“What is the best time of year to visit Barcelona?”, you might be wondering if you are planning to visit Barcelona anytime soon. Well, it is a difficult question to answer since we love Barcelona no matter the season… But! It is true that there are some pros and cons depending on the time you choose to visit.
So instead of answering the question, we are going to make a list highlighting the things that we like the most of each season, but also the ones that we don’t like that much… This way we will try to help you come up with a final decision!
Summer in Barcelona
“Oh, Sunny Barcelona”, you might have heard someone saying… But what happens with “Sunny Barcelona” in August with its 35ºC amb many people going up and down? Oops!
Pros of summer in Barcelona
But not everything is bad in the summer! Actually there are a lot of good things happening in the Summer. For instance:
- Music festivals: summer is the season for the music festivals in Barcelona. Primavera Sound kicks off in the end of May/beginning June, followed by Sónar, Vida Festival, Cruïlla…
- You can take the most of the “terrazas” and have drinks outdoors, or even go to the “chiringuitos” at the beach.
- If you are visiting for a couple of weeks, you might want to save some days to explore the Costa Brava and its beautiful beaches. Or even beautiful beaches near Barcelona, such as Sitges, and take a dip in the Mediterranean sea.
- Summer is when the “festes majors”, the typical Catalan parties held by neighborhoods, are celebrated. So it is a great opportunity to explore how locals live these gatherings. For instance: festes de Gràcia, festes de Sants, etc.
Cons of summer in Barcelona
- We made a spoiler: It-is-so-HOT! Especially in Agost. This is why if you are traveling to Barcelona in the Summer, we recommend you to choose July or September instead (September is even better than July). August in Barcelona can get really hot.
- And since it is the “vacation” month par excellence, the city gets really crowded and so in consequence you might not enjoy the must-visit spots (such as Park Güell or Sagrada Família) as much as you wanted.
- That means that public transport is also crowded, especially the subway, and it can get pretty overwhelming in rush hour.
Fall in Barcelona
Pros of autumn in Barcelona
- With the “Castanyada” happening in Autumn (31st October), you might want to experience this Catalan tradition which takes place the same night as Halloween. But you won’t have to wait until 31st of October to feel the vibe of “La Castanyada”. from the beginning of October you will start to see these strolls on the street selling “castanyes” and “boniatos”.
- With the end of summer, the city’s temperature starts to cool down. And that probably is a big “pro” for those who can’t deal easily with hot temperatures.
- The city is not that much crowded as it gets in the summer. For instance, from mid September approximately the city is not that crowded and the temperature is still nice (not too hot, and cold hasn’t arrived yet).
- And here comes one of the most important pros: as it begins to be low season, ticket planes will be probably cheaper compared to July or August.
Cons of autumn in Barcelona
- Days become progressively shorter. This means that there are less hours of light, so that might mean that you won’t get to make the most of the day to explore all places and experiences that Barcelona has to offer. So even though you can get to enjoy the city sunny days, at 6pm it is already dark (starting from November until late December).
- It starts to get cold, especially from November.
Winter in Barcelona
Pros of winter in Barcelona
- Here is one big pro for us: Christmas! So if you are planning your trip in the end of fall and beginning of winter, you will get to experience Christmas in Barcelona. And that means beautiful Christmas markets in the city, the city lights, and the Christmas vibe that you will get to feel in the air.
- The city is not that crowded, and you will easily enjoy the must-see spots (Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Barri Gòtic…) more relaxed.
- Ticket planes and hotels are cheaper, since it is not the high season.
- It is calçot season! Even though you can start eating them from October, the featured season for enjoying calçots is the winter. A great Catalan food experience to get to know the culture from a different point of view.
Cons of winter in Barcelona
- In the winter the city can get really cold! Especially in January and February.
- Days are shorter, so even though you can get to enjoy the City sunny days, at 6pm it is already dark (starting from November until late December).
Spring in Barcelona
Pros of spring in Barcelona
- The weather: after the winter, the weather starts to be very nice. Not that cold as in the winter, and not that hot as it gets in the Summer.
- Since the city is not that crowded yet, walking the streets of Barcelona relaxed and with a pleasant temperature is a real pleasure.
- Ticket planes are still cheaper than in the summer.
- In our opinion, the end of May and beginning of June is a great time to visit the city. You can start to feel the summer vibe in the city, but without the city being crowded by tourism.
Cons of spring in Barcelona
- Depending on when you are traveling, you might have some rainy days even though it is spring. We have this saying “A l’abril, aigües mil”, which means in April it usually rains a lot. But don’t get too scared, maybe it’s 5 or 6 rainy days in the whole month.
