Is Poble Sec safe?

If you check Facebook and WhatsApp groups about Barcelona, you will occasionally find posts that allege that parts of Barcelona are extremely unsafe.

In my personal opinion, as a male having lived in London, I think that every neighbourhood in Barcelona I have been to is absolutely safe. No need to worry about guns or even knives, and the main crime you will encounter is pickpocketing and maybe some mild scamming.

Now, your experience may vary depending on what you’re used to… if you’re from a city in the USA with a high crime rate you might find Barcelona to be a haven of peace. If you are from a small village in Europe, you might see Barcelona as a crime-ridden hell hole.

We are well aware that women are subject to risks that generally go well beyond any affecting men.

Always be aware of your surroundings, don’t get blind-drunk, make sure you are with friends, and if you feel threatened go into any bar, restaurant, club or other establishment and ask the staff for help. Calling the police at 112 is also a good option, but be careful this doesn’t just lead to your phone being stolen. If you’re by yourself after hours, try and find other people or even stop a (slow moving) car in the road for support.

Are Poble Sec and the Raval worse than other neighbourhoods?

No! You might see prostitution or be offered drugs in the street, but all you have to say is “No, gracias”.

As long as you don’t join a gang or start being aggressive towards dealers or prostitutes, you are as safe here as everywhere else.

Narco pisos (flats taken over by drug gangs while flat owners are away) and general squatting are a real problem in all of Barcelona, and possibly more so in our neighbourhoods.

Make sure your flat is well secured if you’re away for a longer time. You can get a security system installed, or even simply put in a few cameras that can alert you of any intruders yourself. If this happens, call the police immediately, and they can take care of it.

Once squatters have had time to secure entrances, you will have a much harder time getting rid of them.

Also, make sure you don’t leave your passport and the deed to your home in your flat unattended for a long time… not having access to those only adds more pain to an already painful situation.