La Boqueria Market - the largest indoor market in Spain

Barcelona has many indoor and outdoor markets that can provide locals and tourists alike with enjoyable shopping experiences. La Boqueria, located right at the Las Ramblas, is probably the most popular market.

La Boqueria, which is also known as Mercat de Sant Josep, is a large indoor market specializing in the sale of fresh produce, including a wide variety of locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Fresh meat and seafood is also available.

The market has a long, long history, dating way back to around the year 1200. In fact, during the period from 1200 to 1700, La Boqueria was actually an outdoors, open-air market located directly in front of one of the gates to the old city wall (Pla de la Boqueria) where local farmers came daily to sell their fresh produce.

Construction of the current indoor market began in 1840 when the first cornerstone was inserted into the ground. In the years since then, La Boqueria has been renovated, remodeled and modernized many times.

Today, La Boqueria is considered the cleanest and best-planned market in all of Barcelona. It is well-known and highly-regarded for its impressive steel and colored-glass roof and for the noteworthy and memorable ornament (featuring a large medallion bearing the La Boqueria name) at its main entrance.

La Boqueria covers 2580 square meters of space, includes 300 kiosks (small, independent shops) and is the largest indoor market in all of Spain.

People who come into the market through its Las Ramblas main entrance are likely to be dazzled by the kiosks and small stalls with their elaborate and carefully-planned displays of tempting fruits, vegetables, sweets and nuts. Artistically-arranged so that they seem hard to resist, the combination of colors, scents and aromas make it difficult to pass some stands without making a purchase.

La Boqueria’s best feature may be its huge fresh Seafood Section. It is in this part of the market that shoppers can find an almost endless bounty of freshly-caught fish and seafood – everything from tuna to salmon to cuttle fish to an amazing array of shellfish, including many types and sizes of shrimp … mussels … octopus … oysters … lobster … and rare, but interesting species tasty enough to grace a dinner table. As is true wherever fresh seafood is sold, some of the catch may still be alive.

There are many more interesting foods available. La Boqueria is, of course, best known for fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood. However, other food items are also available. For example: many kiosks sell typical Catalan and Spanish foods, including cured cheeses … famous Iberian hams … goat cheeses … numerous varieties of olives … and much more. As you might expect, it costs less to buy these items at the market than it would cost you to order them as part of a meal in a restaurant.

Take a break … enjoy a freshly-cooked snack. If you get tired of walking through the market and shopping, you can take a break at any one of a number of food stands inside the market that will prepare a snack for you. It can be a memorable experience to select a fresh food product and then watch as it is cooked to perfection – for your enjoyment – right before your eyes. You can enjoy freshly-prepared tapas or something more substantial.

You can stop and dine at a café outside the market, too. There are a number of cafes and restaurants that dot the landscape outside La Boqueria. One of the best of these is the Ra bar-restaurant, which is located directly behind the market. The Ra Bar-Restaurant features an open terrace that is protected on one side by an interesting medieval-like wall. The restaurant is known for its excellent food and, as such, is almost always crowded. If you go there, it is likely you will have to wait for a table.

Some very useful tips: La Boqueria offers the promise of a wonderful experience. In fact, you’re likely to find foods you didn’t even know existed. Everything sold there is top quality … always fresh … and sometimes somewhat expensive, certainly too costly for shopping daily. So, here’s some advice: always ask the vendor for the price before you buy. If you don’t do that, you may find that the item you’ve purchased is more costly than you thought … and you have to pay for it because it’s already been packed for you.

* If you pay for a purchase with a large bill (like a 50 Euro note, for example), always let the vendor know that’s what you are giving to him – a 50 Euro Note. If you don’t, chances are good that the vendor will claim you paid with a smaller bill, you will not be able to prove otherwise … and you will lose money unnecessarily. Also … check your change before you walk away from a stall where you’ve made a purchase. Be sure you received the right amount.

* It’s also a good idea to “shop around” before you buy. There are 300 stalls (kiosks) in the market, many of which sell the same food items. Some vendors may sell more cheaply than others. For example: shops in the front of the market at its main entrance tend to charge more than other shops because they are set up to attract the attention of tourists.

* La Boqueria is a customer-friendly market. You’ll find that many vendors will willingly – and happily – scale fish for you … chop cuts of meat for hamburger … or provide other, similar services – if you ask.

* Finally, if you’re interested in a bargain, go to La Boqueria late in the day, between 5:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.  This is the time when vendors are getting ready to close their stalls for the day … are a little tired … anxious to go home … and may be willing to empty their shelves for you by selling their remaining produce at discounted prices. Significant savings are often available. In fact, visitors to the market in summer can enjoy cool, refreshing granizados (fresh fruit cocktails served in plastic glasses) for as little as 1 Euro for two drinks.  That’s a bargain!

Here’s a warning: La Boqueria is a popular market and is almost always very crowded. Large crowds draw pickpockets. Always keep your belongings close to you and if you happen to hear loud “whistling” … be even more observant. A pickpocket is probably somewhere close.

Working hours:

La Boqueia is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday, 8:00 A.M. to 8:30 P.M.

How to get there:
The market is conveniently located in the center of the city right at the Las Ramblas avenue. It is easily accessible on foot. For those coming from other Barcelona districts, simply take the Metro, Green Line #3 and get off at Liceu stop.

Locals know that a trip to La Boqueria is worth the effort, a chance to buy some of the finest and freshest produce, meats and seafood available anywhere in Barcelona. If you’re a tourist or traveler, in the city for a few days, plan to spend a few hours in this wonderful indoor market. It will become a memorable part of your trip.

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