The Girls Guide To Shopping in Barcelona

By Alexandra Moore

This article outlines the variety of Shopping in Barcelona for girls and includes clothing, swimwear, shoes, and cosmetics, as well as a section on plus sized clothing.

I came to Barcelona excited about the prospect of shopping, having been familiar with the recently internationalized Mango and Zara. However even I was surprised and delighted at the variety and number of shops in this fair city, in fact to the dismay of my bank balance I managed to buy a new item every single day in my first week.

Here are a few great shops for women and some tips I picked up along the way.

Clothes Shopping in Barcelona

There is an incredible variety of clothes shops to suit all tastes, from the cheaper, younger Spanish brands like Bershka to top international fashion houses like Chanel.

Bershka
Av. Portal d´Angel
Metro: Catalunya (Green Line, L3)
Official Website: www.bershka.com

Bershka is one of Spain’s most popular shops for girls in the15-29 year age group and is great for your basics. It is incredibly cheap, with a pair of Bershka labelled jeans coming in at just 19 euros.

In the same genre are Stradivarius, Pull & Bear and Pimpkie, all found on the same road..

For those of you hoping to drag along boyfriends, fear not, they have no reason to grumble, shops like bershka and Stradivarius have thoughtfully put some benches in their entrances!

Zara/Mango
Av. Portal d´Angel, 24 & 34 (though they can be found everywhere e.g. Passeig de Gracia and Calle Pelai)
Metro: Catalunya (Green Line, L3)
Official Website: www.zara.com

These brands are now internationally known for giving the customer high fashion at high street prices. However as the stock of each shop depends on the demand of the customers in the area you might find something different here than what you get at home. Slightly smarter than Bershka, I have seen all ages shopping here. The tailoring is particularly good, so if you are on the lookout for smarter/work clothes then this could be your place.

Massimo Dutti
Av. Portal d´Angel, 7/ Carrer Pelai
Metro: Catalunya (Green Line, L3)
Website: www.massimodutti.com

This brand is another step up in both sophistication and price, however it is still reasonable, I found a great jumper for 36 euros. The clothes have more of a Spanish feel in their colour and fabrics, and they have great accessories and leather shoes and bags.

System Action is similar to Massimo Dutti in both price and style.

If you are looking for International brands then the best thing to do is walk down Passeig de Gracia. Here you will find Diesel, Miss Sixty as well as MaxMara, Chanel and Luis Vuitton (plus you get the bonus of a bit of sightseeing thrown in as you will pass Guadi´s famous building, La Pedrera No. 92 and his Casa Batllo, no. 43. It’s a lovely street to wander down, wide and dotted with cafes which can provide a welcome rest, but in the international stores be prepared to pay the same prices as you would in any of these shops in London or Paris.

(Most of the shops already mentioned do not partake in the 14:00-17:00 siesta time when most other businesses shut, and often stay open until around 09:00. Normal shop opening times are 10:00-13:00 then 17:00-20:00)

Custo
Calle Ferran, No. 7
Metro: Liceu (Green Line, L3)
Official website: www.custo-barcelona.com
Alternatively if you are searching for a bit of originality Barcelona style then Custo might be your best bet. Custo is a well known Spanish designer, popular for his use of colour and wacky designs. The clothes are good quality but will set you back a fair amount with a simple t shirt costing at least 60 euros.

Similar in style but slightly less expensive is Paramita, on La Ramblas just opposite Liceu metro station

Click here to read our Custo Barcelona Articles

It is worth keeping in mind that shops such as Bershka, Mango and Zara all have a line of inexpensive shoes and accessories that are definitely worth checking out, and they go up to size 8 (41)

Swimwear shopping in Barcelona

One of the joys of Barcelona is the fact that is right next to the beach, therefore swimwear is an essential!

Calzedonia
Av. Portal d´Angel, 7/ Carrer Cucurulla
Metro: Catalunya/Liceu, (Green Line, L3), 10 minute walk from either station.

This is an amazing shop full of original designs and styles. The quality is great even if the prices can easily reach 50 euros for a bikini..you will look great on the beach though!

Women’s Secret
Carrer Cucurulla
Metro: Catalunya/ Liceu, (Green Line, L3)
Just a great little shop with an incredible range of stylish underwear, swimwear and nightwear. (´Just because it’s meant as nightwear doesn’t mean it has to be used as such, I buy great little night dresses and wear them as daywear over trousers)

Plus Sized Clothes Shopping

Etams
Glories Shopping Centre
Diagonal 208
Metro: Glories (Red Line, L1) 10 Mins walk from the metro
Website for glories shopping centre: lesglories.com

If you are looking for plus-sized clothes then try Etams in the Glories shopping Centre. There are also other stores in the shopping centre that stock this type of clothing as well as the giant Carrefour.

Shoes shopping in Barcelona

La Manual Alpargatera
If you are a shoe addict, or if you are searching for your perfect pair of espadrilles (surely a must-buy in Spain) you can not miss this famous shop. This company, whose workshop is behind the shop, has been making espadrilles for almost a century and is so well-known for its handicraft, as well as for the atmosphere inside the shop and the charm of its Catalan staff that it can count Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas and late Pope John Paul II as customers.

They also sell bags, hats and canes all made from natural materials.

If you just want a pair of normal espadrilles don’t forget you can pick them up in most Spanish supermarkets (like Carrefour Express on Las Ramblas) for about 5 euros.

Camper
Carrer Elisebets, 11
Metro: Liceu (Green Line, L3)
Website: www.camper.com
Camper is another famous international brand that you may be surprised to know is Spanish. The trendy shop and new 25 room Camper hotel can be located near the MACBA (Museum of contemporary art) in the lively Raval district of La Rambla.

Noel Barcelona
Carrer Pelai, 48
Metro: Catalunya (Green Line, L3) 3 mins walk
Amazingly here is where you will find the most unbelievable collection of cowboy boots! Every style and colour, a pair will set you back at least 150 euros.

They do of course have other shoes too, trainers, espadrilles, it’s a veritable one-stop shoe shop.

Costmetics shopping

El Corte Ingles
Placa Catalunya
Metro: Catalunya, (Green line, L3)

You can’t beat Corte Ingles, it´s one of Spain’s leading department stores and is known for its range of cosmetics (and almost everything else you could need). It’s also a great air conditioned place to pop into to cool down after a hard day's shopping..

Sephora
Carrer Pelai
Metro: Catalunya (Green line, L3) 2 minutes walk
Website: www.sephora.com
This international cosmetics emporium has a large shop stocking all the trendy make up brands and every perfume under the sun.

Take advantage of the great summer sales (Usually start first week in July to the end of August) where some shops slash their prices by up to 70% the word to look out for is Rebajas, or Rebaixes in Catalan.

If you prefer to do your shopping all under one roof then you best head to L´Illa which is a mall on El Diagonal (www.lilla.com), 10minutes walk from Cortes metro station. Here you’ll find Bershka, Mango to interior design shops and Decathlon which has every item of sporting equipment you could ever need.

Outlet shopping- Shopping Village (Just outside Barcelona)

La Roca Village
La Roca del Valles

Regular bus service from Barcelona
From Monday to Friday Sagalés runs a bus service from Fabra i Puig Bus Station (Barcelona) to La Roca Village.

From Barcelona to La Roca Village
9:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00

From La Roca Village to Barcelona
11:10, 13:10, 15:10, 19:10

Price per journey: 2.45 euros
Time of the journey: 50 min

Tel: (0034) 93 842 3900
Website: www.larocavillage.com

Here you will find over 80 leading brands such as Camper, Cacharel, Ralph Lauren and Quicksilver at prices reduced by about 60% all year round, all conveniently situated in this ´village´ inspired by late 18th century Catalan architecture. A helpfully point is there is also a playground for restless children.

The great thing about Barcelona is that you will come across the same shops over and over again, for example there are 2 Bershkas on Av. Portal d´Angel, there is also one just up Carrer Pelai, more on Placa Universidad, on L´illa mall and so on, so whether you are a dedicated shopper wanting to plan your trip, or just hoping to stroll around and find things as you do, Barcelona is perfect. Enjoy!

Related Pages

Barcelona Spain Shopping Overview
The Girls Guide to Shopping in Barcelona - this page
What not to wear in Barcelona - how to blend in with the locals
Barcelona Market Guide
Designer Boutiques guide
Tax free shopping in Barcelona - (Non-European visitors)
Custo Barcelona - designer Spanish Fashion
Antiques shopping in Barcelona
Barcelona Chair
The cost of living in Barcelona
Currency Convertor

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