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 Plaza Catalunya and La Eixampla neighbourhood via Passeig de Gracia.
Starting at the bottom of Las Ramblas, in Barcelona port, we find the torre colom, a monument dedicated to Columbus that can be visited and gives excellent views of the port.
After Drassanes, we come to the 19th century plaza 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 Guell, 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 Barcelona's 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 transportation, the Metro green line runs under Las Ramblas with a stop at Drassanes near the port end Columbus Column, a stop at Liceo in front of the theatre and near to la Boqueria food market and a stop at the top in Plaza Catalunya.
For a detailed breakdown of the attractions in la Rambla, click on any of the images below.
Happy Exploring!
