This blog post was originally posted on October 20, 2014, and was updated on October 12, 2017.

Barcelona is a compact city that is filled to the brim with different shopping areas for all tastes, budgets, and time-limits.

Photo Credit: Misty Barker Text Overlay: Devour Barcelona Food Tours

From high-end designers to funky second-hand and vintage shops, read on for our best Barcelona shopping tips while in the city.

Portal de l’Angel

One of the busiest pedestrian streets in Spain begins right at the south edge of Plaça Catalunya. It eventually forks, leading in one direction to the Gothic Cathedral and in the other, more shopping. Portal de l’Angel is probably the most concentrated area of big names like Zara, H&M and the like. Fear not however as it also makes room for smaller ones like Natura or the high-quality Basque brand Loreak Mendian.

El Born

It’s hard to believe that just 20 years ago the Born neighborhood was an extremely seedy area of Barcelona. Today, it is one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods. It is known for independent, trend-setting fashion. The charming narrow streets display original boutiques of all sorts, mostly focused on very stylish, high-quality clothing, shoes, and accessories. The neighborhood is a bit of a labyrinth. Furthermore, some of the best shops are hidden on some of its smallest streets. Start out either on Carrer Rec, Flassaders or Mirallers, and let the roaming begin.

Calle Tallers

Another busy pedestrian street, Tallers is the place to go for second-hand fare. Pay-by-the-kilo vintage and record shops fill these quaint streets. Barcelona’s version of Camden is lively, though a bit rough around the edges and by far one of the most important alternative shopping areas in the city.

Rambla de Catalunya

One street over from Passeig de Gràcia finds Rambla de Catalunya, its younger, and perhaps a bit less pretentious, sibling. Lined with restaurant cafes and all types of shopping, from Sephora to Petit Bateau. It offers up a great variety of stores as well as lovely terraces perfect for people-watching while sipping on a cafe con leche. Take a look at the video below to get a quick glimpse inside one of our favorite places, Granja Viader.

Passeig de Gràcia

Once an old country road connecting Barcelona to the Village of Gràcia, Passeig de Gràcia is now one of the most expensive streets in Spain. Not to mention being home to some of Antonio Gaudi’s most famous buildings. expect to find Chanel, Gucci and all the other top designers here. Whether or not your wallet can handle it, the beautiful tree-lined boulevard is at least worth taking a stroll!

Carrer Verdi

If you find yourself up in the charming neighborhood of Gràcia, don’t miss out on Carrer Verdi. It is a quaint commercial street in the old village that boasts small independent clothing shops and unique design stores. Unlike other shopping areas in Barcelona, you can be sure to find hardly any crowds, or tourists, up here.

And finally, some tips!

Just a few small but important details to keep in mind when you’re shopping in Barcelona!

• Boutiques and smaller shops generally close for a few hours in the afternoon, usually somewhere between 2.30 p.m and 5 p.m, give or take 30 minutes.
• Sales tax is included in everything you buy, so you can expect to pay exactly what the price tag states.
• Not all shops are flexible on returns! Make sure to ask the return policy before buying something you might later regret.