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Open any guidebook to Barcelona and the advice is the same: don’t even think about visiting the city in July or August. It’s too hot, too noisy and so overcrowded that the locals pack up and leave for weeks at a time. For those tied to the increasingly strict schedules of school holidays however, or those who didn’t get the time away from work they wanted, there can be little other option but to visit in the height of summer. So if you’ve chosen to ignore the warnings of doom coming from the guidebook and will be visiting Barcelona when it’s at its warmest then read on and find out how to make the most of your time in the Catalan capital.
Special Events
Sant Joan
Summer kicks off in dramatic fashion in Barcelona as the city’s population takes to the streets to dance demonically around bonfires and drink far more alcohol than they probably should. The fervor of the evening has to be seen to be believed and you’ll be glad to know that the following day is a public holiday, giving the city plenty of time to recover!
Montjuïc de Nit
A collection of concerts and live events taking place near the Plaça Espanya. Up to ten stages are set up with live music, DJs and other events scattered around the historic Montjuïc area and the city’s Olympic park. Barcelona’s famous musical fountain show takes place here just before dusk but to be honest it’s not terribly impressive in person so can be easily skipped if the crowds are huge (as they normally are).
Montjuïc Open-air Cinema
Also at Montjuïc is the city’s famous summer open air cinema. Running from late June until mid-August the cinema shows films in their original language (a boon for non-Spanish speakers) from an eclectic mix including 1940s classics, Asian cinema and a few recent blockbusters. This year’s lineup included films like Inception and The King’s Speech, both shown in English.
Festa Mejor de Gracia
Gracia, already a tourist magnet, gets even more exciting in late August when it holds its annual festival. The area’s many squares and plazas play host to a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock and classical. The food area is particularly worth exploring particularly if you want to dive straight into the glory of Spanish cuisine. Inevitably the action continues late into the night with the most dedicated revelers staying out until the sun rises. Needless to say if you’re to stay in a quiet and relaxed area of Barcelona you may need to look elsewhere when booking accommodation!
Where to Stay
Accommodation availability and prices can be the biggest barrier to visiting Barcelona in high season. There simply isn’t enough hotel capacity to accommodate all of the city’s visitors and therefore anything you do find will be very expensive. All the usual international chains are represented in the city along with the Spanish chains Barceló, Eurostars and NH.
Other accommodation options are available such as youth hostels, couch surfing and apartment rental. Oh Barcelona has a wide range of apartments across the city. Apartment rental also allows you to cook for yourself saving you money and letting you get to know Spanish cuisine that bit better.
Getting Out
Occasionally however the heat and the city will prove to be too much and you may find yourself craving the serenity of the countryside or a quiet beach. Thankfully Barcelona is well connected by train to other places which are well worth visiting.
Llança
A small and sleepy seaside resort near the French border Llança is a two hour train journey fromRome. Boasting a long sandy beach far quieter than anything you could hope to find inBarcelona the city is also home to numerous (and very reasonably priced) restaurant selling seafood and other regional specialties.
PortAventura
While visiting a theme park may seem like a strange way to escape the crowds PortAventura can be very quiet in the evenings. Even in late July queues are short, rides are quiet and by visiting in the evening you can avoid the very worst of the summer heat. Tickets are not cheap but the Spanish railway operator RENFE sell a combined train and theme park admission ticket for around €50.
Figueres
Home to the famous, wonderful and utterly mad Salvador Dalí museum this typical Catalan town allows you to experience yet another side of the region. The museum hosts a huge collection of the eccentric artists work. Dalí, being Dalí even designed his own tomb into the museum and is therefore working his way through eternity behind a giant concrete slab in the heart of the museum. A one hour train ride fromBarcelona, Figueres is also home to a range of smaller museums and (as always) a great range of restaurants.
Wrap Up
So your summer trip to Barcelona can go ahead! The key is to plan what you’re doing in advance and understand that you probably won’t be able to do everything. Hopefully with this guide and some additional planning you’ll have a ball in Barcelona and maybe be able to return at another time of year to see even more of this fascinating country.
This post was provided by Oh Barcelona
