Shopping in Barcelona

© Maridav/Shutterstock

Barcelona is famous for having a trendy and casual blend of European and Mediterranean style. To no surprise, shopping in Barcelona is a very easy and pleasant experience, as the city is home to the best names in the industry, and offers many different ways to make the most of your shopping.

Barcelona : 3-Hour Shopping Tour

Shopping centers in Barcelona

This concept has been introduced in Barcelona with great success and it slowly has become the new way to shop. These are the most popular shopping centers in Barcelona:

Maremagnum

Maremagnum is much more than just a shopping mall, it's a proper attraction in Barcelona. It's almost completely surrounded by water and accessible  through a sophisticated wooden lifting bridge – for pedestrians only – called Rambla de Mar, very close to La Rambla and Columbus Monument.

It features high quality, international brands. Las Golondrinas Boat Tour is located very close to Maremagnum.

Diagonal Mar

Located right next to the Forum, Diagonal Mar is one of the biggest shopping centers in Barcelona. True to the American style, it features over 150 stores distributed in 80,000 m², a shopping paradise. Offers leisure activities for all the family, including 18 regular and 3D cinema screens, bars and restaurants.

L'Illa Diagonal

© Ricardo Ramirez/Guiajando

Stretching along the elegant Diagonal Avenue on Les Corts District, L’Illa has an impressive continuous 350 meter facade and it was inspired on New York highrises, like The Rockefeller Center.

It features large department stores, Spanish and International fashion boutiques, a park, a sports center, two four star hotels, a convention center, several restaurants and coffee houses. L’Illa Diagonal is one of the most prestigious in the city.

Glòries

© Ricardo Ramirez/Guiajando

Glòries Shopping Center features large department stores, Spanish and International fashion boutiques, children’s playcenter, a gym, a cinema, several restaurants as well as coffee houses. It's right next to Agbar Tower, the newest Barcelona landmark.

Arenas de Barcelona

Most likely is the most unusual and historic shopping center in Barcelona. Originally, Arenas wasn’t built for commercial purposes, instead it was originally conceived as a bullring in the early 1900’s. After years of abandonment, it was turned into a modern shopping and entertainment center by Plaza España square.

Barcelona shopping districts

The shopping districts in Barcelona are located within the city center. These are the best places to shop in the Barcelona city center:

• Plaça de Catalunya.
• Portal de l'Àngel.
• Ronda Universitat.
• Passeig de Grácia.
• Diagonal Avenue.

Department stores

Most are located in the city center or close to crowded avenues and places of interest. The biggest are El Corte Inglés in Plaça de Catalunya, where you can find practically anything you might need under the same roof.

Also, Fnac is the biggest store in town for technology, music, sound and books. And Decathlon, the place to go if you're looking for all-range sports wear.

La Roca Village

La Roca Village is a shopping outlet located 40 Km outside of Barcelona. It's designed as an open air facility that resembles a Mediterranean village. It features more than 130 international boutiques and shops that offer discounts up to 60% compated to the original price.

Luxury Transfers to La Roca Village

Shopping tips

If you’re a non EU resident you should know that 90% of the stores in Barcelona offer a tax refund in purchases exceeding 90,15€.

This is only applicable if you’re taking all these belongings to your country and can only be requested at the Airport or at the Tourism Office in Plaça Catalunya. Not many people know this fact and it can save you 21% in tax money.

Check out more practical information about Barcelona.