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Mercat de Sant Josep (la Boqueria), on Les rambles in Barcelona. Photo by Didier Descouens-

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Mercat de la Boqueria

Mercat de la Boqueria is often referred to as La Boqueria. It is a large Spanish public market in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

The market is one of the city’s foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from La Rambla not far from the Liceu, Barcelona’s opera house. The market has a wide variety of gods.

Learn more about Mercat de la Boqueria in these top 10 fascinating facts.

1. Mercat de la Boqueria Dates From 1217

The market dates from 1217 when tables were installed near the old city to sell meat. From 1470 onwards, a pig market was held at this site, and it was called Mercadi Bornet. Later up to 1794, It was known as Mercat de la Palla or straw market.

In the beginning, the market was not enclosed and had no official status. Later, authorities decided to construct a separate market on La Rambla, housing mainly fishmongers and butchers.

In 1826 it was legally recognized and a convention held in 1835 decided to build an official structure. The construction began on March 19, 1840, with Mas Vila as the lead architect and officially opened the same year.

The inauguration of the market took place in 1853. In 1911 a new fish market was opened and the metal roof that still exists today was constructed in 1914.

2. The Name of the Market Was Derived from Boc

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The current name was derived from Catalan boc, meaning meat of the male goat. It meant that Boqueria would be a place where goat meat is sold. The boc was the most demanded at that time.

3. Mercat de la Boqueria Has Fresh Produce

At La Boqueria, there are top quality food and fresh produce. Food products from across the world from Africa, Asia, Latin America and various European countries are found under one roof and it’s a top destination for everything you desire.

The floors are wrapped with melted ice and fruit skins, adding a captivating experience. In the market, you can find cheeses, spices, meats, tomatoes, pawpaw, ingredients for making various soups, scraps of animals at discounted prices and many more.

The stalls throughout the market sell fresh fruit juices, a refreshing treat and one continues to explore the beauty of the market and shop for essentials they need.

4. Mercat de la Boqueria is Easily Accessible

Photo by Ad Meskens-

One of the easiest ways to access the market is to take the  Metro line to Liceu Station and from there, it’s a short one-minute walk over to the market.

The market is always from 8 am till 8:30 pm, Monday to Saturday; it is closed on Sundays. I highly recommend coming early morning or later in the evening.

Arriving in the morning gives you a chance to see vendors coming and going, loading their stalls with the catch or pick of the day. The experience is way better when the market is less busy.

5. There are Top-Notch Bars and Restaurants in La Boqueria

In need of a quick snack while at La Boqueria, the market has great bars selling both food and drinks. The food is exotic and is priced similarly to a top-quality restaurant.

Don’t miss to visit the famous El Pinotxo; one of their famous breakfast is a plate of garbanzo beans with fresh blood sausage. The meal is absolutely delicious.

Make sure to visit El Quim, a fantastic café selling outstanding breakfast plates. A traditional Catalan dish to try is fried baby squid atop a freshly cooked egg. The combination of fresh seafood and the creamy, rich egg is a wonderful explosion of flavor

6. The Market is Always Perfectly Arranged

he Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. La Rambla. Barcelona, Spain. December 2011. Photo by Studio Sarah Lou-

Mercat de La Boqueria market is divided into sections based on what the vendors are selling. This makes it easy to explore.

The market has over 200 vendors; you will be thankful for this organization, especially if you are looking for something in particular.

The vendor arranges all produce perfectly, displaying a splash of color. The splash of color makes the stalls more visible and in turn, it attracts many customers.

7. The Market Has Catalan Popular Ham

Catalan most popular food is its famous Iberian ham or Jamon Iberico. This cured meat is made from black Iberian pigs and the flavor is distinctly Spanish with a subtle nutty flavor. Hundreds of legs of ham hang around the market stalls.

There are also other types of ham from Serrano to Lomo, as well as bright red salami and chorizo. If you want some meat to-go, vendors will cut you fresh slices of ham and put them into these daring paper ice cream cones for you to eat as you walk.

8. The La Boqueria Market Offers Cooking Classes

Photo by Ad Meskens-

If you are interested in knowing how to cook Spanish foods, a local chef will show you around the market and teach you about local products and culinary traditions.

The chef will also guide you on buying the ingredients you need to prepare various typical Spanish dishes such as crema Catalan, paella, tortilla and gazpacho.

9. Tips for Doing Groceries at La Boqueria

The prices tend to be higher near the entrance to the market. The best prices rates are found in the stalls near the back and on the sides.

If you love to fish, fresh fish is best bought early in the morning. For vegetables and fruits, it is best to come in the afternoon, according to the locals.

The vendors display their finest goods up front, but they try to place the lower quality pieces first so that, the better products remain by the end of the day.

10. The Market Has Won several Awards

The market has an area of 2,583 square meters and has over 200 stores inside where merchants sell all kinds of vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and many more.

In 2005, the World Markets Congress held in Washington presented La Boqueria with the Best Market in the World award.

Also, CNN named it the best fresh produce market in the world, surpassing the Union Square Farmers Market in New York and Tor Kor Market in Bangkok.