Surviving the Night Life in Barcelona

If you are taking a trip to Barcelona, there are some things you may want to know ahead of time. Not a morning person? Perfect. Barcelona is the place for you. If you like to get up with the birds and the roosters in the morning, you may not see any nightlife while you are there.

If you want to see the nightlife, you will have to mentally prepare yourself to stay up very late. Barcelona is recognized as a late night party town with a range of drinking scenes, including pubs, wine bars, and nightclubs. The town likes to start these drinking festivities late. And end them much later.

The night scene in Barcelona is quite active with people in the streets meandering from place to place, usually until the sun begins to peek into the horizon. There are a variety of nightlife events in the city. Guía del Oci is a helpful magazine written in Spanish that will offer tips on the city’s nightlife. Nighttime activities seem to happen in shifts in Barcelona.

Typically, dinner does not even begin until nine o’clock the earliest.That is after the evening probably originated at a pub, where people warm up with a few beers and tapas. After dinner, people will wander back to other watering holes, which may include a wine bar, a venue that is playing live music, or to watch Flamenco dancing.

The nightclubs do not start filling in until at least two in the morning. If a group steps into a nightclub before 1 am, they will likely be the only group in the place. Look for flyers that get you in the club for free, especially if you show up “early.” At many of the nightclubs, it is possible to dance the night away until 6 in the morning. Since, this may be a lot for an average tourist to take in, to get the most out of the nightlife, it may help to prepare.

1. Take A Siesta. This late afternoon nap, which is very common in Spain and other Mediterranean countries, can do wonders to keep you awake until 3 or 4 in the morning. If the weather is nice, go to quiet beach and take a nap.

2. Drink Caffeinated Beverages. After a nice long siesta, you made still need a little pick-me-up, much as coffee drinkers enjoy a coffee in the morning. If coffee is not your thing, have a soft drink or other caffeinated drink.

3. Have A Substantial Dinner. This will help absorb the alcohol if you plan on having a long night of drinking.If you have an empty stomach and still plan on having a late night of drinking, you may end up curled up on the floor of some bar.Try not to go overboard and induce a foodcoma.

4. Build Yourself Up to Friday. Most of the late nights will happen on the weekend.If you are there during the week, try to get enough rest during the week.Towards the end of the week, start shifting your schedule and stay up later.

5. Keep Moving. This may be why you see people bouncing from one place to the next.It is easier to stay alert if you keep moving. If you do stay in one place for a while, it is probably best if you can dance or do something active.Sitting for a long time, especially after a big meal, will cause the sleepiness to kick in.

6. Bring a Sleep Mask. This is helpful if the hotel or place you will sleep has little to block the light in the morning. The last thing that you want is to come home at six in the morning and not be able to sleep because of the bright sun shining into the room.

7. Learn to Appreciate Sunrises More than Sunsets. Lastly, you may actually get to see the sun rise if you participate in the whole nightlife festivities. Depending on the time of year, you may be taking a siesta when the sun goes down. Enjoy it. It a beautiful site, especially if you have a view by the water.

Barcelona has a multitude of nighttime festivities visitors can partake. If you prepare for the late nights and unusual scenes, it can be a fun time. It is something worth doing, even if only once. Even as a sober bystander.