Girls Guide to Shopping in Barcelona

This Beautiful, culturally rich city is visually stunning, with a combination of old and new, providing the ideal setting for a girly getaway.  With a great selection of shops, cuisine, culture and nightlife you will run out of time before you run out of things to do.

Shopping in Barcelona:

Although not quite in the same league as Paris or Milan, Barcelona is certainly among Europe’s cities of style. As one of the most stylish cities you will find a wonderful exhibit of fashion boutiques, antique shops, and art galleries generally situated in the city centre. So taking a leisurely stroll through the busy streets you will see all the wonders on offer. Most shops in Barcelona open Monday to Saturday and are closed between the hours of 13.30 to 16.30, but stay open until 20.00 or even later in some cases. So enjoy a day of shopping then relax with well needed refreshments in a nearby cafe or bar.

Barcelona is an extremely practical city and due to the general low cost of living in Spain the shopping tends to offer great value for money. This is relevant to the annual sales that follow the main fashion season, where you can pick up that designer item you have always wanted but couldn’t afford to pay top value price for. Designer names such as Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Gucci and Versace are just some of the high fashion names you can find shopping in Barcelona.

Most of the mainstream stores can be found on a shopping axis that looks something like the hands of a clock set at a quarter to five. From the waterfront it leads up La Rambla through Placa de Catalunya and on up Passeig de Gracia. To get around easier the T1 Tombbus service has been laid on for the ardent shopper who wants to explore the shopping possibilities.  The best shopping areas in central Barcelona are Passeig de Gracia and the streets to its southwest; this is where you will find more boutiques and exquisite fashion.

Department-store bargain-hunters should note that the winter sales officially start on or around 10 January and their summer equivalents on or around 5 July. The big department stores (such as El Corte Ingles) and shopping complexes (such as El Triangle) tend to open from 9am or 10am through to 9pm or 10pm at night, Monday to Saturday.

Markets in Barcelona:

Large Els Encants Vells ('the old charms'; open 8am-7pm, and to 8pm during summer), also known as the Fira de Bellcaire, is held every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday next to Placa de les Glories Catalanes. The markets moved here in August 1928 from Avinguda Mistral, near Placa d'Espanya, because the sight of such a jumble sale did not fit in with the town fathers' visions for the 1929 World Exhibition. For years there has been talk of shifting them again but for the moment they seem set to stay put. You can find everything here - all at preus de ganga (bargain-basement prices).

In Barri Gotic, there's a crafts market on Thursday and Friday, and an antiques market on Thursday.On the western edge of El Raval, Mercat de Sant Antoni dedicates Sunday morning to old maps, stamps, books and cards. So whatever you’re looking for your sure to find it at one of the many markets around the city, whether you’re looking for a bargain or a souvenir.