If you're looking for the best places to live in Barcelona for expats, we've got you covered. If you're considering moving to a cosmopolitan, coastal city on the Iberian Peninsula, stay tuned because real estate consultancy BCN Advisors has put together a guide to explain everything you need to know about the 5 best neighbourhoods to live in the Catalan capital if you're coming from a foreign country.
When you move abroad, deciding where to live can be quite a challenge. There are numerous Barcelona neighbourhoods to choose from, each with its own character. You land in a city with a guidebook, but the reality is that visiting a neighbourhood can be very different from living in it.
You need to think about questions like: do you prefer the idea of living in an area where there is an established expat community or in a neighbourhood where there is a more authentic feel? Do you want to live in the city centre and be able to walk to most places or would you prefer to live on the outskirts, which offers more space and bigger properties? Do you want to live in a house or in a flat? How important is outdoor space? And being close to the best schools in Barcelona?
Barcelona has undergone major regeneration and renovation over the last 100 years, resulting in a real mix of housing, from classic townhouses to new builds. Here we take a look at 5 areas of Barcelona that are popular with the international community and, as is the case throughout the Catalan capital, offer a fantastic quality of life.
Ciutat Vella (Barcelona's old town)
The old town is the iconic heart of the Catalan city, and one of the best places to live in Barcelona as an expat: packed with narrow, winding streets that offer endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Known locally as the 'Ciutat Vella', it dates back to 133 BC and every corner is fascinating, where the ancient and the modern combine to create the hustle and bustle of everyday life and tourist activity.
The old town is made up of four distinct neighbourhoods, three of which lie within the original city walls: the mysterious Barri Gòtic, the vibrant Raval and the bohemian Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i La Ribera, also known as El Born.
The fourth neighbourhood is the rapidly changing Barceloneta, a district that has changed its personality since the once thriving local fishing industry gave way to the city's modern beaches, bustling markets and elegant hotels. Opposite the Cathedral, on Via Laietana, the colourful mosaic roof of the Santa Caterina market announces the 3-in-1 neighbourhood of Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i La Ribera.
Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i La Ribera is also home to the city's largest park, Parc de la Ciutadella, which offers the opportunity to enjoy lawns, trees and even a lake. It's an area that boasts prestigious refurbished flats overlooking historic squares, while independent boutiques and lively bars are surrounded by magnificently preserved Roman walls.
Eixample
The Eixample neighbourhood literally translates as "widening" and is the large central district that expanded the city in the 1890s, connecting the Gothic Quarter with the nearby village of Gràcia. Barcelona's Eixample, with its grid layout, was the work of the Catalan engineer Ildefons Cerdà, whose 19th-century vision was not only ambitious but ahead of its time.
This globally recognisable residential project is located to the north of Plaça de Catalunya and comprises the right Eixample and the left Eixample, divided between the beautiful boulevard of Passeig de Gràcia and the more intimate Rambla de Catalunya. This area is undoubtedly one of the best places to buy a property in Spain if you are an expat, as as well as having all the privileges and advantages of living in a city, you are close to all the important services and shops.
Cerdà's simple and audacious plan was to increase the size of the city tenfold by building functional, attractive and efficient residential blocks. His innovative urban spaces also offered hidden oases of calm and greenery as an antidote to the stress of the city. Today, life in this central district offers passers-by a perfectly framed view of stunning architecture and magnificent flats that are among the most desirable in the world.
The Eixample district enjoys easy access to Barcelona's old town and the seafront promenade with all its world-renowned attractions. It is a busy, urban and functional, but also fascinating and spacious area, which can be traced back to Cerdà's main motivation: a study of the old city centre that concluded that the narrower and darker the street you lived in, the shorter your life was.
Gràcia
Gràcia is a proud neighbourhood with a strong heritage and identity, one of the many independent towns absorbed into the expanding Barcelona of the late 19th century, but this time tracing its origins back to 1628. On a map, the jumble of narrow streets stands out where Eixample inevitably stops at the top of the Passeig de Gràcia. Comparatively unknown to the tourist hordes until the 1990s, Gràcia has become a popular choice for those looking to take a break from touristy Barcelona and immerse themselves in its trendy and vibrant streets.
People are also coming to stay, attracted by characterful flat blocks, hidden townhouses and authentic corners that have struggled against over development. Gràcia's topography is a key part of its character. The neighbourhood begins at the point where a gentle slope up through the city from the beach becomes a real hillside. Like most of Barcelona, Gràcia is a proud, living, breathing, working neighbourhood with a unique appeal and attractions for all ages. Inevitably, it is becoming increasingly gentrified due to growing demand and luxury renovations have seen multiple homes converted into modern 21st century living spaces.
Zona Alta
Barcelona's Zona Alta (made up of Les Corts and Sarrià-Sant Gervasi) offers a variety of neighbourhoods with different characters, but all sharing the same sense of exclusivity, friendliness and relaxed pace of life. All of this is combined with some of the city's most impressive housing and the best family facilities. The Zona Alta is where you'll find stunning properties in residential neighbourhoods.
It stretches from Avinguda Diagonal to the green hills of Collserola, with an air of elevated privilege, but also enjoys quick access to the city centre via excellent train connections and regular bus services. With the Ronda de Dalt and the Diagonal close at hand, getting out of the city is easy and Barcelona's international airport is just a short drive away.
The residential neighbourhood of Sarrià is located in the heart of the Zona Alta. Like Gracià, it was once a pretty independent village that was absorbed into a growing Barcelona about a century ago. This part of Barcelona is able to accommodate those services that require a little more space, resulting in a wealth of well-respected international and local schools and colleges, hospitals and clinics, and exclusive social and sports clubs.
To the west, Pedralbes is Barcelona's residential neighbourhood par excellence. Nestled in peaceful privilege at the foot of lush hills, it boasts magnificent single-family homes with manicured gardens, infinity pools and high security, and is dotted with exclusive blocks with penthouses and flats occupying entire floors.
To the south, Sarrià's narrow streets give way to a more organised layout in neighbouring Tres Torres, where neat terraced houses form a relatively low-rise landscape and cosy bars and cafés await in picturesque squares. Sant Gervasi slopes down to Avinguda Diagonal and marks the boundary between the Zona Alta and Barcelona's city centre.
From here, the gentle slopes of Turó Park and its exclusive flats climb up the steeper hillside. Outdoor life and its many associated activities are a fundamental part of life in the Zona Alta. The hills of Collserola form a constant picturesque backdrop to the city, with the imposing Tibidabo mountain as a spectacular viewpoint.
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Sant Martí
Any newcomer to the city will have no difficulty locating Sant Martí, thanks to the imposing Hotel Arts and Frank Gehry's resplendent Peix d'Or (Goldfish). Sant Martí is a perfect example of Barcelona's commitment to transforming a decaying industrial district into a centre with a 21st century character - technological, sustainable and leisure-oriented.
This extensive district stretches from the sea to the spectacular Hospital de Sant Pau and borders the Gran Vía and the river Besós. Its two key neighbourhoods are Poblenou and Diagonal Mar, both facing the sea, to the west of the Olympic Village and the city's zoo. The location of this area by the sea perfectly combines the appeal of the Mediterranean lifestyle with the urban life of Barcelona.
The redevelopment process began when the city was awarded the 1992 Olympic Games and the Vila Olímpica grew out of a reclaimed industrial landscape, which at the time had its back to the sea. This transformation has continued to spread, and today business and technology are driving the area's growth, with the ambitious 22@ Project designed to turn Poblenou into one of the world's most advanced and admired technological centres.
The nearby Diagonal Mar offers a wealth of hotels and flat blocks, open boulevards, lush green spaces and paths leading down to the sea.
The Rambla de Poblenou retains the memory of its old days as a lively local hub of socialising and commerce, with its quirky shops, international restaurants, bustling markets and vibrant bars that seem to charmingly defy the multi-billion euro revolution going on around them.
Barcelona's second largest park, Parc de Diagonal Mar, underlines the transformation of this former urban wasteland. This fascinating mix of sculptures, grassy hills, giant hidden slides and a huge lake was the brainchild of visionary Enric Miralles.
Sant Martí has clearly changed for the better. Its avant-garde neighbourhoods of Poblenou and Diagonal Mar are leading the way to a more welcoming future that promises to be cleaner, better and more accessible in every way.