Barcelona City Guide: Ramblas

Officially, La Rambla is a series of shorter streets, each differently named, hence the plural forms Las Ramblas (Spanish and Les Rambles (Catalan). From the The area around the Plaça de Catalunya toward the harbor, the street is successively the Rambla de Canaletes, the Rambla dels Estudis, the Rambla de Sant Josep, the Rambla dels Caputxins, and the Rambla de Santa Monica. Construction of the Maremàgnum in the early 1990s resulted in a continuation of La Rambla on a wooden walkway into the harbor, the Rambla de Mar.

When walking down La Rambla one can visit its many small shops or enjoy watching the various performances (actors, mimes etc.). There are also several vendors trying to sell paper figures they claim are capable of dancing. Cafes and restaurants on La Rambla often charge steep prices.

La Rambla can be crowded, especially during the "prime-time" tourist season. Mostly there are much more tourists occupying las Ramblas then local inhabitants, which as well has changed the character of the commercial offers in the shops and the character of the street in general. For this reason, it has become a prime target for pickpockets. Lots of unwary tourists have had their wallets stolen on this street. Most recently robbery has also become an issue, even during daylight hours.

Spanish poet Federico García Lorca once said that La Rambla was "the only street in the world which I wish would never end". The name La Rambla means, in Spanish and Catalan, an intermittent water flow, and is derived from the Arabic 'Ramla' which means 'sandy riverbed'.

There are three Barcelona Metro stations with entrances in la Rambla, all of which are served by L3, the green line: