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Barcelona SHOPPING

Pretty much anything goes in Barcelona and the shops reflect this attitude. You can buy pretty much anything here from fashion, cd’s, candlesticks, brioche to a Dali painting. Barcelona shopping is a happy mix of small boutiques, street markets and mega malls. In true Mediterranean style, shops open at 10am, close from 2pm to around 5pm and then close around 8pm. The mainstream stores can be found from the waterfront leading up La Rambla through Placa de Catalunya and on up Passeig de Gracia. The best are at Passeig de Gracia and the streets to its southwest, including the Bulevard Rosa arcade just north of Carrer d'Arago.

Shops in Barcelona

Department Stores: The single best department store is El Corte Ingles [tel 93 306 38 00 Placa de Catalunya], with smaller offshoots spread about the surrounding area. It has another important branch northwest of town on Placa de la Reina Maria Cristina and a third on Avinguda Diagona.

Markets: 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. You can find everything here - all at preus de ganga [bargain-basement prices]. In Barri Gotic, there's a crafts market [Placa de Sant Josep Oriol] on Thursday and Friday, an antiques market [Placa Nova] on Thursday. 

Ikiru: [C/ Rec 50, 93 310 27 8] For very cool minimalist Japanese beds and futons, screens, lamps, bedside tables, hand painted wall clothes, duvets, eiderdowns, pillows, Ikiru is the place to come. They work with special environmentally friendly wood that comes from sustainable plantations.

Limited Editions: [c/ Duc de la Victòria 8 , 93 412 27 43] If you like graffiti then you’ll like Limited Editions. Graffiti artists have come together to design limited edition T-shirts, trousers, trainers and Kubrick toyz. Very cool and even if this isn’t your thing, it’s as interesting as going to any art exhibition. Good stuff.

Xocoa: [C/Petritxol 11, 93.301.11.97] Like tea and crispy rice then this is the place to come. From ginger, vanilla, rosemary, milk, almonds, cocoa beans, raspberry, white, lemon verbain, coffee, Jamaican pepper chocolate so everything else you can think of and more. The place for the person that has everything.