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