September 2, 2024, 3:40 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Hardly any other Spanish city is as popular with Germans as Barcelona. Unfortunately, however, the Mediterranean metropolis is also known for its many pickpockets and con artists. How can you protect yourself? And what are the pickpockets’ tricks?
A stroll along La Rambla is a must when visiting Barcelona, as is a trip to Antoni Gaudí’s world-famous Sagrada Família basilica or a tour of FC Barcelona’s soccer stadium. Every summer, tens of thousands of tourists stroll down the lively boulevard from the Plaza de Catalunya to the port. Flower sellers, souvenir vendors, street musicians, and artists vie for the attention of tourists.
Most vacationers are thrilled by the hustle and bustle of this colorful city. So are pickpockets and con artists. The thieves take advantage of the crowds of distracted tourists on La Rambla and the adjacent popular market La Boqueria to steal cell phones, cameras, and wallets.
The most common tricks of pickpockets
There are, of course, a few classics, such as the crowds when boarding the metro or the cone players on La Rambla, which attract the attention of a small crowd of people, at least four or five of whom belong to the “con team.”
Pickpockets are always devising new tricks to get their hands on tourists’ money or cell phones. The latest trend among pickpockets is to pose as tourists, explains police spokesperson Montserrat. Armed with a city map, sunglasses, water bottle, and camera, they join sightseeing groups or ask other tourists for directions. “They hold the city map so close to the other tourists’ faces that they can no longer see what’s going on around them, and the wallet is gone,” says David Montserrat.
For the past year, a trick involving bird droppings has also become very popular among pickpockets in Barcelona. They approach the tourists from behind and place bird droppings on the back of their shoulders without them noticing. Then, they draw the tourists’ attention to it while helping to wipe it off at the same time. Then they strike.
How you can protect yourself
“However, you can prevent incidents by following a few simple rules,” assures Josep Anton Rojas from the Barcelona Tourist Office. “Passports and valuables are best kept in the hotel safe, and you should only take the most important things with you. Never carry money, cell phones, or credit cards in your back pocket, but in inside pockets,” advises Rojas. Vacationers should always carry backpacks or handbags closed in front of their chests.
In bars, restaurants, and on terraces, travelers should never hang their bags on the back of a chair but keep them on their lap. Of course, you should never leave your belongings unattended on the beach, and it is best to withdraw money from ATMs inside a bank. It is better to consult a city map in a café than in the street, obviously disoriented.
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Go to the police immediately
Particular caution is required when there are crowds of people, says David Montserrat from the Catalan state police Mossos d’Esquadra. There is no real no-go area in Barcelona, and violent crimes and thefts involving violence are rare in Barcelona. But on the Rambla, in the port area and on Barceloneta beach, as well as in the queues in front of the most important sights such as the Sagrada Família, Gaudí monuments such as La Pedrera or Park Güell, you should be a little more attentive.
If you fall victim to pickpockets in Barcelona, you should definitely go straight to the nearest police station and report the theft, even if the chances of the police catching the thief are slim. At least you will receive a police report that you can present to the insurance company at home.