One Winter's Day in Barcelona ~ A Photo Journal

Last updated on September 9, 2020

I love Barcelona in winter. In many ways I think it’s my favourite time to be here.

Barcelona cathedral and torre agbar tower — Words & photos by Ben Holbrook, December 2017.

Temperatures hover around 16°C (61°F), which means you aren’t likely to spend too much time at the beach or go swimming in the sea.

But with the powder blue skies and gentle rays soaking into your bones, there’s still plenty to lift your spirits.

Panoramic views across Barcelona from the MNAC (Palau Nacional Museum of Catalan Art) in Barcelona — Get some sun on those buns…

Tourists in Barcelona at Christmas time — What the…

Winter in Barcelona — Doing the December dance.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona — MNAC – National Museum of Catalan Art.

Horse riding in Montjuic Barcelona — Striding home for Christmas.

The best thing of all is the fact that the maddening crowds of summer are nowhere to be found.

And those who do visit at this time of year, the ones who I see quietly contemplating the warmth and ethereal light, remind me just how pleasant this part of the world is to be at this time of year.

Torre Telefónica, Montjuic, Barcelona — From tiny acorns do mighty oaks grow – Torre Telefónica.

La Caseta del Migdia, Montjuic, Barcelona — Clifftop tapas at La Caseta del Migdia, Montjuic.

Ben Holbrook Travel Photographer - Barcelona, Spain — A shadowy self portrait

Locals lay out on the grass, puckering their faces up to the sun as it seeps through their eyelids.

They walk hand-in-hand and stop for frosty kisses and hot cups of coffee, waiting for the sunset.

And it doesn’t disappoint – there’s a coolness about it. Shifts of pink and violet fall over the city, before dissolving to hues of bleached blue and star dust.