Safety in Barcelona : A Guide for Travelers

Barcelona is a safe city to travel to, but take your precautions.

When planning a trip, it’s always good to find out what to do at your destination, but also how to make your visit as safe as possible. In any city in the world, there are always risks. The best thing you can do is to know what the particular risks of the place you’re visiting are.

If you search for information about Barcelona, you may come across contradictory opinions about safety in the city. In this article, we will explore different factors that play into the safety rating of this destination. We will also help you answer the question of whether Barcelona is safe for tourists. Spoiler: yes, it is! (if you take the necessary precautions).

Barcelona is one of the safest cities in the world in several aspects

The study by The Economist has analyzed 60 major cities around the world, and it gathers 76 indicators that measure different aspects of urban safety organized into five categories: infrastructure, healthcare, environment, personal safety, and digital security.

Barcelona receives the best rating in the field of health-related safety. Barcelona achieves the ninth position worldwide, followed by personal safety (12), digital security (16), infrastructure (17), and environment (18).

How tourists rate Barcelona as a travel destination

The overall rating score of tourists visiting Barcelona City is 8.8 out of 10. Almost identical to the previous year. The best rated aspects of the city continue to be architecture (9.3 out of 10) and culture (8.9 out of 10) and the lowest, cleanliness (7.8 out of 10) and noise level (6.9 out of 10). The overall score of tourists staying in the Barcelona area was 8.2 out of 10, with the natural environment and contact with people being the most highly rated aspects.

Finally, the level of victimization is very similar to last year: the percentage of tourists who have been victims of a crime, specifically against their personal safety, was around 2%.

This work has been carried out by the Observatori del Turisme a Barcelona, promoted by the Diputació de Barcelona, the Barcelona City Council and Turisme de Barcelona, based on a sample of 12,180 interviews with tourists distributed proportionally throughout 2017 and with a margin of error of less than 2%.

See Why visit Barcelona. 9 important reasons

Levels of crime and criminality in Barcelona

In this report, you can see all the general levels of crime in Barcelona. Like in any city of this size, it’s clear that there are all kinds of crimes. However, it’s very rare for serious crimes to occur against tourists. Most security problems for tourists in Barcelona are related to wallet, watch, backpack theft, and scams.

Barcelona has been repeatedly rated as the pickpocketing capital of Europe. It often shares the title with cities like Rome and Prague. Crowded areas, like the surroundings of the Sagrada Familia, metro stations, and crowds around street performers, are the perfect hunting ground for pickpockets and watch thieves.

La Rambla is especially used by pickpockets and scammers, as it is perhaps the busiest street in the city.

Pickpockets are clever and opportunistic. Some may simply try to discreetly take your belongings without you noticing. Others use the trick of bumping into you or asking you for directions. They do this to distract you while an accomplice takes the opportunity to search (and make your valuables disappear).

Therefore, you should make sure to keep all your valuables in a hard-to-reach place. Back pockets are a very bad idea for carrying wallets or phones. Do not put your belongings in exterior pockets in bags and backpacks. Even better, avoid going out with valuables that are not absolutely necessary. Try not to engage with suspicious people, no matter how friendly they may seem.

Where there are tourists, there will always be scammers looking to take advantage. Scammers have a special eye for identifying tourists who are a little more distracted and less confident than local residents. Scammers take advantage of this.

When walking around the city, try to do it as if you were confident. If you need to stop to look at directions on your phone map, be aware of who is around you.

For your peace of mind, there is a significant police presence in all tourist areas. Given that a large part of the city’s economy depends on tourism, the people of Barcelona take care of the safety of their visitors.

Common scams in Barcelona

Scammers constantly come up with new strategies to try to trap people. It’s impossible to create an exhaustive list of all the scams to watch out for. However, there are a number of common tricks in Barcelona that have been around for a long time. Among the most common are:

• Impostor tourists: Thieves dressed as tourists (perhaps wearing flashy and out-of-place clothing, maybe with a map or a camera in hand) may approach to ask for directions or money. The roles can be reversed, and scammers act as friendly locals who want to give directions. Often this is a ploy to distract you while an accomplice discreetly steals from your pockets.
• Flower fraud: Individuals may “give” you a flower (or another similar object) before demanding payment. Once you agree to give them some money to get rid of them, they may try to steal your wallet once it’s exposed, or pressure you into paying an outrageous price.
• Street artists: Just like in the previous case, the busiest tourist areas are full of supposed “artists” who will pressure you to pay them after jumping in your photos or giving you a bracelet or some other trinket.
• Fake beggars: You’re walking down the street and, without realizing it, you bump into the coin can of a young person who is begging for money on the street. Coins go flying, and you, being a good person, help them pick them up. Meanwhile, the young person has taken the opportunity to take your wallet or phone from your bag or pocket.

 

Safety tips for getting around Barcelona

Barcelona is a safe city (despite all the things you just read). However, not visiting it because you’re afraid of what might happen is missing out on enjoying an amazing experience. A city full of beautiful monuments, fun and cheerful, with great cuisine and wonderful weather.

The problems, as in any other city in the world, generally start when tourists don’t take the right precautions. If you follow these tips, you’ll significantly reduce the chances of something unpleasant happening to you and enjoy a visit to Barcelona without any problems.

Simply take a few precautions and it’s unlikely that you’ll be a victim of a scam or robbery.

Thieves prefer easy victims, so follow these basic Safety Tips :

• Never carry your phone, wallet, or other valuables in your back pockets.
• If you carry a backpack, wear it in front when you’re on the metro or walking in very crowded places.
• Never leave your belongings unattended, and if you’re a woman, don’t hang your purse on the chair in outdoor terraces.
• Avoid carrying all your money and cards in one place.
• Try to carry the fewest number of valuables possible at all times.
• Always be wary of strangers who approach you in public.
• Avoid letting a stranger get close enough to touch you.
• Report any theft to the nearest police officer.
• Above all, trust your intuition.
• Call 112 if you need police assistance or emergency services.

Are Las Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter safe?

Walking along Las Ramblas or the Gothic Quarter during the day is safe (physical assault is rare). At night, after 11:30 p.m., the southern end of Las Ramblas (between the Gran Teatre del Liceu and the Columbus statue) is usually quieter, but still relatively safe. However, if you don’t feel comfortable, avoid this area and the El Raval area at night.

The rest of Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter, and El Born are fine for walking at night, however it is always best to be alert. Stick to busier roads and if you feel unsafe, call a cab. 

See La Rambla in Barcelona: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting

Is Barcelona safe for tourists?

Barcelona is a safe city for tourism. In the most touristic areas such as La Rambla, Sagrada Familia, Barrio Gótico and the metro there are pickpockets, swindlers, watch thieves,… but there is also an important police presence and a population very aware of the problem.
As in any other city in the world you have to take some precautions with your belongings. Plan your trip to Barcelona with total tranquility and enjoy all the architecture, good weather, gastronomy, stores, beaches, …. and everything you will find in this unique city.