1. Blocking the pavements on La Rambla

Yes, La Rambla is famous. But for most people who live here, it’s not a place they wander at a snail’s pace while scrolling Google Maps. They’re trying to get to work, to the metro, to the bakery.

When you’re in a group of four walking shoulder-to-shoulder, taking selfies, you’re basically a moving barricade.

If you want to people-watch, slip into Café de l’Opera (right on La Rambla) — it’s an old-school bar with velvet seating and chipped marble tables — and observe the theatre of the street from inside with a cortado for €2.

2. Treating Sagrada Família like a quick selfie stop

I know it’s tempting to do the “tick it off” shot outside and dash, but this is Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece and also a working basilica.

Locals quietly roll their eyes at the hordes who block entrances for photos without even entering. If you do decide to visit the Sagrada Familia, book the early slot (9 am) and spend at least an hour inside.

The light through those stained-glass windows will knock you sideways. Afterwards, instead of the overpriced cafés out front, grab a bocadillo at Forn d’en Pau on Carrer de Sardenya — tiny, family-run, cheap and miles better.

3. Shouting in the Gothic Quarter late at night

The Gothic Quarter’s alleys are magical, especially after dark. But they’re also full of people who actually live above the bars.

It’s not unusual to see hand-written notes on doorways saying “Silencio, please.” If you want a proper late-night buzz without feeling like an intruder, head a few blocks over to El Born.

I always end up at El Xampanyet near the Picasso Museum — a tiny cava bar with sardines on toast and house bubbly for €3 a glass. The staff will rib you in Spanish if you try to order like a tourist, but in a warm way.

4. Only eating at Plaça Reial

I get it — those palm trees are pretty. But the restaurants around Plaça Reial have menus designed for people who will never come back. Frozen paella, €6 “sangria” poured from a carton. Locals rarely ever eat here.

Walk five minutes to Carrer Blai in Poble Sec, a street lined with pinchos bars where you pay by the toothpick. My go-to is La Tasqueta de Blai. Two glasses of wine and five toothpicks later, you’ve eaten like a king for under €15.

5. Thinking Park Güell is just the famous bench

Park Güell is another Gaudí wonder, but most visitors walk in, take a photo of the mosaic bench, and leave. The best part is actually the upper area — the wooded trails that look out over the city.

Bring a picnic from Mercat de l’Abaceria Central in Gràcia (the olives and fresh bread there are superb) and eat under the pines like locals do on a Sunday.

6. Missing out on neighbourhood fiestas

Barcelona isn’t just monuments — it’s neighbourhood life. If you’re here in August, the Festa Major de Gràcia turns the streets into an explosion of homemade decorations.

Tourists tend to stick to the main squares; locals wander the backstreets where each block competes for the best theme.

Last year, I stumbled on a tiny street done up like a lunar landscape and an old lady selling homemade vermut for €1 a glass from her window. You’ll never find that in a guidebook.

7. Assuming everyone speaks English

Most young people in Barcelona do, but many older locals don’t. A few words in Spanish (or better yet, Catalan) go a long way. Even just saying “Bon dia” instead of “Hello” in a shop instantly changes the vibe.

I learned this the first time I bought cheese at Formatgeria La Seu in the Gothic Quarter. The owner, Katherine, gave me a wedge “for tasting” after I tried out my clumsy Catalan.

8. Staying only by the beach

Barceloneta Beach is fine for a quick dip, but it’s crowded and full of hawkers. Locals head to Ocata Beach (35 minutes by train) for wide sand, clean water and actual space.

There’s a chiringuito (beach shack) called Pica d’Estats where the calamari is fresh, the beer is cold, and nobody cares what you look like in your swimsuit.

9. Airbnb without thinking

Barcelona has been cracking down on illegal rentals because they drive up rents for locals. If you’re booking an apartment, make sure it has a valid tourist licence number (you’ll see it in the listing). Better yet, stay at a small, locally run hotel like Hotel Praktik Bakery in Eixample. It’s above an actual bakery, so you wake up to the smell of croissants and support local jobs at the same time.

10. Forgetting siesta timing still exists

Shops and small restaurants in non-touristy areas still close in the afternoon.

I’ve lost count of how many tourists I’ve seen grumbling at shuttered doors in Sant Andreu at 3 pm. Use that time to do like the locals — long lunch, coffee, a stroll. My secret spot? Jardins del Turo del Putxet — a quiet park with city views where you can laze on a bench until things open again.