Barcelona Las Ramblas Guide & Attractions

About Las Ramblas Boulevard

Las Ramblas is the most famous street in Barcelona and a must see on any tourist itinerary and walking tour. It is a very active and noisy part of town lined with hotels, hostels, tourist boutiques and restaurants. Along the length of the La Rambla boulevard are some of Barcelona's most well know tourist attractions.

Las Ramblas with a distance of 1.3km, is a long pedestrian, tree lined street, running through the heart of the old the medieval part of the city. las Ramblas divides the neighbourhood of El Raval from the Gothic Quarter. Las Ramblas links the cruise Port of Barcelona at the Christopher Columbus monument "Tore Colom" all the way up to Plaça Catalunya and La Eixampla neighbourhood via Passeig de Gracia.

Starting at the bottom of Las Ramblas, in Barcelona port, we find the Colom Mirador, a monument dedicated to Columbus that can be visited and gives excellent views of the port.

After Drassanes, we come to the 19th century Plaça Reial, or royal square, One of Barcelona's grandest and largest squares. Inside you will find fountains, palm trees, restaurants and night clubs such as Jamboree, Sidecar, and The Pipa club cocktail bar.

On the opposite side of the street is Nou de la Rambla street where you will find a Gaudi house in las Ramblas - Palau Güell, distinctive from his later works in Passeig de Gracia for its square and boxy castle like exterior facade.

The section of the la Rambla between Drasanes and Liceo is known as Rambla dels Caputxins. At Liceo we find an the Gran Teatre del Liceu, still active today, and one of the worlds most prestigious opera houses. Also in this area is La Boqueria Barcelona's oldest and most famous food market.

Because of the high density of tourists in La Rambla, it has a reputation for being a haven for pickpockets so take care to ensure your pockets and all bag zips are closed and do not leave anything unattended. Historically, the lower end of Las Ramblas was particularly seedy at night with dealers and prostitutes catering to the night clubbers. However today it is a lot less seedy because the council and police have cracked down on these activities.

For a detailed breakdown of the attractions in la Rambla, click on any of the images below.

Happy Exploring!

Where to Eat Las Ramblas Boulevard

Las Ramblas is lined with restaurants and kebab houses targeted specifically at the tourist market and I generally avoid eating in Las Ramblas. However, it is possible to find some genuine gems of bars and restaurants and the below are places that I recommend. Note that restaurants in Plaça Reial are a bit more pricey because of the location.

• Restaurant Amaya: Traditional Basque and Mediterranean food with nostalgic interior dining room.
  La Rambla 12, 08002 Barcelona
• Louro Restaurant Gallega: Seafood dominant menu of Galician dishes such as smoked sardines, crunchy octopus, scallops gratin, calamari sandwich and Galician beef filet. This place is always full so it is best to reserve a table via thier website.
  Rambla del Caputxins 37, 08002 Barcelona
• El Quim de la Boqueria: A simple tapas bar with stool seating that serves 5 star dishes made of produce from the market.
  Mercado de La Boqueria, La Rambla 91, 08001 Barcelona
• Maoz Vegetarian: For streetfood and a quick bite This bar serves fresh falafel in pita bread with salad & vegetables.
  Carrer de Ferran 13, 08002 Barcelona
• Rei de Copes: Cocktail bar and terrace restaurant with contemporary mediteranian menu. Reserve a table via thier website.
  Plaça Reial 10, 08002 Barcelona
• Hotel Roma Reial Restaurante: Cocktail bar in the evening. Terrace restaurant during the day. International tapas menu and tourst friendly dishes. Reserve a table via thier website.
  Plaça Reial 11, 08002 Barcelona
• Portal De La Pau: Grilled meat specialties with a terrace bar with views of the columbus monument.
  Plaça Portal de la Pau 4, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona