Barcelona in July/Aug?

[Minieggcookies]

Would Barcelona be too hot in the Summer holidays or Whitsun half term?

Thinking of going with dh a teen and pre teen as an alternative to a beach holiday.

Hotel would have a pool, was thinking of doing half beach/pool and half sightseeing.

I'd check what the current situation is regarding air con. I think there was some rule restricting air con to be more environmentally friendly/ save water a while ago.

I went at the end of last September and didn't find it too hot (and I hate being hot) walking around but did notice that many shops did not have any air con which made them very sticky and meant I did not want to try on anything. Obviously only an issue if you are planning to shop! Didn't go into many museums so don't know if there is the same issue there.

I went early August last year and it was ridiculously hot. By the rooftop pool was fine but trying to do anything during the day was too much for me. I’d never go again during the summer.

We went a couple of summers ago in August. It was nice. Hot, but not too hot. Seville on the other hand….🥵

Whitsun: yes
July/August: no

We went last week of June last year. It was fairly easy to cross the road to walk in the shade when sight seeing, as the buildings are so tall. We did a day up the mountains to visit Monserrat. Cool up there.

Only you can decide if it's "too hot", because different people tolerate heat differently. Midday temperatures in Barcelona in August are between 28° and 38°. What will it be on the days you are there? Nobody can say.

Also, it's a city of 3 million people, and it may not be the best choice for a 50%-or-more-sunbathing holiday, because it doesn't have the "big seaside hotel" infrastructure that smaller towns have. I would suggest that you stay somewhere else on the Costa Brava and get the bus or train into Barcelona (and other parts of Catalonia) for your sightseeing.

It’s not just the heat: it’s also the fact it will be very busy and crowded. There were some anti-tourist protests last year. I would avoid peak season.