If you plan on spending any amount of time in Barcelona, taking in the main avenue through the heart of downtown is a must. La Rambla might be somewhat touristy in nature, and the prices at some of the restaurants and shops along the avenue reflect this fact, but there’s a reason the route is as famous and popular as it is. We were able to explore La Rambla in two different months: March and May. And WOW what a difference the two make. When we first arrived it was cold, windy, rainy, and the trees were barren of any life. But that didn’t stop the travelers from being out and about! It was just as crowded in the early Spring as it was when we came back a couple of months later, and the trees and flowers were in full bloom. If you live in the vicinity of downtown, or you are staying nearby, you’ll end up on La Rambla at some point or another, as it bisects every major avenue on the way up from the coast. And if you if you enjoy people-watching along with sipping a cold beer on a warm afternoon and some tapas to get the thirst going…well, there’s few better places to do so in the whole city.
For our money, through, the Boqueria Market was our favorite place (stay tuned for the next blog post, where we cover the market in full). If there’s one thing you know from watching our videos from the past few years, as well as the information within our guidebooks for the various cities we’ve lived in and visited, it’s that we LOVE local markets. We cook most of our meals at home, even when on the road, so for us the local markets are a great place to find fresh vegetables and fruits, cheeses, wines, meats, eggs, and beyond. Above and beyond that, there’s all sorts of comidas rapidas inside La Boqueria. Just because it’s fast food doesn’t mean it’s bad 
There’s plenty of heart-healthy options to choose from, such as smoothies and juice blends, but there’s also meat, sausages, mariscos, and beyond. It’s quite easy to fill up on a couple of bocadillas and a juice, and suddenly realize you don’t need to sit down for a fully lunch after all! La Rambla also offers you access to a variety of plazas, fountains, museums, and beyond.
If the crowds start to get to you, it’s easy enough to duck down one of the size streets. There’s literally dozens of shops, restaurants, and sights lurking around the corner, but you’ll never know unless you head down one of them to find out! Check out the video below for a closer view at the Rambla of Barcelona. And don’t forget, if you need more information on the city you can read up on the Visit Barcelona website as well as over at the Catalunya Experience, or pick up our our Barcelona travel guide, jam-packed with local information such as apartments and houses for rent, chapters on local transportation, restaurants, cultural hotspots and more.
