11 Things to Do in Barcelona in July

It is possible to start the summer in a metropolis where you can have your feet in the sea and, a few meters away, be in a unique bar, in the best museums with great stories or in all kinds of musical, cultural and gastronomic festivals. That is Barcelona, one of the most important cities in Spain and that has an exciting summer.

If you decided to go in July to Barcelona, you have made a fantastic decision. This multicultural and open city will welcome you to enjoy all kinds of activities, because there is a lot to see and do. Just this month is full of music festivals for all tastes, but you can also go to the beach, see a play, enjoy the city architecturally or stroll through its neighborhoods to learn about its traditions.

Summer in Spain is phenomenal, but summer in Barcelona, being on the coast, is even more magical. In this article I propose a series of events that you should not miss if you go in July to this wonderful city. Do you want to know them?

For many years, Barcelona was turning its back to the sea, but that is no longer the case. If you visit the city in July, you will be able to enjoy magnificent beaches and from there, contemplate the great metropolis!

This contrast is one of the best features that Barcelona has and no wonder. Lying on the sand or taking a dip in the sea are two activities that you can do perfectly in July and enjoy the summer to the fullest.

But that's not all. The beach in July offers you different festivals, which you can enjoy with your feet in the sand. The most important is the Barcelona Beach Festival, an electronic music festival organized every July. Are you going to miss it?

If there is a festival that represents Barcelona, it is El Grec. This performing arts festival showcases the best that Barcelona and all the Catalan theater has to offer. If you go in July, you should not miss the experience of going to one of the plays shown here.

In addition to theater, the festival also includes dance and circus shows, as well as some musical events. Most of the events take place in the Teatre Grec, which is a beautiful open-air amphitheater where you can see the best actors when night falls.

El Grec is a must-see if you are in Barcelona in July and is a starting point for a huge cultural and leisure offer.

Have you seen a picture of Barcelona from above? The layout of its streets is impressive and some people like to look down from a little higher up. But how about having a drink from a rooftop to appreciate the city?

This is highly recommended in hot and crowded months like July, so if it catches your eye, don't miss it. There are bars like the one on the rooftop of the Palau de Mar, the building that houses the Museu d'Història de Catalunya, that you will surely love.

Barcelona is full of terraces and many of them are located on different rooftops, so you can see many of them in July, at night and with the best weather of all. Even, several of them are in museums, so you can make a cultural, gastronomic and observational visit.

Neighborhood by neighborhood, Barcelona is a charming city. Summer brings out the best in every neighborhood of the city and one of those that will captivate you, especially in its main festival, is Poble Sec. Located south of the city, it is a neighborhood formed in the nineteenth century and was intended for workers, but today it can be a tourist paradise.

Just in the month of July is celebrated the festival of Poble Sec, an event that brings tourists and locals to this working-class neighborhood in the south. As happens in the local festivals, there are many celebrations in the streets, but here the protagonist is the open-air concerts.

But wait: what about the food? Yes, the truth is that at this fair food is a must. From pinchos to tapas: at the Poble Sec festival you can fill your stomach with all the best food.

Summer makes the cities of the European coast change completely, and the Share Festival is one of those shows. If you go to Barcelona in July and you are passionate about urban music, reggaeton and similar genres, missing this festival would be a real madness.

Share Festival has hosted great artists like Anuel, Lola Indigo or Natalia Lacunza. If you go to this festival, you can be in a week of concerts in the middle of July, and enjoy all the other wonders that the city has to offer.

Most tourists pass through the Raval and don't even know they are in that neighborhood. If you go to Barcelona in July, that will be complicated, because the neighborhood has its main festival, concentrated especially in the Rambla del Raval.

Although originally these festivities were dedicated to the Virgen del Carmen, the Raval festival is nowadays an event for tourists like you to spend a different time.

Here you can see one of the best examples of art in Catalonia: the castells. These are groups of people who climb on top of each other to form a large circular tower. The challenge is not to fall and it is worth admiring them for a few minutes.

Do you like to get up early? Then there is a perfect plan for you: go to see the sunrise at Barceloneta beach. As it is already summer, you will not have to fight against the cold and you can be on the sand of the sea from very early, watching how the sun rises from the east.

Sunsets are also beautiful in Barcelona, but the coast of Barcelona faces east, which is from where the sun rises. Therefore, there is nothing more sublime than watching the sun rise from the sea and being in front of Barceloneta is one of the best views of the city.

In addition, you can also go at any time to sit on the beach of Barceloneta to enjoy the sea, the promenade and the food. In July everything will be active and open for you.

Traveller Tip

It's summer, so even if you have to get up early, dawn is the time when you can enjoy the best weather. If you like walking or jogging, it wouldn't hurt to have the company of the sunrise.

A former royal residence, with a beautiful garden adapted to receive great concerts. The Jardins de Pedralbes festival is another of your leisure options if you go to Barcelona in July and is one of the best that shows all the facets of the city: nature, history and art.

The Pedralbes palace is a beautiful classical building where you can take great pictures, but when you are in it, you will enjoy a great festival that you will love. Pablo Alborán, Naty Peluso, Aitana, Raphael, Il Divo and so many more have performed here, so any musical genre is valid on this stage.

Also, if you don't like concerts where there are too many crowds, then this festival is for you, as it is not so crowded and combines the best of music with the summer heat.

Do you like clubbing and partying? Well July is one of the best months to do that in Barcelona: you won't have to be carrying winter clothes, the sun sets very late and it's not as crowded as in August.

If there is something wonderful about having this temperature is that the nightlife can start outdoors, in amazing places like El Bunkers del Carmel, where people gather to drink and share. But if you want to go to bars and clubs, the Ciutat Vella district is probably where you should start.

In Ciutat Vella there are many bars that, especially in summer, work late into the early hours of the morning. The temperature and the good mood will accompany you... what are you waiting for to experience it?

Summer? You can not miss the boat trips in Barcelona, especially if it is on a catamaran. Yes, yes, we know that the sea is there all year round, but if there is a time to enjoy it is the summer, and in particular in the month of July, where temperatures are more pleasant, especially closer to the shore. In Barcelona, the beautiful coastline has many boats that come and go while doing services for tourists.

The most famous are the catamarans, which make tours from north to south and from where you will be able to see all the great buildings of the city. If you like panoramic photos, this is an opportunity you can't miss at any time.

But if you are more into small and fast boats, then renting one for several hours could be the most pleasant thing to do. Just be prepared to get splashed. Whatever the case may be, if you go to Barcelona in July, you can't forget to take a trip on the sea.

Gradually consolidated as an emblem of Barcelona's summer, the Cruïlla Festival is an event that you should not miss if you are a true music lover on vacation in the Catalan capital. You will be fascinated, because this festival is held in the beautiful Parc del Forum, located on the coast, and brings together the greatest of the greats of music.

If the time you spend in Barcelona coincides with the Cruïlla Festival in July, you will certainly hear many locals and tourists talking about it. Are you going to miss the opportunity to do something different with the greats of music?

Many people flee the summer because of the heat and dehydration, but that doesn't have to be the case and even less so if you go to Barcelona in July. In this month, the temperature is a little lower than in early August and so it is practically your last chance to enjoy a summer without the heat being a problem.

Generally, temperatures in Barcelona in July range between 23 and 29 °C, which implies an average temperature in this area of Europe. Rainfall in summer is usually very scarce and in the late afternoon everything becomes much cooler.

However, you should keep in mind that there may be heat peaks that reach up to at least 34 °C. In that case, it is best to be prepared, with good hydration and sunscreen.

Book in advance or arrive in town to find the best deals? It is always better to plan ahead. July is a busy month for the hotel industry in Barcelona and even more so for seasonal apartment rentals. There are many tourists, Spanish and European, who come to Barcelona to have a different respite in the summer.

There are small hotels that are full months in advance and, therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry, especially if you go with your family. But you can also look for reservations with less time in advance and take advantage of last minute sales. It also depends on whether you are going to spend only a couple of days in the city or if it will be something more extended.

The offer of hotels, hostels and apartments in Barcelona is huge, and you have many options to choose from. Being a city with great public transportation, you can stay in a place far away from the areas you will be visiting and get to where you want to go in time. Many times, it is possible to find near the summer sales that are made after last minute cancellations and that is where you can take advantage of the best. Do you want to try it?