Best Time to Visit Barcelona

August is certainly the most active time in Barcelona, however roughly 10 percent of retail stores and dining places can be found closed from mid-August to early September, while the owners go on vacation trips. In the central part of Barcelona you can find a good number of shops and restaurants open. In spite of this, there will definitely be plenty of visitors. Barcelona has decent enough beautiful beaches, but the local people will actually appreciate it if tourists will not consider it a beach resort and don’t have on beachwear while visiting churches, cafes, etc.

Barcelona is wonderful off-season as well as a remarkable city even during winter months of January and February, as long as the possibility of rain is lower. While in these several months the city is not too cold averaging between 48-50°F with sunny and blue skies. Given the high humidity, 66-73°F is considered relaxing weather, which is typically the temperature between April and June and between late September to November. This really is the perfect time to visit Barcelona. Anything warmer compared to this, may really feel quite hot.

In case you take a trip with your young ones, toddler joy and happiness is considered a public responsibility in this country. In almost any public place folks around you will put every effort into helping to make your youngster happy: whenever he or she appears to be bored or is moping and crying, everyone does their best to entertain or to calm him or her.

Barcelona Festivals and Events

Barcelona hosts several annual fiestas, plenty of which are usually unique to Catalonia and provide you with an insight into its wonderful culture.

Cavalcada de Reis. (January 5)
This float parade of the Three Wise Men is majestic and held on the evening of January 5 annually. Although centered on families and kids, the various brightly coloured and decorative floats can be really enjoyed by folks of all ages.

Sónar.
A annual three-day music festival. It is mentioned formally as a festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art. Music is certainly the central element of the festival. The festival goes for three days and nights, typically beginning on a Thursday in the third week of June.

Monegros Desert Festival
The most popular and most significant one day/night electronic music festivals in Spain is in desert of Fraga 130 miles from Barcelona. More than 40,000 men and women gather every July to enjoy the electronic music with the greatest DJs demonstrating styles from house, electro, minimal, techno, to drum&bass, dubstep and hiphop. 20 hours non-stop, distinctive desert experience.

Festes de Gràcia
It is a Catalonian celebration, held around the 15th of August every year to commemorate the Assumption. During the week of festivities that mark one of Barcelona’s most significant fiestas, the city of Gràcia explodes with fun, excitement, color and fireworks. A lot of streets are decorated by the neighbors, live music, food in the street, and the parties continue all night.

Festes de Sants.
Similar to Gracia’s event, but smaller and later on in August. If you can’t go to the Gracia’s, try to go to this festival instead.

Sant Jordi. (April 23)
Considered to be like Valentine’s Day. People give roses and books right on the street. Traditionally men give women roses and ladies present men books. It is one of the most popular and fascinating celebrations in Catalonia.

Corpus. Late in May (Corpus Christi day).
An egg is put over the fountains (most of them in the churches, and decorated with flowers), and “magically dances” over the water. Most of the churches are in the city center: Cathedral’s cloister, Santa Anna, Casa de l’Ardiaca, Museu Frederic Marés, and over 10 more fountains.

Fira de Santa Llúcia. From December 2nd/3rd to December 23rd, to commemorate Sta. Llúcia (December 13th).
During this time, in front of the Cathedral, Christmas objects are sold. Some places sell Christmas trees, but most of them sell elements for making the pessebres (Nativity scenes). These include small sculptures, wooden pieces and moss used to simulate grass.

December 13th is the feast day of Santa Llucia, patron saint of fashion designers and blind people, who gather at the Santa Llucia chapel in the cathedral to pay their respects.

Revetlla de Sant Joan. (June 23)
This is the midsummer solstice celebration. It is celebrated on 23rd June every year and is signified by the fireworks (note that there are frequent and loud amateur fireworks all night long, which may make it hard to sleep) that are permanently on display during this time.

La Mercè. (September 24)
The annual festival of the City of Barcelona dating back to the 17th Century, it is an official holiday established to observe the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy. It offers plenty of activities, with the central event staying the parade of gigantic papier maché figures. Also worth noting are the group of ‘castellers’ who battle to see who can form the highest human tower, live music events, and the Magic Fountain and Fireworks show at the base of the Montjuic Hill. All the days events are accompanied by a heavy consumption of Cava, the national drink of Catalonia.

Fira de Barcelona.
There are trade events all year round in Barcelona, including the annual Mobile World Congress which sees more than 70,000 visitors to the city.

During festivals and especially during mobile world congress which is a major trade show at the Fira, accommodation in Barcelona and especially near the Fira is much more difficult to find and more expensive than usual.