Best Time of Year to Visit Barcelona
By Natalie Saar; Updated June 08, 2017Mellow on the Mediterranean: Your best time to hang out in Barcelona
Are you looking for the ultimate arts and leisure vacation? Look no further than Barcelona. Founded by the Phoenicians, the culture of the Catalonia province's capitol is so rich it even has its own language, Catalan. Whether you want to see the towering Gothic Sagrada Familia cathedral or spend time in Antoni Gaudi's Park Guell, there really is no bad time to visit Barcelona.
Fall for Barcelona
Nestled on the Mediterranean, Barcelona gets its fair share of weather variations, but you can typically count on summers being warm and winters being cool to cold. This makes April through June an ideal time to visit if you're looking for a sunny beach adventure or mid-September through mid-December if crisp walks on the winding streets of Las Ramblas are more your style. No matter which season you choose, you'll find plenty of activities.
Experience the seasons
Barcelona gets its fair share of seasons, but none is too mild or too hot to enjoy. Since it's on the Mediterranean, don't be surprised when the heat of summer brings humidity along with it, which makes it seem even hotter than it is. During winter, the air gets pretty chilly, but you almost certainly won't need to fight any snow.
Bring a jacket
The hottest months in Barcelona are July and August when the average temperature is 74 F, but don't forget that added humidity can make it feel hotter. While it's unlikely that it will ever get much hotter than 95 F during the summer, it's not unheard of. And when winter hits, you will definitely want to pack a jacket. The average temperature for January is 49 F, and you may see a bit of rain here and there throughout the chillier months.
Expect to see lots of tourists
Barcelona is becoming more and more of a popular tourist destination, so expect to deal with crowded attractions no matter what time of the year you go. In fact, it has become a big enough issue that the city has made laws directed at tourists. For example, a tour group of over 15 people can’t enter a grocery store during peak hours. But that’s not stopping people from visiting, because Barcelona has so much to offer. Whether you're watching a futbol game at Camp Nou Stadium or dipping your toes in the sea at Port Olimpic, there's always something to experience.