La Rambla

A tree-lined street paved with performers and tourist kiosks, La Rambla’s shopping and entertainment area attracts droves of people daily. Roughly 0.75 miles long, La Rambla links Barcelona’s central square, Placa de Catalunya, to the coalition of lions surrounding the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell.

Five smaller streets compose La Rambla, which explains why locals refer to it as Las Ramblas. These streets consist of Rambla de Canaletes, Rambla dels Estudis, Rambla de Sant Josep, Rambla dels Caputxins and Rambla de Santa Monica.

From the port, La Rambla welcomes tourists and locals to take a stroll and become a part of the energy. Souvenir shops and kiosks transform the street into an outdoor mall. Street performers pretend to be statues and vie for attention. Numerous cafes offer a break from the action. Explore some of the side streets and you’ll find another city square.

Many historical buildings line La Rambla, including the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatre Principal, Centre d’Arte Santa Monica and the Palau de la Virreina. Artist Joan Miro created a mosaic on the pavement in La Rambla. Spanish poet Federico García Lorca described it as, “the only street in the world which I wish would never end.”