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AirBnB El Raval

We booked an AirBnB in El Raval in Barcleona near the main sights like Placa CatalyunaLa Boqueria etc. I read that El Raval is a multi national district and hippy. I know that one has to be careful anywhere in a city but it seems like El Raval is a good place to stay as we like adventure and like to live like locals.

Its a 3 bedroom Duplex for 3 people with full kitchen for $130 per night and the street is a small one way street. From the photos it looks renovated and has a bathroom with a bathtub and shower and another half bath on the first floor.

What are your thoughts about this area in 2019? I have read past reviews of the area but not from 2019.

Any good restaurant recommendations?

Here is the AirBnb

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/37787522?bev_ref=&c=.pi80.pkYm9va2luZy92MV9taWdyYXRpb24vcmVzZXJ2YXRpb25fYWNjZXB0YW5jZV9jb25maXJtYXRpb25fZ3Vlc3Q%3D&eal_exp=1568605570&eal_sig=ef138657761c9a12f37d49e7f9c3e7ea0b1743bd1946e61169e01edcca1f471f&eal_uid=137412897&euid=1040429e-4875-4e94-5be2-d8da704f3dad&photo=&user_id=&source_impression_id=p3_1566065116_JhwxHtzMxUDSBv0L

Posted by
4180 posts

I would not recommend staying in El Raval, it's a seedy place with much narco-trafficking and prostitution, I don't want to scare you too much, but there has recently been a spike in violent crime in that area, including muggings and stabbings. This whole "up and coming hipster" thing people are pushing about El Raval is just a bit of clever marketing, hiding the reality.

You can read more for yourself on El Raval:
Barcelona authorities admit city is suffering from “security crisis”
Residents in Barcelona’s El Raval suffer the hell of living next to drug dens
Machete attack in Barcelona’s Raval neighborhood caught on camera

Honestly I am from Barcelona and I would not want to spend the night in El Raval, my local friends who still live in Barcelona would say the same. I would recommend you look at the Gracia neighborhood if you are looking for hip and adventure, its a much nicer place than El Raval.

Posted by
7304 posts

No reviews, bad neighbourhood (felt seedy to me when I visited Barcelona years ago, and Carlos above says it's got worse)... I hope the cancellation policy is flexible enough, since you say you've booked. Otherwise the discussion is largely academic.