Summer in Barcelona • A Photo Diary

Summer in Barcelona stinks. Sorry to say it, but it’s true. Nothing quite prepares you for the sensation of strolling down a glorious gothic alleyway, past abstract, kaleidoscopic facades, only to be slapped square in the face with the overwhelming stench of urine and bins. Still, there’s no denying that these streets are magical. Surreal, beautiful, chaotic, and just a little bit pungent.

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Barcelona is an eccentric city through and through. But then, many of its iconic landmarks were designed by an eccentric man.

Houses are adorned with colourful tiles, bulbous balconies, and dragons-back rooftops, and the Sagrada Família appears to be simultaneously rising from the earth and melting into the ground like a colossal wax candle. Even the streets are paved with patterned tiles- hexagonal panot tiles from Gaudí, or Flores de Barcelona stamped in perfect cement squares.

Meanwhile in the Gothic Quarter, narrow alleyways are momentarily lit with dazzling shafts of sunlight before they pass and cool shade returns. Contrasting scents of tapas, candied nuts, wafts of weed and that signature corner-of-the-street stale urine are confusing to the nostrils.

On La Rambla, plane trees rustle above the constant slow flow of people. Waiters beckon tourists into their restaurants with plastic menus and photographs of each dish, street vendors wander up and down whistling shrilly, throwing whirring, flashing lights into the air, while cheap wind-up dogs yap and flip at their feet. Roadworks are relentless and men with drills break through tarmac, sending clouds of dust into the air all day long.

My tip is to get out of the Gothic Quarter and off of La Rambla, and head away from the crowds. The truth is that parts of this city are far grittier than instagram would have you believe- overtourism is a problem in Barcelona, but so is homelessness- so it’s pot luck when it comes to heading down a side street and into another barrio.

But still, there are too many magical nooks and crannies to be found, pockets of communities to stumble across, and fantastical sights to see just by changing your perspective a little.

That particular summer in Barcelona, every day that we docked my aim was to get as far out of the centre as I could. I was done with the big landmarks of the city, as wonderful as they are. I managed to wander across Montjüic, through El Raval, Sant Gervasi-Galvany, Barceloneta and Eixample, and even head into the outskirts in search of a magical labyrinth.

I’ve been there before, and I’ll be back again, but this is my photo diary from summer in Barcelona 2024.

My tips for summer in Barcelona

Head to a park to cool off. Montjüic is my fave spot to stick to. Whatever you do, don’t count Park Güell as a park. Way too crowded for my liking.
I love Backstory English Bookshop to catch up on my English-language beach reads. Well-stocked, with super-friendly booksellers.
Here’s the lowdown of my favourite restaurants and coffee shops.
Go for a swim at Barceloneta beach, but don’t shy away from the back streets.
Get out of the city! Head to Sitges for sandy beaches and a beautiful old town.
Barcelona is beautiful in summer, but it could also do without being over-swamped with people. If you do visit during the high season, spend at least a week there and travel slowly, rather than just a long weekend of cramming in a check list of big sights.