Sunny terraces in Barcelona
When the weather is good, the best terrace is the one in the sun. Sunny terraces estimates in real time which licensed terraces in Barcelona get sun and which are in shade, based on the sun's position and the height of the surrounding buildings.
Where to find sunny terraces in Barcelona
Barcelona has thousands of licensed terraces and how much sun they get changes street by street. These are some neighbourhoods with plenty of terrace life:
- Eixample: the wide grid streets and chamfered corners let in lots of sun, especially around midday.
- Gràcia: squares like Plaça del Sol or Plaça de la Virreina gather sunny terraces in the afternoon.
- Sant Antoni: open terraces around the market, great for a vermouth in the sun.
- La Barceloneta: close to the sea and sunny almost all day along the open promenades.
- El Born and the Gothic Quarter: narrow, shadier streets; the map helps you find the spots that do catch the sun.
- Poblenou: wide boulevards and squares with afternoon sun.
Best times to find sun
The sun moves through the day, so a terrace can be sunny at noon and shaded by mid-afternoon. In the app you can jump the time forward to see whether your terrace will still be sunny when you arrive, or pick a moment like breakfast, vermouth hour or sunset.
Sun and the season
In winter the sun is lower and buildings cast longer shadows, so narrow streets spend more hours in shade. In summer, with the sun high, even the Gothic Quarter streets get sun at midday. The calculation takes the date you choose into account.
How to use the map
Open the sunny terraces map: it centres on your location if you allow it, or on the city if not. With the bubbles at the top you change city, date, time and radius, and filter by sun or shade; you can also turn on the tree layer if you have allergies.