Barcelona’s Shopping Hubs

Barcelona is often described as ‘un gran botiga’ (one big shop!) and that’s not far off the mark. The standard of shopping here, from big name luxury boutiques to small artisan shops is astounding. Add to that two great sale seasons (July-August and January-March) when the discounts can often start at 50% and you see why visitors often return with their credit cards slightly worse for wear. To help you on your way, here are some of the city’s best shopping hubs.

Portal de l’ Angel

This wide pedestrian strip right in the city centre is equivalent to a (very long) British high street. Here you will find all the now-global Spanish brands (Zara,, Mango etc), a frightening number of shoe shops, as well as leatherwear and sporting goods stores. If there is anything you can’t find head to the giant El Corte Ingles department store at the northern end.

El Born

A bit like Covent Garden (or at least how it used to be) the tiny streets of the El Born district hold a cornucopia of fashion and design junkie fixes. You’ll see loads of designer-run boutiques, some fabulous homeware stores, quirky shoes and bags and a couple of big names such as the Swiss furniture company Vitra.

Passeig de Grácia

With its architecture by Gaudí and florid pavement tiles, the Passeig de Grácia is Barcelona’s most elegant avenue. Fitting then that is hosts the city’s biggest name boutiques: Gucci, Chanel, Vuitton, Loewe et al are all here. But at its southern end you’ll find more everyday brands such as H&M and Zara.

Raval

Shopping in the Raval is an eclectic mix of century-old mom and pop stores, cutting edge art and design (particularly around the MACBA museum) and gourmet shops near the Boqueria market. For something really different, head to the Calle Riera Baixa, Barcelona’s retro clothing hub. On Saturdays retailers wheel racks into the street, selling stock at bargain prices.