La Boqueria Market / Shopping Area

Las Ramblas, Barcelona –

One of the most famous food markets in the world, La Boqueria offers a pleasant assault on the senses, from the smell of exotic spices, to the sounds of haggling voices, to the exquisite taste of Spain’s best produce.

Everyone from housewives, foodies, and business people to Ferran Adrià – famed chef of the El Bulli restaurant in Roses – do their shopping at La Boqueria, a market that any food enthusiast will not want to miss.

Wedged between Old Town walls under a metal pavilion, the square market is laid out in a grid pattern and features stalls that sell every product grown under the Spanish sun, plus a few extras as well.

In addition to the excellent shopping, the area is home to some outstanding bars and restaurants including El Quim, a family-run bar where patrons eat at a tiny counter in the middle of the market, and Organic Market, where shoppers can buy salads and wraps made with organic produce.

Those who wander out the back of La Boqueria and a little farther away from the stalls will find a superb wine bar called RaTown (Plaça Gardunya, 3-4), where a stylish crowd sips Moscatel de la Marina (a sweet dessert wine) on a sun-kissed terrace surrounded by ivy-covered walls.