Barcelona bans tourists from top hotspot after rowdy parties

Barcelona is one of Spain’s top tourist destinations and a popular city break hotspot for Britons. However, the city has now moved to ban tourists and locals from watching the sunset at one of its most iconic locations.

The Bunkers del Carmel are one of Barcelona’s most popular sunset watching spots. The hilltop hideaway offers panoramic city views.

However, the spot has recently been the scene of several late-night parties with tourists staying up into the early hours.

Local residents have complained of rubbish and alcohol and drug consumption as well as noise.

In response, the City Council has now banned tourists and locals from visiting the viewpoint at sunset.

The Bunkers were built as anti-aircraft batteries to defend Barcelona from air attacks during the Spanish Civil War.

Although the site was originally popular with locals, it’s become universally known and now attracts huge hordes of tourists.

Following the sunset ban, the bunkers are only open until 7:30pm during summer and 5:30pm in winter.

Despite most people blaming tourists for the parties, local residents have also been hit by the ban.

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One local resident told Spanish paper El Periodico: “This is the fault of the tourists, who believe that Barcelona is the city of drugs and parties.

“They come here and ruin it, and those of us who have been here all our lives end up paying for it.”

Following the ban, several tourists were photographed attempting to access the site after sunset.

The Council has reportedly spent 1.6million euros (£1.3million) constructing the fence to keep people out.

Barcelona is one of Europe’s busiest tourist destinations and the city has struggled to cope with the number of visitors.

The council has warned it plans to increase taxes for cruise tourists, who are some of the city’s most controversial visitors.

Many residents have expressed concern about the pollution caused by the ships, while the number of tourists disembarking is also a worry.

Cruise tourists often don’t spend much money in the cities they visit, as most of their food is served onboard.

Barcelona has also introduced rules for tour groups including a limit on numbers and a ban on megaphones.

Although the Bunkers del Carmel are now off limits for holidaying Britons, Barcelona has several other fantastic sunset options.

Tourists could take the cable car to the top of the Castillo de Montjuic to admire sunset views from the old military fortress.

For a unique experience, tourists could join a tour to enjoy the Sagrada Familia at sunset. The incredible church’s windows were designed to radiate colour during sunset.

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