Souvenirs from Barcelona: best things to bring home

Barcelona is a great city. There are so many attractions to explore: La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas, and so many more. After spending your vacation there, you might want to bring some great souvenirs home with you to share a piece of Barcelona with your friends and family. In this blog post I will share my favorite souvenirs from Barcelona that can make for the perfect gift. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

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Table of Contents

Caganer figurine

I will start with this figurine because it will be the most unique souvenir you could buy in the city of Barcelona. El caganer is a Catalonian figurine that is basically a person pooping. Its name, el caganer, translates to “the pooper”.

This tradition started in the 17th or 18th century. This figurine would be part of nativity scenes in Catalonia. The caganer is said to fertilize the soil through his poop for the year to come, and it’s a symbol of good luck. It definitely makes for a unique gift, especially if the person you give it to has no idea about the story behind it haha. And you also support the local crafts and local artists in the process.

You can find it at most souvenir shops in the city. I got mine at a souvenir shop next to Palau de la Musica Catalana that sells just caganer figurines. They come in various sizes and you can buy the male or female version. Prices range from 5 euros for smaller figurines to over 15 euros for larger ones.

Paella pan

While Spain has plenty of delicious food, paella is one of the most famous dishes. You have to cook it in a special pan. If you took a paella cooking class while in Barcelona and you want to prepare this dish at home, then you might want to buy a pan from Spain. You can find it at department stores or home stores.

If you plan on making paella at home, make sure to also buy some Spanish saffron so you can season it like the locals do.

Turron de Jijona

Turron is a delicious traditional treat. It looks like a chocolate bar, but it’s made of almond paste. The turron de Jijona has a soft consistency and the taste reminds me of a rich chocolatey nougat.

In my opinion, a bar of this soft turrón de Jijona is the perfect souvenir you can take home. It’s delicious, traditional, and small enough to fit in your luggage. I picked the classic turron, but they come in different varieties, so you can pick something else. Good thing you’ll be able to try all the flavors that pique your interest before deciding what to buy.

a box of polvorones and a bar of turon, the prefect spanish sweets to bring home

Turrón de alicante

Another classic Spanish dessert is the turron de Alicante. Compared to the turron de Jijona, the Alicante version is made with whole almonds. So its texture is very crunchy and it has the sweetness of honey nougat.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. I prefer the Jijona softer version over the Alicante crunchier version. Your mileage might vary on this one. You should definitely try both before deciding which one to bring home.

Olive oil

Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world, producing about half of the world supply. A bottle can be a wonderful souvenir for a family member. And, of course, you should get a bottle (or two) for yourself since Spanish olive oil is delicious. It all depends how much space you have in your luggage.

You can buy olive oil at gift shops, the grocery store or local markets. Food souvenirs are the best gifts in my opinion, especially when you visit popular destinations like Barcelona.

Spanish wine

If you (or the people you will give this to) drink, then you should definitely buy some bottles of white or red wine or sparkling wine. Spain has some great wines at affordable prices. Some of the best souvenirs for people who like to enjoy a glass.

Christmas decorations

If you visit during the holiday season you can buy some Christmas decorations from local artisans. Maybe you will pick some Christmas decorations with famous landmarks, with FC Barcelona, or some other symbol of Barcelona. A great way to remember your trip every year when you decorate the Christmas tree.

FAQs about Barcelona

Where should I stay in Barcelona?

Mid-budget hotels

Barcelona has plenty of hotel options in central locations for a decent price. Here are some of my favorites: Hotel NH Collection Barcelona Gran Hotel Calderón, HG City Suites Barcelona, Hotel Duquesa de Cardona Barcelona.

Luxury hotels

If you have a higher budget and are seeking a more luxurious option, then Mandarin Oriental, El Palauet Barcelona, or The Barcelona EDITION are all great options.

Hostels

Unfortunately, I am not the right person to recommend you any hostels. I am in my 30s and I value comfort, so I will always choose to stay at a hotel vs a hostel. I can see how a hostel is a great option for younger people, but I’m at a different stage in life, so I prefer hotels.

Airbnb

I also tend to pick hotels over Airbnbs because I feel like it’s less of a risk and it’s a more reliable option. One time when I visited Miami with my friends we booked an Airbnb that looked great in pictures but looked really bad in reality. We ended up going to a hotel instead. After that experience I tend to avoid Airbnbs altogether.

What should I eat in Barcelona?

Seafood paella

Paella is a rice dished that originated in Valencia and it’s probably the most famous Spanish dish. Barcelona also has some amazing paella since they are pretty close to Valencia.

While there are different types of paella, the seafood one is probably the most famous. That’s what I tried. It had shrimp, calamari, and mussels. The rice was flavored with saffron.

I am not a huge fan of rice, but the combination with seafood and that flavored broth was really good. I really enjoyed it. You can try paella at Alegoria Restaurant.

Octopus (or any seafood dish)

Since Barcelona is a sea city, the seafood here is always fresh and delicious. You should try any seafood dish you like, you can’t go wrong with anything.

I loved the octopus with mashed potatoes at El Tastet de l’Artur. Simple and delicious. The restaurant has a few tables outside if you want to dine with a view. Just be aware that they will charge you 1 euro if you opt to eat outside.

Tapas

I love trying a lot of dishes, so I love the concept of tapas where you get a smaller portion of a dish. Every time I go to Spain I try to have tapas at least once.

In Barcelona I went to Cerveceria Catalana and I highly recommend it. It’s centrally located, they have an extensive menu, and they are very fast with service (unlike a lot of places in Europe).

The restaurant is usually packed, so I suggest you make a reservation. Since I traveled solo, they squeezed me in at the bar area even though I didn’t make a reservation ahead of time.

I ordered the mixed fish, a burrata and tomato salad, and some croquetas. Everything was really good and you could tell they use high quality ingredients and everything is fresh.

Crema catalana

Crema catalana is a similar dessert to creme brulee. The main difference is that creme brulee is a vanilla custard made with heavy whipping cream baked in a water bath, while crema catalana is a vanilla custard made with milk.

Crema catalana is lighter and it can also be flavored with lemon zest or cinnamon. A must try if you visit Barcelona. I tried it at Cerveceria Catalana and it did not disappoint.

Torrijas

Torrijas is a Spanish style French toast. It can be served as dessert or for brunch and it’s very popular for Easter and the week before Easter. Torrijas can be made from bread that’s dipped either in milk flavored with vanilla, or in wine. Then the slices of bread are dipped in egg and pan fried. Once it’s cooked torrijas are usually topped with cinnamon sugar.

While regular torrijas are good, you want to try torrija cremada at Cerveceria Catalana. It’s like a French toast and a crema catalana had a baby. The bread is soft, there is plenty of cream, and it has a burnt sugar crust on top. This was my favorite dessert I tried in Barcelona. So good!

Cafe con leche and some little croissants

cafe con leche and croissants at a cafe in barcelona

Coffee is Spain is outstanding. It’s strong, the coffee beans are high quality and they use the perfect ratio of coffee to milk. I always order a cafe con leche.

In Barcelona there are a lot of coffee shop chains, as well as neighborhood cafes. My favorite chain was 365. They have locations all over Barcelona.

You should order some of the little croissants to eat with your coffee. I call them little croissants because they are literally two bites. At 365 they have two kinds: milk chocolate and white chocolate. Not only are they dipped in chocolate, but they have cream inside too. So delicious!

If you want to try additional flavors of these mini croissants go to Manolo Bakes. They are a Spanish chain that focuses on these croissants called Manolitos. They are delicious and come in all sorts of flavors such as: Biscoff, lemon pie, pistachio, salted caramel, and chocolate crunch.

What is the best time to visit Barcelona?

I went in early November and it was perfect. The weather is still pretty warm, but there are less tourists compared to the peak summer months. May could also be a great option.

I tend to avoid Europe summer travel because it gets so hot and there are so many tourists everywhere that it takes away from the experience for me. I’d rather wait a few months and go in the fall so I can properly enjoy the destinations I’m visiting.

The weather in Barcelona gets very hot and humid during the summer months, so it can be very uncomfortable to spend the entire day outside, exploring. August is usually vacation month for most European countries, including Spain, so many restaurants and shops will be closed.

How can I get around Barcelona?

Barcelona is a very walkable city and it has a great subway system with stations near all major attractions in case your hotel is further away from the city center. There are a few ticket options for public transportation

Single tickets

These are tickets that are valid for one trip. If you won’t travel a lot by metro or bus, they can be a great option. Otherwise, it makes more sense to go with a T Casual pass.

T Casual

This is a pass that’s valid for 10 trips on any metro, bus, and the airport train. It’s a great option if you are in Barcelona for a few days and will use public transportation a few times.

Hola Barcelona Travel Card

This is a card that can be valid for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days. It offers unlimited trips on public transportation, including the metro to and from the airport. It’s perfect if you know you’ll use public transportation a lot during your trip.

How can I get to the city center from the Barcelona airport?

Train

You can take the RENFE train from Terminal 2. There are trains leaving every 30 minutes. If you land at Terminal 1 there is a shuttle bus that can take you to Terminal 2 to catch the train.

You can get off at Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gràcia or Clot and you can transfer to the metro at all 3 stops. You can pay for the train using the T casual card.

Bus

You can take Aerobus which will take you to Plaça España or Plaça de Catalunya in about 45 minutes. You can take this bus from both terminals T1 and T2 and the price is the same. There are buses that leave every 5-10 minutes.

Another option is to take bus 46 which will take you to the city center. Bus Line 46 operates from 05:30 am to 11:50 pm. You can pay for this bus using the T casual card, unlike the Aerobus. It will take a little longer to reach the city center if you opt for bus 46, but it has the advantage of being able to pay with the T casual card.

There is also a night bus. Night Bus N17 runs from 09:55 pm to 04:50 am every 15 minutes.

Metro

You can take the L9 metro to get to the city center. It has a stop at both Terminal 1 and 2. The airport metro ticket is included in Hola Barcelona Travel Pass.

Taxi / uber

This is the most convenient option since it leaves you right in front of your hotel. Alternatively you can also schedule a private transfer.

How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?

The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.

I use Nomad eSIM (use code IOAN43TM for 25% off your first purchase). You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.

You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.

Is Barcelona safe for a solo female traveler?

I saw so many posts on social media about Barcelona being full of pick pockets. On top of that, everyone I met in Barcelona on my first day there warned me to always keep an eye out on my cell phone as there are a lot of thieves and they operate so smoothly that you can’t even tell you are being robbed.

Suffice to say I was a little scared. However, I never had any problems in Barcelona. I took the subway, I visited all the popular spots, and I took pictures and videos with my phone and tripod and nothing happened. I also didn’t see any pickpockets or people getting robbed.

Maybe I was just lucky. Maybe the situation is a bit exaggerated. I don’t know what to say. I think that as long as you’re on high alert, as you should be anytime you travel solo, you’ll be fine.

Do I need cash for my trip to Barcelona?

I didn’t use cash at all when I visited, I paid for everything with a credit card. But it’s always recommended to carry some cash with you so you can tip tour guides or buy souvenirs or something else from small mom-and-pop shops who don’t accept credit cards.

Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the airport instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.

Do I have to tip in Barcelona?

Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 1-2 euros as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.

Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?

I highly recommend you book all the tickets online in advance of your trip. Barcelona is a very popular destination so it’s very likely that tickets will sell out. Especially if you visit during the summer months. Booking in advance will give you peace of mind.

Do people speak English in Barcelona?

Yes, they do. Barcelona attracts a lot of visitors each year and, as you can imagine, not all tourists speak Spanish. I still recommend you learn a few words in Spanish ahead of your trip though. I do this for every country I visit.

What Spanish words do I need to learn before my trip?

Hola = hello
Adiós = goodbye
Gracias = thank you
De nada = you’re welcome
Sí = yes
No = no
Encantado/a = Nice to meet you
Tarjeta = credit card
Hablas inglés? = Do you speak English?
Me puedes ayudar? = Can you help me?
Dónde está el baño? = Where is the bathroom?
No entiendo = I do not understand
Puedes tomarme una foto? = Can you take a picture of me?

Do you recommend Barcelona as a solo destination?

I do recommend Barcelona as a destination for solo female travelers. There are so many things to do, the weather is great all year round, and the food is delicious.