Every year, more than 30 million tourists visit Barcelona, and the majority of them travel the same well-traveled route: Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Las Ramblas, repeat. Locals are living a completely different Barcelona tale only a few blocks away, while you are stuck in hour long lines with other visitors.
I found a city that runs parallel to the one in guidebooks after spending some time in the Gràcia area and making friends with Catalans who have never visited the tourist stores in the Gothic Quarter.
Here are some real activities that Barcelona residents engage in.
Morning Rituals: Coffee Culture Done Right
Skip: The overpriced café con leche on Las Ramblas
Do: Participate in local pubs’ standing coffee culture.
At 8 AM, you can find Catalans standing at the counter of any local pub, beginning their day with a croissant and a café solo (espresso). This is social ritual, not fast-paced metropolitan life. Locals ease into their day, check the newspapers, and converse with the bartenders.
Bar Mut is a deluxe bar in L’Eixample, where patrons have their own coffee mugs with their names on them, was my favorite find.
“Tourists sit down and order cappuccinos,” Jordi, the proprietor, said. We get up and have coffee. There is a cultural distinction in addition to a physical one.
Local advice: Make sure to order “un café” rather than “un café solo” and do not be shocked if it includes a mint and a little glass of water.
Lunch Like a Local: The Real Spanish Schedule
Skip: 1 PM tourist lunch at overpriced tapas bars
Do: Follow the Spanish schedule and eat lunch at 2:30 PM
Barcelonians eat lunch between 2:30 to 4 PM, and the “menú del día” (menu of the day) is more important than timing. At local eateries that visitors never discover, this three course meal consisting of bread, wine, and coffee usually costs 12 to 15 euros.
You will see retirees, office professionals, and construction workers all savoring the same 13-euro meal at Restaurante Can Lluís in the Sant Antoni neighborhood, grilled chicken with potatoes, lentil soup, flan, bread, wine, and coffee.
The dish was straightforward, fresh, and exactly what the locals eat every day for lunch.
Local advice: Seek out eateries with Spanish-speaking patrons and chalkboard menus in Catalan. You are at the right spot if there is not an English menu.
Afternoon Enjoyments: The Art of Not Doing Anything
Skip: Hurrying from one tourist destination to another
Do: Get the hang of the “tertulia” (casual social event)
The art of relaxed socializing, which may be Barcelona’s greatest cultural export, is practiced by people in the city’s parks about five o’clock in the afternoon.
See groups of friends lounging on blankets and chatting for hours at Parc de la Ciutadella (the eastern part, not the tourist parts). 
Elena, once said: “We do not get together for events. We get together to discuss.” These unofficial meetings take place anywhere, including on sidewalk corners, park benches, and plaza steps.
Find a location, grab a couple drinks from a corner store, and partake in the city’s daily wind-down custom.
Local advice: Avoid paying five euros for beer at tourist pubs and instead purchase it from any “alimentación” (corner store) for one to two euros.
Evening Entertainment: Beyond Flamenco Shows
Skip: Touristy flamenco performances
Do: Experience neighborhood “vermut” culture
Locals engage in “vermut” culture, which consists of afternoon aperitif sessions that frequently last into the evening, while tourists spend forty euros on supper flamenco performances. The social custom of meeting friends at local pubs is more important than the beverage itself, even when vermouth is used.
Despite the fame El Xampanyet in Born, locals favor establishments like Bar Bodega Quimet and Vermuteria Can Paixano. Catalans of all ages can be seen here chatting animatedly while eating dishes of cheese, anchovies, and olives.
Local advice: Since these pubs hardly ever have sitting, get a “vermut de grifo” (vermouth on tap) with a platter of “boquerones” (anchovies) and get ready to stand.
Weekend Wisdom: Markets and Mountains 
Skip: Weekend trips to overcrowded beaches
Do: Explore neighborhood markets and nearby mountains
Barcelona’s Saturday mornings are for markets, not the crowded Boqueria. Locals shop at local markets like as Gràcia’s Mercat de l’Abaceria Central or Mercat de Sant Antoni.
These are social hubs where neighbors gather over coffee at market bars, not just places to shop. Mountains are for Sundays. Locals climb in Collserola Natural Park, take the train to Montserrat, or just stroll around areas like Sarrià, which feels like a small village inside the city, while visitors swarm Barceloneta beach.
Local tip: Many market bars serve great coffee and tortilla española to early buyers, and they open at 7 AM.
Language Lessons: Speaking Like a Local
Skip: Only speaking Spanish
Do: Learn basic Catalan phrases
Although everyone in Barcelona speaks Spanish, resident’s welcome visitors who try their hand at rudimentary Catalan.
Sayings like “bon dia” (good morning) rather than “buenos días” or “gràcies” instead of “gracias” instantly show that you are interested in the local way of life. According to Montse, language choice is a matter of respect: “We can tell that a visitor is a tourist when they speak English to us. We can tell they are trying when they speak Spanish. We can tell they are interested in our culture when they speak Catalan.”
Night Moves: Dinner and Beyond
Skip: 7 PM dinners and expensive cocktail bars
Do: Embrace 9 PM dinners and neighborhood social clubs
Barcelonians eat dinner at local restaurants between 9:00 and 11:00 PM, and it is not tourist tapas. Locals who have been visiting for decades are served traditional Catalan food at establishments like Restaurant 7 Portes or Can Culleretes.
After supper, residents frequently visit “casals” (local social clubs) or basic bars in residential areas, while visitors frequent the pricey Gothic Quarter establishments. Real Barcelona social life takes place in these areas, which are frequently unmarked and uninteresting from the outside.
Local tip: Look for the cigarette smokers outside a bar if you do not find the entrance; they will show you the way. Be security conscious also.
The Real Barcelona Experience
Adopting local rhythms and customs is more important than discovering hidden gems or staying away from all tourist attractions if you want to live like a local in Barcelona. It is getting coffee in the morning, having lunch at 2:30 PM, interacting with people without plans, and realizing that the best sights in the city are not landmarks but rather special experiences. You cannot take Instagram photos of the most genuine Barcelona experience.
It is the sense of community, the awareness of cultural nuances, and the realization that the best travel experiences frequently occur when you put your need to see everything aside and instead focus on knowing a place.
Do you want to see Barcelona in person?
Start by deciding on a neighborhood (Poblenou, Sant Antoni, or Gràcia are excellent choices), locate a neighborhood bar for coffee in the morning, and make a commitment to remaining there for at least three days. Those who slow down enough to observe that the actual city is located in the areas between tourist sites will be rewarded by Barcelona.
