A guide to Barcelona in March 2023. What special events and activities are going on this March in Barcelona? What is the weather like? What should you wear? Get better prepared for your trip so you can make the most out of your time in Barcelona this March 2023.

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✍🏼Top Activities and Events
🥘 Traditional Catalan Foods and where to eat them 

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Barcelona, Spain

March in Barcelona 2023

March starts as the Mobile World Congress winds down, so if you're planning on being in Barcelona at the beginning of the month, you'll find more people, more expensive flights and accomodation, and taxis might be scarce.  But that's only for a couple of days.  With Easter Week (Semana Santa) falling in April this year, expect March to be a bit more relaxing as the temperatures start to heat up and the city starts to show its colors.  The end of the month brings spring back out and March is a beautiful time of the year to come visit Barcelona. There are quite a few more Saint celebrations (some Catalan and some not...) and awesome activites like the Sitges/Barcelona Rally that will be taking place.

Remember this is a guide to Barcelona in March, for some of the top things to do in Barcelona year-round, download my free guide to Barcelona here: 

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Check the weather before you come, but even if you see warmer temperatures than you’re used to at home, locals won’t be dressing for the weather, but for the season. March tends to be when the temperatures start picking up again and by the end of the month we should be seeing some really nice weather, maybe even hitting the 70s (20 Celcius). The good news is it does too rain much at all. You can be outside all day with average highs around 60 Fahrenheit (~15 Celsius)and average lows being around 50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius). Remember that while midday is always nice, the mornings and evenings are chillier, so you want to wear layers. 

You’ll want jackets and sweaters and make sure to bring layers. Pants are still going to be a must, but you might see some tourists in shorts.  You can be out in just a sweatshirt during the middle of the day, but I think a coat will be needed at night. 

There are so many saint celebrations throughout the year and Sant Medir, on March 3rd, is another in a long list.  His celebration is not popular around the entire city, but it is celebrated in the neighborhoods of Gràcia and Sant Gervasi.   It is also a public holiday in the nearby town of Sant Cugat where the legend iof Sant Medir is said to have taken place and many people visit on this day.  

The best Saint Day of them all is celebrated in Barcelona too!  While there are no religious or cultural ties to the Irish Saint, as in most places, Barcelona has all sorts of bars to celebrate.  So if you're looking for a place go for Saint Patrick's Day here are some of the best:

March 19th is a prett big one in Barcelona and in Spain.  It is the saint name day for Jose/Josep, or Joesph, and it's also Father's Day.  So if your dad is named José, it's a double-whammie! But March 19th is also the anniversarry of the date of the first stone placed at the Sagrada Familia back in 1882.  So head over to the Sagrada Familia on it's 141st birthday! And if your name is Jose or you're a dad, felicidades!!

One saint from right here in Barcelona, Saint Josep Oriol is celebrated in the Pi neighborhood in the Gothic Quarter, just off La Rambla in the area surrounding Santa Maria del Pi Church.  Saint Josep Oriol performed many miralces around Barcelona, curing many sick and helping the poor.  The plaza to the side of Santa Maria del Pi is names in his honor and the nighborhood festival is the week around his saint day, March 23rd.  

Daylights Savings Time is March 26th, 2023 and as we spring forward, remember that you're losing an hour.  2Am will jump to 3AM, making it easier to make it out 'til the clubs close down for anyone who is  having trouble staying out so late at night.  

While the Congress ends on March 2nd, you might have some visiotrs sticking around for some extra days to take advantage of Barcelona.  If you plan to come a few days later, you should see a dip in prices for flights and accomodation compared to just a few days prior.  Unless you're coming to Barcelona for MWC, it's not something to worry to much about, as it is just outside the city, but keep in mind there is a big spike in visitors during the days of the biggest tech conference around!

The 2023 edition will be March 18th through the 26th.  

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Here are some special winter and holiday dishes, or treats you can find on menus at restaurants or you need to try around the city.

A popular winter soup or stew that is made with galets and many different types of Catalan meats and vegetables. It’s one of the most traditional Christmas dishes in Catalonia that is documented from as far back at the 15th century! For Carnival, sometimes you can find a special Escudella known as Ranxo.  

One of the best winter foods you can try while here are calçots.  Char-grilled onions that are usually dipped in a 'romesco' sauce.  Normally calçots are eaten as part of a larger BBQ with an assortment of Catalan meats, bread with tomato and more.  It's incredibly messy and incredibly fun.  You can try joinging a BBQ at many of the larger parks outside the city or go to some local restaurants for a plate, some offer all you can eat calçots! Here are some of the best restaurants to try Calçots for yourself:

And if you want to organize a Calçotada outside of the city, one of the best places to go is Les Planes.  It's a very short train ride out of Barcelona, but on wekeends it gets filled with people so you'll need to go early to get a spot.  There is a restaurant, but to make your own Calçotada head to the park:

With the colder weather a nice hot chocolate makes for a nice treat while here. Things to keep in mind, hot chivalry is not really a drink it should be eaten with a spoon. I think many people make the mistake of thinking it’s like a Swiss Miss drink. It is incredibly filling. Something you should try while you’re here I. Barcelona is a Suizo, a hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. 

Try out the hot chocolate at the Casa Amatller on Passeig de Gràcia, the Amatller made all of their money from chocolate. A visit to the house can be accompanied with hot chocolate at the end!

To go with your hot chocolate, try some churros. Here are some of the top places to try the combo. While churros are great, you can also try out melindros, which are like little cookies to dip in the hot chocolate. 

Restaurants to find traditional Catalan dishes

For those of you with plans, or flights, the next day remember to keep that time change in mind.  Your phone's gonna do it for you anyway, but don't say I didn't warn you.  

On March 3rd you'll want to be around the Gràcia or Sant Gervasi neighborhoods in the everning to see the parades and candy thrown in the streets for all the kids. But why the candy? You've already seen the legend of Sant Medir above, why do these neighborhoods celebrate with candy?  In the 19th century a man from Gràcia promised to visit the chapel of Saint Medir to cure his illness every year.  When other families and firends joined in on the excursion they came back throwing beans to in honor of the saint.  The beans over time have become candy, something nice to throw to the kids these days.

It happens every year, the Plaça de Sant Jaume gets filled with antique cars and their owners get dressed up like it was the 20's again and eveyrone who walks through the plaza is surprised.  For the 65th year, the Barcelona-Siges Rally will tkae places on March 11th and 12th.  Starting in Barcelona, these antique cars will be driven down to Siges

Last year's event was postpned until October, so we still need to see if the festival, with is typical in March will be running this year.

If you make the trip out to Saint Medir's chapel, you might as well take the time to visit Sant Cugat.  It's just a 25 minute trian ride from Barcelona on the FGC trains and offers a 1,000 year old monastery right in the heart of town.  There's also a Marilyn Monroe museum next door!

Hop down of the train to this beautiful seaside town and catch the arrival of the cars or visit any other day.  it's only a 40 minute ride from Barcelona and offers great beaches, white-washed streets, and some impressive museums.

The LEGEND: Medir was a poor farmer planting his beans in the Collserola hills between Barcleona and Sant Cugat del Vallès,. One day, while being chased by the Roman soldiers the Bishop Server passed Medir and told him the tale of his persecution.  He also told him he could not lie to the soliders who would soon be here.  When the Romans arrived, medir true to his promise, told the soliders that Medir had passed by not too long before them, heading towards Sant Cugat, when he was planting his beans.  The Romans, seeing the beanstalks now higher than Medir himself took him for a liar and upon catching Server, killed Medir for his lies.  People now make a pilgrimmage to the chapel in his honor in Sant Cugat.

During these days there is quite a bit happening in the Gothic Quarter. When the official schedule comes out you can go to this website:

RIght from the beginning there will be many different activities around the nieghborhood. 

Festes de Sant Josep Oriol 2023 «  Associació d'amics dels Gegants del Pi

The opening day to the festival usually has the opening ceremony and the Castellers (Human Towers) who perform infron of the church.

One of the most famous miracles Sant Josep Oriol is known for is during a pilgrimmage to Rome he needed money to pay for hsi friends food, so he took some radishes and cut them up into pieces, turning them into gold coins.  Today, one of the biggest parts of the neighborhood festival is finding gold coins. 

During various days of the festival, there will be stories about Sant Josep Oriol, the giants will be on parade, and many other cultural activities to enjoy.  Some of the biggest activites are the dances of the 4 origianl giants (gegants) of Sanata Maria del Pi, the parade of the Oriols (giants of the Old City), and some smaller parades throughout the streets!

One of the most popular activities is centered around a famous neighborhood bandit, Perot lo Lladre.  He is seen as a Robin Hood of his times and was a very famous Catalan Bandit in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Those who join in the theivery will visit different shops in the neighborhood and get the gold coins Perot steals.  Perot became quite famous in his day and even inspired a character in Don Quijote! 

On Father's Day one of the typical foods you will find are Bunyols or Buñuelos.  They are like Catalan donuts or fritters.  It's basically a donut hole, although some may be in the shape of smaller donuts.  Fried dough, covered in sugar ofr a delicious treat.