Is Barcelona a safe city to visit?

For many years, Barcelona has been one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Known for its stunning architecture, vibrant culture, and beautiful beaches, Barcelona has solidified its place as one of the must-see cities in Europe. However, when considering a trip to wonderful Barcelona, a question that often comes to mind is “is Barcelona a safe city to travel to?”

The short answer is yes. Over the years, Barcelona has largely proven to be a safe and secure city for those who want to soak up all its culture and beauty. In this guide, we will look at what makes Barcelona safe and answer some of the most frequent questions about travelling safely in the city.

The Crime Ratings of Barcelona

When looking at the safety of any city in the world, one of the best indicators are the crime ratings. The majority of Barcelona is relatively safe and secure. The city has a below-average crime rate compared to other cities in Europe, mainly due to the implementation of many proactive security measures. According to Numbeo’s 2020 crime index, Barcelona has a score of 33.71, which is only 15.59 higher than the UK’s national score of 18.12 – significantly lower than London’s score of 48.30.

Furthermore, Barcelona has a lower rate of theft compared to other major European cities – London and Madrid have higher rates of theft, with 71.13 and 82.96 respectively. In comparison, Barcelona’s rate stands at 64.09 out of 100 for 2020. This is more than double the rate for Eastern Barcelona (29.45) and almost fourfold that of La Barceloneta (16.23). For more detailed information about crime ratings in Barcelona and specific regions of the city, Numbeo is an excellent source.

Mediterranean Sadism

While Barcelona’s standard crime rate is low compared to other European cities, it is not completely free from criminals and criminals-to-be. A particular issue worth mentioning is Mediterranean Sadism – a specific type of crime largely counterproductive to tourism that generally occurs when pickpockets take advantage of vulnerable tourists.

Traditionally Mediterranean Sadism involves stealing phones and wallets on crowded streets, but more recently it has emerged in touristy nightclubs and bars. The thieves usually pick their victims who generally tend to be alone, drunk, vulnerable and who may not know how to react in such situations. Often times they also work in teams, making it harder for any one particular person to fight them off.

It is important for tourists to be aware of their potential for victimhood if they find themselves in these situations. When travelling around Barcelona it is important to be vigilant, attentive and not too trusting with strangers who may confuse helpfulness with a cover for their malicious intentions – look out for pickpockets on the streets as well as signs of danger inside different venues before letting your guard down completely. Furthermore, it is always best to go out with a group of people rather than alone as this can make you less of a target for such undesirable elements.

Barcelona’s nightlife safety

Spain is well-known for its vibrant night life and Barcelona has one of the liveliest scenes in the world. People flock to clubs and bars situated across the city and understandably some may have worries over their safety when going out in this kind of environment. It is important to bear in mind that while there may be some risk involved, Barcelona’s bars and clubs are generally safe provided you stick to certain common-sense practices such as not flashing money around or taking drinks from strangers, for example. Ultimately if you are respectful towards others and take proper care of yourself then you should be able to experience all the city’s nightlife has to offer without fear.

While one should never forget also about safety measures when planning to go out at night in any city, you don’t need to be overly paranoid when it comes to Barcelona – choose reliable venues with security personnel present or just focus on approaching the evening with caution and common sense and you should have no problems getting through the night without any trouble.

Are the tourism attractions in Barcelona safe?

Barcelona has some incredible attractions for travellers to explore – from Gaudi’s architecture spanning across central Barcelona such as Casa Batllo and La Pedrera to Picasso’s stunning works at La Sagrada Familia – as well as many other attractions such as Las Ramblas and Park Güell which make up one of biggest draws for tourists from all corners of the world.

The good news is these sites are generally very safe – you should have no problem walking around them without any fear of being victimised or targeted by criminals. The public places around these sites are well policed so you should feel secure at all times while exploring different attractions. As with any major tourist place it is always best to be vigilant and aware of what’s going on around you and keep your personal possessions in safe places such as bags or bags closed securely while travelling alone– however there’s no need to let worries over safety stop you from fully enjoying your trip!

In addition, holiday activity providers such as GetYourGuide, offer tourists the opportunity to book activities such as the 3-Hour Snack & Swim Boat Party in advance with ease – you can spend a great day sailing around Madrid Bay with like-minded tourists without ever worrying about safety as everything is organised for you by professionals!

Overall Is Barcelona a safe city?

Overall, there is no denying that Barcelona is relatively safe place to travel in 2020 and with sufficient communication between tourists and locals it’s possible to avoid any dangerous situations one may face while travelling in the city.

Barcelona has generally low crime rates, although tourists should always be aware of Mediterranean Sadism and particularly vulnerable when drunk or travelling alone in busy areas or touristy nightclubs & bars at night – while it’s important to exercise extra caution in these cases, don’t forget that Barcelona’s nightlife scene has much to offer visitors so don’t miss out on having fun either! Finally, it’s important for travellers to keep an eye out for pickpockets in public places and be aware that sometimes locals may take advantage of their willingness to help – yet overall, by exercising precautionary measures then tourists should feel generally comfortable making their way around the city without having any cause for alarm! So if you’re looking for a vibrant city break full of culture & experiences then head down to Barcelona – it can certainly provide in terms of safety and fun!