Barcelona Shopping

Barcelona Shopping information

Best Areas

Most of Barcelona's high street stores are concentrated around Plaça de Catalunya and along the Paseo de Gracia which runs off it. El Corte Ingles department store (Plaça de Catalunya, at the top of the Ramblas) is a local landmark and sells just about everything. If you're looking for upmarket clothing, head for the shopping area close to Metro Diagonal. This is where Barcelona's richer and more fashionable denizens shop for their wardrobe. Meanwhile the old town is the best place to go for art and crafts of all kinds from modern designs to antiques - ceramics are particularly recommended. Las Ramblas itself is lined on either side with shops selling everything from fine foods and fancy goods to ceramics and cigars.

Markets

There is only one place to go to in Barcelona if you want markets and that's Las Ramblas. The thoroughfare's central reservation is given over to semi-permanent and permanent stalls. The street is broadly divided into sections according to product with the flower market and the bird market being the most colourful. Most areas in the city have their own local food market and a visit to one of these gives you a fabulous glimpse of Barcelona day to day life. The largest and most accessible for tourists is La Boqueria halfway down Las Ramblas. Check out the fish stalls to see some of the most colourful and varied produce you'll find on any market. Cathedral square (la Seu) plays host to a small antique and art market over the summer months. Serious antique hunters will find it slightly disappointing, but most people will enjoy rummaging through the eclectic mix of art prints and other items on offer.

Shopping Malls

The brightest mall in Barcelona at the moment is Maremàgnum (Tel: +34 93-225-8100), a huge glass and metal structure at Port Vell. The Ramblas extends over a footbridge to reach the complex, which appears actually in the marina. The mall comprises shops as well as cinemas and bars. In truth the shopping isn't that good, unless you're souvenir hunting but it's always a good place for a casual browse. For a good collection of fashion and gift boutiques head for Kastoria (Avda Catedral 6-8; Tel:+34 93-310-0411) and enjoy a 10 per cent discount on all purchases within the complex. Click on the discount tag for details. La Roca Outlet Village is on the edge of the city (approx. 45 minutes' drive to the north-east) and offers large discounts on mainstream fashion labels in over 60 large stores. Local tour operators often offer trips from major hotels to the complex. For information on the complex Tel: +34 93-842-3900.

What to Buy

A difficult question this in Barcelona. As you'd expect from a large European city there are plenty of outlets for Euro-designer gear and other international items, however, distinctive Barcelona souvenirs are more problematic. As with elsewhere in Spain leather is a good buy. Look out for good quality handbags, belts and shoes all over the city. You'll pay more in the tourist hotspots than you will elsewhere in the town but the prices are low enough to represent a bargain even when marked up. There are plenty of distinctive foodstuffs as well. Specialist luxury food stores are dotted all over town and most supermarkets have a deli section. There are plenty of good cheeses to choose from, and shops will generally let you try before you buy. Serrano ham is a delicious smoked meat often sold on the bone. Chorizo (spicy sausage) and Turron (a kind of nougat) are popular regional foods that travel well. For drinks Cava (similar to champagne) and Rioja are both recommended. Barcelona's museums and art galleries sell tasteful souvenirs. They also tend to stock the best postcards. Look out for art prints in the Picasso Museum shop in particular. Plates, mugs and other crockery in the distinctive style of Gaudí are also commonly on sale, and make a unique souvenir of a visit to the city as do various traditional Spanish-style ceramics. Of course no guide could mention shopping in Barcelona without mentioning FC Barcelona merchandise. You'll find it for sale throughout the city and especially in tourist areas. Scarves, mugs and baseball caps bearing the famous Barcelona crest make good souvenirs for football fans from all over the world. If you decide to buy a football shirt make sure you're getting the current strip - the team changes its kit every season or so and, whereas shirts over ten years old are often fashionable collectors' items, one from a couple of years ago is simply outdated. The shop underneath the Nou Camp stadium is a good place for all manner of FC Barcelona souvenirs, but you won't have to search far no matter where you are in the city.

Opening Hours

You should be aware that practically everything in Spain closes for "siesta" for at least two hours during the hottest part of the day. In general shops will open from 10h00-14h00 and open again from 16h30-20h00/21h00, Mon-Sat. Shops tend to not open on Sunday, although this is gradually changing as the strict laws governing weekend opening have been relaxed recently. Large shopping centres tend to stay open all day, from 10h00-21h00.

Tax Refund

After visiting Spain tourists from outside the EU can apply for a tax refund on goods bought within the country. A sales tax (VAT) of 16% is levied on most goods and services in Spain. Most countries offering a tax refund specify a minimum amount that must be spent in a particular shop to claim a refund. In Spain, the minimum purchase to qualify for a refund is EUR90.15. To reclaim tax you need to request a VAT refund request form when you make a purchase, which states the amount of refund due. These documents must be stamped by customs officials as you leave the country and the refund will be processed and sent to you. Alternatively, you can purchase goods from shops participating in "Europe Tax-free Shopping" programme (look out for the ETS logo displayed in the window). Simply show your passport when you make a purchase and you will be given a Tax-free Shopping Cheque showing the refund you are owed. As you leave the country, customs officials will stamp your cheques. You can claim your refund from the Europe Tax-free Shopping desk or have it sent to you.