, 3,500 parking spaces, a multiplex cinema (films are mostly dubbed
into
Spanish), bars and restaurants. It’s also great for kids: there are pathways
decorated with laser-triggered jets of colored water that stop temporarily for
passers by, there’s plenty of park space, play areas and entertainment
such as bouncy castles and trampolines.
Bulevard Rosa
Paseo de Gracia 55, Eixample www.bulevardrosa.com.
Metro Passeig de Gràcia. Open 10.30am-8.30pm Mon-Sat.
In case of rain, Bulevard Rosa is one of Barcelona's chi-chi uptown indoor arcade
of mostly clothes boutiques and some larger chains including 100 shops.
El Corte Inglés
Plaza Cataluña 14, Eixample www.elcorteingles.es.
Metro Plaza Cataluña. Open 10am-10pm Mon-Sat.
Since its birth in 1940, this retail giant has methodically conquered the competition
to become the only real department store in Spain. Its services cover everything
you might expect, from watch-mending to beauty treatments and cashing travelers’
cheques. The branch in Plaza Cataluña floors of fashion and home decor,
plus a good supermarket in the basement and a seventh-floor café with
fabulous views, while the branch on Portal de L’Ángel has six floors
of music, electronics, mobile phone services, books, and sporting goods. If
that’s still not enough, there are two more located on Diagonal.
El Corte Inglés Avda Diagonal 471-3; Avda Diagonal 617-9; Portal de l’Ángel
19.
L’Illa
Diagonal 545-557, Eixample www.lilla.com.
Metro Maria Cristina.
Open 10am-9.30pm Mon-Sat. Supermarkets 9.30am-9.30pm Mon-Sat.
This gleaming white huge block is the home to over 100 big-name shops including
FNAC and Decathlon, a food market on the ground floor, restaurants, a Caprabo
hypermarket, and 6,000 sq m of green park.
La Maquinista
Passeig de Potosí, Sant Andreu. Metro Sant Andreu or Torras
i Bages. Open 10am-10pm Mon-Sat.
La Maquinista is Catalonia’s largest and newest mall. The three levels
of this open-air complex house 225 shops, ranging from top-rung designers (Adolfo
Domguez) to ready-to-wear fashions (Benetton, H&M). There’s also a
cinema, a bowling alley and a Carrefour hypermarket.
Diagonal Mar
Diagonal Mar Centre, Metros Selva de Mar and Besós Mar. Open 10am-10pm
Mon-Sat.
This huge mall is
located where Diagonal avenue ends, close to the waterfront, is the newest
and most
modern
commercial
centre
in
Barcelona, situated in an area that in a very short time will become the
neighbourhood that has more services
and
facilities in town, as it is the Forum Barcelona
2004 area. The mall has more than 250 stores, cinemas, game spaces for children
and a
big esplanade with
views to the sea. www.diagonalmar.com
Maremàgnum
Moll d’Espanya, Port Vell www.maremagnum.es.
Metro Drassanes.
Open 11am-11pm daily. Keep going after La Rambla, cross over the undulating
wooden bridge, and you’ll eventually end up in this floating full stop.
In 1995, the Maremàgnum complex was a novelty, and its shops, discos,
bars, restaurants and rooftop mini golf course were the places to hang out.
As is the way of things, people moved on, and now it can be rather empty except
when families come on Sundays to visit the cinemas or the aquarium.
Adolfo Dominguez
www.adolfo-dominguez.com two
locations on Paseo de Gracia with others through out the city
Adolfo Dominguez is another example of one of the top fashion shops. He became
the first Spanish designer to open his own brand-name store in the Spanish capital,
which soon mushroomed into a chain with outlets in Spain and abroad. His style
is urbane, functional, casual and eminently comfortable, making use of loose,
natural fabrics.
Antonio Miró
Consell de Cent, 349 www.antoniomiro.es
Prestigious clothing designer continuing to take fashion world by storm.
Camper
www.camper.es
Rambla de Cataluña 122, Pelayo,13-37 with other locations throughout
the city.
High quality, comfort, and unique style for the hip trend setters. Since 1877,
Camper has offered quality footwear in Spain, and today, Camper's updated classics
are creating an enormous buzz worldwide.
| Mango Paseo de Gracia 65, Eixample www.mango.es. Metro Passeig de Gràcia. Open 10.15am-9pm Mon-Sat. |
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| If your average Catalan girl isn’t wearing something by Zara, then she’s almost certainly wearing something by Mango. This unstoppable Spanish chain received its best press in England after Posh Spice shimmied about in a spray-on turquoise number. Many unsold items end up in the discount store, Mango 2 (C/Girona 37). Other branches can be found throughout the city. | |
Massimo Dutti
www.massimodutti.com
Rambla Cataluña 60, Paseo de Gracia-Gran Vía with more locations
through out the city.
Founded in Barcelona in 1985, this is the ex-patriot's answer to Banana Republic.
Simple, chic, and all class.
| Zara Paseo de Gracia with Gran Via. Also, C/Pelai 58, Eixample www.zara.com Open 10am-9pm Mon-Sat. |
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Now with some 500 shops in 30 countries, Zara’s popular appeal lies in a constant influx of new designs and very affordable prices, which belie the relatively sophisticated look of many of the clothes. The secret lies in convincing versions of current catwalk designs, covering the gamut from sporty casuals to suits and slinky evening wear. And the Zara in Spain offers a more extensive selection than the Zaras outside of the country. Other branches can be found throughout the city. Custo Barcelona began in the early 80's with 2 brothers designing distinctive, innovative, overflowingly colourful and often daring clothing. Custo Barcelona is now up there in the world of fashion as a leading fashion brand, largely thanks to "Customania" as the rich, famous & beautiful have regularly been seen sporting custo designs. There are two Custo shops in Barcelona, one in Carrer Ferran (between Placa St Jaume & Las Rambla) & the other in the El Born district. If you are after an outfit to get you noticed, and are not the shy retiring type or shopping on a tight budget. Custo shops are certainly worth a visit. For more information on Custo Barcelona visit there website on: http://www.custo-barcelona.com/ |
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