The Catalan capital has simply been named the town that is most overcrowded by vacationers on the earth. The Native author and Barcelona resident Esme Fox offers her high tips about escape different holidaymakers.
Barcelona welcomed 15.5 million guests in 2024, and Catalonia as an entire obtained 19.9 million holidaymakers.
These are large figures that far outnumber the 1.6 million residents the Catalan capital has. The town centre can really feel very crowded, notably within the excessive summer time season, and as you’ve got most likely seen already, Barcelona is one the cities in Spain the place locals have taken to the streets to protest in opposition to mass tourism.
A brand new study has discovered that Barcelona has the best density of vacationers of all cities on the earth, surpassing New York, Rome and Paris with greater than 200,000 vacationers per sq. kilometre. This makes it virtually unattainable to stroll round areas such because the Gothic Quarter, round La Sagrada Familia and near Barceloneta seaside.
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You’ll have already booked to go to Barcelona this summer time, and though there are good causes to go to different elements of Spain as an alternative, there are a number of methods to make your journey to BCN a memorable one, with out the crowds nor contributing to the over-tourism drawback.
Discover different neighbourhoods
Each vacationer is aware of the Gothic Quarter, El Born, Eixample, Gracia and presumably Poblenou, however you could not even realise that different metropolis neighbourhoods exist, not to mention take into consideration visiting them. If you happen to journey barely additional than the primary vacationer circuit, you’re positive to flee the crowds and also you’ll positively be rewarded.
There’s well-heeled Sarrià-Sant Gervasi within the northwest of the town, residence to sleek previous villas, boutique retailers and many impartial eating places. Sights up right here embrace Mount Tibidabo and the Pedralbes Monastery. Then there’s peaceable and down-to-earth Horta-Guinardo with a number of greenery and parks, together with the Parc del Laberint d’Horta with its very personal hedge maze. Or possibly it is best to attempt the very native and conventional neighbourhood of Sant Andreu, residence to uncommon sights akin to Fàbrica de Creació Fabra i Coats, a contemporary artwork museum in an previous thread manufacturing facility or Nau Bostik, additionally housed in an previous manufacturing facility and now a cultural centre lined in a number of the metropolis’s finest road artwork murals and residential to classic markets and festivals.
Go to a few of Barcelona’s lesser-known neighbourhoods. Photograph: Javier Aranda / Unsplash
Select a lodge away from the centre
Whereas it’s true that almost all of resorts in Barcelona are within the central areas akin to Plaça de Catalunya, Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla de Catalunya, when you select resorts away from these areas or in a number of the neighbourhoods talked about above, you then’ll discover it to be quite a bit quieter. You’ll additionally discover many lodge choices close to the Camp Nou soccer stadium, which lies to the northwest of the centre. Aside from the stadium, this space doesn’t get crowded in any respect, it’s even near some pretty parks and gardens such because the Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes and the rose gardens of the Parc de Cervantes.
Go to different sights
There’s no escaping the truth that the primary metropolis sights are going to be crowded, however there are many wonderful different ones that don’t get anyplace close to as many guests. If you happen to’ve been to Barcelona earlier than and have already carried out the massive Antoni Gaudí sights just like the Sagrada Família and Casa Batlló, then there’s much more to see in different areas of the town, which might be arguably simply pretty much as good.
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Only a 15-minute stroll up the highway from Sagrada Família is the epic Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, an previous artwork nouveau hospital designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which positively holds its personal. Sitting proper subsequent to Casa Batlló, however approach much less crowded is the Casa de Amatller – it might not have been designed by Gaudí, however its Modernista model is equally spectacular. Whereas on Calle Diagonal, you will additionally discover Casa de les Punxes, one other marvellous grand Modernista residence that welcomes far fewer guests. If you happen to positively need extra Gaudí, go to a few of his lesser-known buildings like Casa Vicens or Torre Bellesguard.
Go to Barcelona’s epic Modernista hospital. Photograph: Manuel Torres Garcia / Pixabay
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Get out into nature
Imagine it or not, there are many alternatives to get out into nature, even throughout the metropolis limits. The large inexperienced hill to the west of the town is Montjuïc, stuffed with many parks and gardens, from sculpture and botanical gardens to flower gardens. Whereas the half across the previous Olympic Stadium might get crowded, make your approach additional up the hill and you will all the time discover a quiet shady spot to get pleasure from a picnic. There’s additionally an interesting cemetery and an historic citadel. Among the best locations to go for nature, nevertheless, is the Collserola, an unlimited pure park. It lies within the towering hills above the town and is crisscrossed by many mountaineering trails, providing spectacular views throughout the skyline and right down to the Mediterranean.
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Make use of the rail community as an alternative of the metro
The metro can get very crowded and really sweaty, particularly in summer time, as thousands and thousands of vacationers descend on the town, however the metro just isn’t the one option to get round. Relying on the place you’re staying, a sooner and fewer busy possibility is the Rodalies community. Trains run immediately from stations like Sants (the primary rail hub) to Passeig de Gràcia (famed for its Gaudí buildings) with out all of the stops in between. You too can get from a number of the lesser-known neighbourhoods akin to La Sagrera or Clot straight to the centre of the town at Plaça de Catalunya in beneath 10 minutes, versus 25 minutes on the metro.
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Select the outer-lying seashores
The seashores near the centre of the town close to Barceloneta and Vila Olímpica get insanely crowded in summer time and locals are inclined to utterly keep away from them. Not solely are they extra crowded, however they’re dirtier with poorer water high quality and there are a number of security issues. For instance, you’ll be able to’t simply depart your belongings on the seaside whilst you go for a swim, as they received’t be there if you return.
As a substitute, do what the locals do and head to the furthest seashores from the centre and even out of the town utterly. In Barcelona itself, the seashores after Mar Bella are positively much less busy, whereas within the neighbouring city of Badalona (once more use the Rodalies) you’ll discover a entire string of seashores the place primarily locals go. On the opposite aspect of Barcelona, close to the airport in El Prat de Llobregat, there’s an enormous 5.5km seaside surrounded by nature and wetlands.
