If we talk about a shopping tour to Spain, most often we mean Barcelona. It is here that you can find boutiques, stores, supermarkets, and markets to suit every taste. Fashion houses, shopping and entertainment complexes are waiting for guests all year round. Here you can buy stylish and luxurious things, there are inexpensive sales and discounts. And at street markets you can buy delicacies, art, furniture and beautiful things.
In Barcelona, shopping centers are concentrated in Plaza Catalunya, in the Gothic Quarter, around the Rambla. Visit Via Diagonal or the Carrer Pelai shopping street, the El Corte Inglés shopping center.
Spain's capital, Madrid, also offers plenty of opportunities for shoppers, though it's inferior to Barcelona. Most often in Spanish cities, markets and boutiques are concentrated in one shopping district, which is not difficult to find. Usually it is located either in the center (one or another street), or clearly outside the residential areas.
Of the things that tourists like to bring back from Spain, leather products are most often mentioned. Shoes, belts, bags, purses are a kind of know-how of Spain. Leather dressing is considered an ancient national craft. Many people bring from the country some jewelry, textiles.
The sale season in Spain begins in winter, around January 10, and during Christmas. This is the main period when you can find substantial discounts. So make sure you don't buy more than the customs will allow.
Sales in Spain also happen in the summer, from July to August. It makes sense, because that's when the country's tourism booms. For more on what you can and can't take out of the country, check out the Spain Customs section of our website.
