More than one and a half million people make their living in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia and one of the most important cities in Spain. In addition, more than four and a half million people visit it every year to discover its streets and most emblematic places. The large number of people who walk along its avenues and consume all kinds of products means that Barcelona has a wide range of markets and open-air markets where you can find all kinds of food and exclusive items.
In total, Barcelona has more than 40 markets spread throughout the different neighbourhoods of the city. In this post, we’re going to explain you about the best-known markets in the world and about those less famous ones that are worth a visit, as they hide great unique gems.
If you visit Barcelona, we recommend you the shared transfer services and private transfer services, low-cost and sustainable, offered by Shuttle2Sun, to get to Barcelona from Barcelona airport, Barcelona port, Reus airport, Girona airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
The most famous markets
In the heart of the city’s Ramblas is Barcelona’s market par excellence, Boqueria Market, which you will surely have heard of, but if you haven’t, this article will tell you everything you need to know about it. It is a space whose origins date back to the 13th century, when the peasants used to set up different tables to sell meat in this open-air square. Centuries later, the market was inaugurated in 1840.
Its current main entrance has a modernist-style arch, the work of the architect Antoni de Falguera, dating from 1913. Strolling through its aisles you can enjoy the magnificent aesthetics of the market, as well as its take-away food stalls and its fresh, local food products. It currently has more than 300 stalls, making it one of the largest in Barcelona.
Another of the most visited is the modernist-style Sant Antoni Market, built in 1882 by the architect Antoni Rovira i Trias on Carrer del Comte Urgell in L’Eixample district. This large space with a modernist-style iron structure includes almost a hundred food stalls, such as butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers. It is also worth noting that inside you can visit the archaeological remains of a section of the Roman Via Augusta and the necropolis, which were found during renovation work in 2009. This market is open from Monday to Saturday, from 8 am to 8 pm.
On the other hand, the first covered market in Barcelona was Santa Caterina Market, open since 1848, located in Sant Pere, Santa Caterina and La Ribera neighbourhood. In addition to its original porticoed façade, its original ceramic roof, inspired by the work of Antoni Gaudí, is particularly noteworthy, bringing a lot of life and colour to the installations. Inside, there are around fifty stalls offering meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, as well as prepared food, pastries and bars.
Due to population growth during the 19th century, it was also decided to build another market, Barceloneta market, in Plaça del Poeta Boscà, in this fishing neighbourhood. Prior to its construction, between the 18th and 19th centuries, traders selling fresh fish and seafood had already set up shop in the open air in the same place.
Another of the city’s modernist markets is Ninot Market, which was open-air until 1933. Today, with more than 48 stalls inside and 33 outside, you can enjoy its metallic structure, designed by the architects Antoni de Falguera Sivilla and Joaquim Vilaseca Rivera.
Barcelona’s shopping offer is immense. We suggest that, if you visit the city at any time of the year, you take advantage of your stay to visit some of the markets that most catch your eye. Remember that with the shared transfer services and private transfer services, low-cost and sustainable, offered by Shuttle2Sun, you can travel to Barcelona from Barcelona airport, Barcelona port, Reus airport, Girona airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
Antique and collector’s items
If you are a lover of exclusive, antique and collector’s items, Barcelona is perfect for you. It has a wide range of markets where you are sure to find great hidden gems. One of the most important is Encants Market, where there are hundreds of traders selling home decor, ceramics, sculptures, lighting, clothes and accessories, second-hand books, haberdashery, furniture and much more. There are also several bars and restaurants serving homemade Mediterranean cuisine and local produce.
Outside the Sant Antoni Market is Encants de Sant Antoni market, where you will find, above all, clothing and accessories, haberdashery, household linen and jewellery shops, among others. As well as Dominical de Sant Antoni market, with the sale of books, stickers, films, video games, etc.
Another ideal place to find the best antiques is Gothic Market, with up to 28 exhibitors located in Plaça Nova, as well as the Nautumismo Fair, in Plaça Reial.
Also worth mentioning are the antiques market in Port Antic, next to the Christopher Columbus monument; the art market in Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol, where you can enjoy the wonderful works of the participating artists; and the craft fair in Plaça del Comerç, organised by Escola de Foment i Estudis de les Belles Arts (School for the Promotion and Study of Fine Arts).
More markets
Finally, don’t miss Concepció Market, located in L’Eixample, with a wide variety of stalls selling all kinds of food and craft products; Sarrià Market, with around 20 stalls; and Rambla Flower Market, which, as its name suggests, has stalls distributed along this great main thoroughfare.
Don’t think twice and travel to Barcelona to enjoy all these charming markets. Shuttle2Sun offers its shared transfer services and private transfer services, low-cost and sustainable, to move to Barcelona from Barcelona airport, Barcelona port, Reus airport, Girona airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
