Passeig de Colom, the avenue which runs from the Columbus monument towards the Parc de la Ciutadella, is flanked by a series of elegant buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
One of the most interesting of them is the Central Post Office which was designed by Josep Goday i Casals and Jaume Torres i Grau and built in 1927. The building’s design is a mixture of Catalan Modernism and Noucentism (the architectural and artistic style which immediately followed Modernism).
The post office overlooks Barcelona harbour and its façade is dominated by the classically styled main entrance. An elegant stone staircase leads up to 3 large doorways flanked by 4 Ionic style columns topped by an architrave supporting 4 statues above which there is a large coat of arms.
If the building and it’s surroundings look familiar it’s probably because they featured in a long running advert for Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier. The one where a sailor returns home aboard a ship which runs aground and tears up the streets.
Part of the advert was filmed from the roof of the post office and you get a brief glimpse of one of the towers and the back of the coat of arms 34 seconds into the video. The ship finally grinds to a halt in front of one of the buildings on the other side of Via Laietana.
Entering the building through the wooden revolving doors you might be surprised to discover that it’s still a fully functioning post office. In fact it’s Barcelona’s main post office and if you want to send a parcel home then this is the place to do it.
Once through the foyer you come to the main hall which, apart from a bit of electronic gadgetry, hasn’t changed since the building opened in 1927. The square hall is surrounded on three sides by glass fronted wooden counters, 4 slender stone pillars support the high ceiling.
The hall is illuminated by sunlight filtering through a central glass dome. The ceiling, arches and upper parts of the walls are decorated with classical frescoes by artists Josep Galí, Francesc Labarta, Josep Obiols and Francesc Canyelles. One of the paintings features the Greek god Hermes, son of Zeus and messenger of the Gods.
Time needed to visit
5 minutes.
Entry fee
Free of charge.
Opening times
Monday to Friday 08:30 to 21:30
Saturday 08:30 to 14;00
Location
Plaça d´Antonio López, s/n
How to get there
The post office is half way between Jaume I and Barceloneta metro stations (both on the L4 yellow line). Jaume I is the easiest to walk from since you don’t have to cross any busy roads.
Other attracions nearby:
Barcelona’s head
The Gambrinus lobster statue
Barcelona França railway station
Palau de la Musica Catalana
Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar
The Christopher Columbus monument
I want to ship one or two packages home to the U.S. (to lighten my luggage). Would I be able to buy the boxes and packing materials as well, at this central post office?
Hi Gary,
They do have some boxes and packing materials, but you will find a better selection and cheaper prices if you purchase at a stationer or one of the many, so-called, Chinese Bazaars.
I am considering sending my luggage to the USA from Barcelona instead of paying $5 per day to store it while I do the Camino. I do not need it at the trek start, during or end, but I have been traveling as a nomad with all of my belongings with me, and do not know how to cost-effectively have it held for 30 days…
I’m flying in from Cairo and people say to have the Barcelona post send it to Santiago but then I would have to fly back to Barcelona anyway to get to the USA. Any recommendations please?
Hi Stephanie,
€5 per day sounds about right for leaving your luggage in a left luggage store.
Since you will be leaving it for a month, it would work out cheaper to rent storage space. For example, I keep my windsurfing and surf gear in a 1.5m square by 2.5m high self storage unit rented from Bluespace that costs me about €60 per month. They also have smaller units available, which are cheaper. Plus, the first month usually comes with a discount, so you should end up paying even less. If I remember right, the minimum rental period is 15 days. Other companies offer a similar service in Barcelona, so it’s worth shopping around.
Out of interest, are you walking the Camino Catalan, starting at Montserrat, all the way to Santiago de Compostella, or will you be taking the train for part of the way?
I sent a package March 12, 2020to my friend in Barcelona. US post office told me it’ll take 7-10 working days. I track the package almost daily and it seemed that it’s a black hole now. No info as to its whereabouts.
Package contains N95 masks
Hi Amparo,
I know that it must be frustrating but 10 working days are 2 weeks and today is only the 26th.
With the situation caused by coronavirus I wouldn’t be surprised if things take longer than usual.
Did the US post office give you a tracking number? If so you may be able to check the whereabouts of the package on their website (disclaimer: I’ve never used US postal services so I don’t know whether they offer this service).
Also, since the parcel has been sent from the US, it may be delayed in customs. Parcels originating from outside the EU are opened and inspected to see whether any taxes are due. You can find out more about this on the post office’s website here.
If the parcel doesn’t arrive in the next couple of days, I recommend that your friend try contacting the Spanish postal service to see if they have any information.
They can be contacted via the postal service website (see link above) or by telephone 902 197 197.
Hi Richard,
Do you know if the P.O. has Poste Restante? would appreciate knowing.
Hi John,
I wasn’t sure whether this was still possible nowadays so I asked at my local post office this afternoon.
They told me that you can send letters to the Lista de Correos at any Spanish post office.
You should address it to the person who will be picking up the letter (full name as it appears on your passport), followed by Lista de Correos then the address of the post office where you want to collect the letter.
So, if you want to collect mail from the Poste Restante at Barcelona Central Post Office you should address it to:
“Insert full name here”
Lista de Correos
Correos (Oficina Central de Barcelona)
Plaça d’Antonio López, s/n,
08002 Barcelona
Spain
Hello. I was visiting Barcelona 2 weeks ago and I send 12 postcards in Rambla postbox 13.12.2017. They are not here in Finland yet. What are You doing in that part of Europe? Is this normal or is Catalonia anymore in civilization?
Hi Rainer,
2 weeks seems pretty slow, whenever I’ve sent letters or parcels from Barcelona to the UK they’ve usually arrived within a week.
I guess that since it’s the Christmas / New Year period things are busier than usual and you can expect them to take a little longer.
I know it must be frustrating but hopefully your cards will arrive soon.