8 things and places to avoid in Barcelona as a tourist

There are many posts out there about the X things you can’t miss in Barcelona. Or how many “hidden gems” the city has. I am from Barcelona, and even though most of the time I have problems thinking of it as a tourist, I do have some recommendations on what to avoid in Barcelona. 

Don’t be that tourist.

Avoid going to Barcelona in July or August

So my first advice to you is do not visit Barcelona in July and August. While most of Spain will celebrate their holidays during August, most of Europe does it in July. Barcelona is an extremely popular destinations and many flight operators flight there for quite cheap fares. That, combined with how cheap the city is for European standards is the perfect recipe for a crowded city. Moreover, often the weather in Barcelona is as it’s worst during July and August: above 30ºC and not a drop of water for months. The city can become slightly stinky.

Do not eat on las Rambles

This must be one of the main things you should never do in Barcelona: eating on the Rambles. The Rambles are a set of consecutive streets going from Colon to the Plaça Catalunya. This street is packed with people all year long, and at any time of the day. There are artists painting portraits or simply drawing beautiful landscapes. Plenty of shops that sell flowers and plants. Kiosks selling souvenirs and guides. But above all, there are hundreds of bars and restaurants. And these, you should avoid in Barcelona as a tourist.

If you walk through the Rambles, people will approach you to invite you to have dinner (or lunch) at their restaurant. They will show you menus with pictures on it, usually showing amazing dishes. They will look so delicious and appealing. The reality: the food will not be good, it will be overpriced, and you will be paying for “extras” that you did not know they existed. Walk three or four streets in any direction and you will find much better options!

Do not go to the Barceloneta

So the Barceloneta is the beach of Barcelona. Although it is the beach of the city, is it one of the main locations to avoid in Barcelona. In this beach you will rarely find any local. Why, you may ask. Well, let’s start with the water.

Unregulated while it was constructed, a very important sewer from the city ends its journey to the sea right next to the beach. Even though the water is currently purified (or decontaminated) before being spilled into the Mediterranean, the smell is still there. Moreover, many “floating presents” still remain after the water processing. Any who has been to that beach can tell you about that diaper that floated towards them or the condom that got attached to their hair. Beautiful I know.

Why not try instead one of the many beautiful beaches very close from Barcelona that are beyond beautiful and not as packed? 

Besides that, another reason not to get there is the sand. The sea washes it out every few years and the city makes an effort to put it back on. And even with that, it is often quite dirty. Thousands of cigarette buds accumulate in the sand, and many other pieces of trash are thrown there season after season. Although sometime before it was great, today, the Barceloneta is one of the main points to avoid in Barcelona, both as a local and as a tourist.

Because that may not be enough, one of the highest concentration of pickpockets accumulate in the Barceloneta. Why not avoiding this altogether and visit another great beach?

Do you want to know more about festivities in Barcelona? Take a look at this post – Festes de Gracia, the other side of the city

Do not buy beer from the street vendors

This is mostly about hygiene. Many times, when you are walking through the streets of the centre of Barcelona, specially at night, a guy will approach you carrying some beer cans. Yes, you know that they are cans and unopened. It has to be safe to drink them. Well, in case you did not know, this type of sellers are forbidden in the country. For that reason, if they ever see someone who may look like the police, they hide the beers. Moreover, they do not carry many cans on them, so they keep a stock nearby. These hidden places, are sewers and trashcans. Yep, not that hygienic, right?

Moreover, you should know that drinking alcohol in public spaces in Spain is forbidden.

Do not travel without a plan

This is mostly a tip on visiting iconic sites in Barcelona such as la Sagrada Familia or the Park Güell. The entrance to these places is limited to a few people per hour and day, and tickets are often sold out for weeks. If you want to visit any very typical place in the city, make sure you plan it ahead and book your tickets with time. Otherwise is highly likely you will not be able to visit it!

Do not party in the Vila Olimpica

Passed the Maphre towers (that are actually one Maphre tower and the Hotel Arts), and near the casino, after many night clubs and right by the beach, there is la vila Olimpica. This area is an accumulation of cheap night bars, some chain restaurants and (after what I saw last month), many Chicha bars. For years, this has been the place where the “bad” tourism accumulates.

The place where all the 18-20 year olds who come to Barcelona to drink and get wasted 27/7 go out to party. It is a dirty place, with plenty of drunk people, stalkers and in general, not safe at all. If you really want to party, go to the historical center and find some cool bars to enjoy the nightlife, but unless you fall within the teenager/party classification, the Vila Olimpica is one of the main locations to avoid in Barcelona.

Are you interested in some typical traditions of the city? Check out this post about Christmas in Catalonia

Do not dress as a Faralai

Ok, so you are in Spain. And everyone in Spain loves Flamenco and Sevillanas.

Nope. Nope we don’t.

Even though you are technically in Spain, Barcelona is not Andalucia. Even though some people may enjoy Flamenco music and/or dancing, no one will be wearing a faralai dress on the streets. Maybe in Sevilla someone would during the Feria de Abril, but not in Barcelona. I think I have only seen tourists dressed as Sevillanas in Barcelona, never someone who is from the city. Please, avoid dressing as a Faralai in Barcelona. 

Do not expect to see bullfighting in Barcelona

This one is more about knowing the Catalan culture. Even though bullfighting is something very “Spanish”, the reality is that this practice has been forbidden in Catalonia since 2012. I personally hate these shows and I am happy that they no longer take place in Barcelona. In any case, this is just another sample of one of the typical topics about Spain that don’t apply to our city.

What to avoid in Barcelona as a tourist?

Do you think I missed something? Should I include more things and places to avoid in Barcelona as a tourist? let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this different guide on Barcelona, and I hope you will be missing all these tourist traps. If you enjoyed it, pin it!