Are you ready for a shopping spree? Barcelona has a lot to offer! Most Spanish brands are based here, and offer you better prices than back home. You will find better deals and prices in Spanish brands, such as Zara, Massimo Dutti, Mango, Custo, Desigual…

We will now propose you the top-5 shopping malls and the top-5 store-based streets in Barcelona for you to know beforehand where to go!
Let’s have a look at the shopping malls for those who make a quick visit to Barcelona and need to check the latest stuff available here!

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1. Diagonal Mar

Location: Passeig Taulat 262 (Metro L4 – El Maresme / Fòrum)
Located in the western extreme of town, the Diagonal Mar Shopping Mall opened in 2002 in order to bring shopping to the west part of town that it is still evolving since the celebration of 2004 Forum of the Cultures.
Counting with over 87,000 square meters of shops and restaurants, your only worry will be not spending too much on clothing. It has an underground station close to it, and then you have a streetcar that will bring you to another shopping mall nearby called “Glòries”.

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2. Maremagnum

Location: Moll d’Espanya, 5 (Metro L3 – Drassanes)
Established in 1995, this Shopping mall priority was nightlife over shopping, and drunken crowds ended creating trouble. In 2002, one of the bouncers of a club beated up a customer that was being rude and throwing bottles and later threw the customer to the water. As he did not know how to swim he drowned, creating a controversial case that made the city council close all the clubs in the mall.
After 5 years of decadence, in 2007 the city council made an effort to turn it into a now proud 3-level mall with sights to the sea. In 2012, to keep with the refurbishment, a new story was added including restaurants with breath-taking views of the port.

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3. Arenas

Location: Plaza Espanya (Metro L1, L3 – Espanya)
Founded in 1900 as a bullfighting arena, bullfights took place here until 1977. After that, and the reject of Catalan society to bullfights, the arena was deserted and few events took place in it (such as motorbike shows).
However, in 2010, a private group of investments decided to bring an investment to change the arena and turn it into nowadays a 30,000 square meter shopping mall that includes a dome at the roof and a rock museum!

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4. L’Illa

Location: Avinguda Diagonal, 557   (Metro L3 – Maria Cristina)
Established in 1993, this mall stands pioneer for a new concept of Illa. Illa in Catalan does not only mean island, but also a block of buildings. This mall tried to gain space in the inner space of the block, in which they include parks. This idea of a green space in the inner part of the block is traditional of some buildings in the Eixample.
In 2006, an additional expansion was made, including some bistros that include fresh pasta, Japanese bistros and a fresh fruit market. Also close to L’Illa you will find another mall called El Corte Ingles (what we can consider a version of Harrod’s, Galeries LaFayette or Macy’s).

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5. Gran Via 2

Location: Gran Via de l’Hospitalet, 75 (Metro L3, L1 to España and then FGC to Ildefons Cerdà).
Gran Via 2 is probably, one of the largest malls in Europe. Established in 2002, receives over 17 million visits per year. Close to La Fira de Barcelona, Europe’s largest convention center, this mall was made in an area that was initially desert on the outskirts of Barcelona.
Now it has turned into a monumental mall that attracted other business to the area (it has plenty of Hotels but also other shops such as IKEA close by, even if not within the mall).
After seeing the top-5 malls in town, is now turn to show you the main streets filled up with stores, for those who prefer to have a walk through streets instead of going into a mall. These 5 streets have a lot to offer!

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6. Rambla Catalunya

Location: Metro L3 – Catalunya, Liceu, Drassanes.
Located in the heart of Barcelona, right next to Passeig de Gràcia, this mixed street that includes a pedestrian area has a lot to offer. Plenty of shops from bottom to top that can offer products for every pocket. Jewellery shops to true Iranian carpet shops infest this street to the point of becoming one of the main streets of Barcelona regarding shopping.
To put the icing on the cake, you will find a varied repertoire of restaurants that have their terraces on the pedestrian area. A great place to have a mixture of food and shopping!

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7. Carrer de Sants

Location: Carrer de Sants (Metro L3 – Plaça de Sants)
This not-so-known street is probably one of the most store-occupied in the whole Barcelona, and the longest commercial street in Europe. With 4 kilometers long, if not so pleasant to walk (as sidewalks are narrow and there is plenty of traffic), you can enjoy the benefits of having better prices than in the city centre.
The trademark of the stores in this street is that they are familiar businesses, giving you a better look of the craftsmanship of certain shops. This street is quite known for tailoring and shoe-making, which might give you the chance to have an original product made in Barcelona and not buying into a chain store.
Often, the stores decide to get their products on the street and cut down the traffic flow, but they do not have fixed timetables and it occurs quite spontaneously or with few noticing in advance. 

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8. Carrer Portaferrissa

Location: C/ Portaferrissa (Metro L3 – Catalunya, Liceu, Drassanes).
This pedestrian street right next to Las Ramblas has everything you might need for your shopping day. From ice creams to underwear, you can find pretty much everything condensed in this tiny street.
This street is the beginning of a whirlpool of shopping. Not only in itself, but the adjacent streets have also plenty of things to offer. Carrer Petrixol is well known for having the best churros with chocolate in town (a local pastry dipped in melted chocolate) and Carrer del Duc is full of up-and coming-designer shops.

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9. Portal de l’Angel

Location: Plaza Cataluña (Metro L3, L1 – Catalunya)
If you are looking for a shopping spree, this is your place. It is probably one of the most store-condensed streets in Europe (and possibly in the world). Being fully pedestrian, most textile shops and chains can be found here. From underwear to regular garments, this is the place where you can find most of the clothing in town at a reasonable price.
Also, you will find two malls called called El Corte Ingles (what we can consider a version of Harrod’s, Galeries LaFayette or Macy’s). This multi-floor malls can offer you everything, from jewellery to electronics going through furniture. It is a great chance also to have great sights of Plaza Catalunya from the cafeteria located in the top floor. At the right side of the top picture you can see one of the Corte Ingles malls. On the bottom picture, the massive Corte Ingles Mall in Plaza Catalunya. 

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10. Passeig de Gràcia

Location: Metro L3, L5 – Diagonal, or L3 – Passeig de Gracia.
Barcelona’s most emblematic avenue can sum up the whole Barcelona experience. Having large sidewalks and including the two worldwide known Gaudi monuments (such as Casa Batlló and Casa Milà), also you can find plenty of shops & boutiques, for all kinds of budgets. The upper part of the Passeig is filled with expensive brand shops such as Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabanna, etc.
You can also find plenty of restaurants and terraces to have quick refreshment, and also a lot of benches to simply sit and see Barcelona’s most beautiful and lively avenue.

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BONUS – La Roca Village

These were the top 10 shopping areas IN Barcelona, but if you still haven’t got enough, there is also one famous place, a whole village dedicated to shopping, located OUTSIDE of Barcelona: La Roca Village.
Read full post here.

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