La Boquería is the biggest food market in Europe, located in Barcelona it offers a fantastic place to scrutinize and purchase the best of Spanish produce. Make your way down the incredibly touristy section of Las Ramblas whilst trying to avoid the street entertainers, portrait artists, living statues and flower sellers, and you can't help but stumble across it with its selection of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables.
You'll find this local market in every top ten attractions to visit in Barcelona, open any Spanish travel magazine or tourist guide or ask anyone in the city what's worth seeing and odds are this will be on the top of the list. Most people think of the beach, the Cathedral, art galleries and shopping trips when considering a short break to the Catalonian capital, so what's so exciting about this food market?
Well, apart from the photo opportunities available that can produce arty shots and then be admired by friends and family once your vacation is over, the sheer size of the place is remarkable. The Spanish are, rightly, proud of their produce which is exceptional and comes from the mountains and fields and the ocean and rivers, in fact the market has such a good reputation that both international and local well-known chefs travel the distance to find the ingredients they want. You never know you just might be lucky enough to bump into Ferran Adria or Spanish chef José Andrés, accredited with introducing Spanish cuisine and tapas-style dishes to America.
Inside the building you'll find the local women shopping for bargains with their trolleys trailing after them, they're the ones poking the goods, making you move out of the way and haggling for a few more pesetas off the price. Alongside are just as many tourists fascinated by the strange looking fruits and veg available and awe-struck by the choice, and then there are the vendors shouting across to each other and gesturing as they expertly weigh and wrap customers goods. The atmosphere is chaotic and exciting.
Down the centre of the building are long bars where waiters run around getting customers orders who sit with a piled high plate of steaming tapas, or a strong coffee and watch daily life happening around them. In the air is the aroma of freshly baked bread and coffee mingled with the ripe scent of fruit, vegetables and herbs. The colours are vivid from the bright oranges and fresh green vegetables to the silvery-scaled fish, black shiny olives glistening in huge jars and dark red blood sausages hanging in neat rows.
A foodies delight you can find any ingredient here, from strangely shaped mushrooms to fleshy mussels, everyone who enjoys cooking knows the market and its reputation - all are welcome whether you're just cooking for the family or a gourmet chef.
If food is of particular interest then consider booking a weekend food trip to Barcelona, you can get a package for just a few days and nights, check out the rental apartments in the city's fascinating Gothic Quarter. Take a shopping trip to La Boquería, have gourmet cooking lessons with a top Spanish chef, and eat delicious cuisine or combine it with a wine tour and visit the best wineries in the area complete with wine tasting.
What better destination than Barcelona? You can reach the Catalan capital by low cost flights available from most European cities these days. Look on the internet and you'll find plenty of budget accommodation too, suitable to visit at any time of the year there's plenty of activities and entertainment for everyone.
About the AuthorMathieu Quintart writes articles about Cocoon Barcelona, an online booking agency for a successful stay in Barcelona. Having its office located in Barcelonas historic centre, Cocoon Barcelona offers apartment in barcelona that have personally been visited, with a goal to bring a clear and truthful description of each barcelona apartments. Find your perfect dream accommodation or apartment today, rent apartments in barcelona with Cocoon Barcelona.
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