Spain · Catalunya · Barcelona
El Carmel, Barcelona — Area Guide & Where to Stay
El Carmel is a barri of the Horta-Guinardó district of Barcelona, spread over the steep hill of the same name in the upper part of the city.
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Where to stay in El Carmel
Where the beds are, and what that means for the visit.
El Carmel is a hillside barri of housing, and many of its streets climb at steep gradients. It lies on the side of the Collserola range that faces the city and the sea, the sunnier side, where frosts are rare. Building peaked in the 1960s and 1970s.
A 2005 tunnel accident halted the metro line 5 works here. The carrer del Santuari follows the 1901 road from the Carmel sanctuary to the one at el Coll.
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Around the Santuari del Carmel
The church that gave the barri its name stands on this western slope, where three of the old towns once met.Find hotels in Around the Santuari del Carmelthe hill and its Iberian siteBelow the Turó de la Rovira
The 261-metre summit keeps the remains of an Iberian settlement found in 1930 and the Les Altures water tank of 1886.Find hotels in Below the Turó de la RoviraHotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Things to do in and around Barcelona
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Churches & Religious Sites
4- Church of Our Lady of Grace and Saint Joseph Heritage
- Sant Joan de Gràcia Heritage
- Mare de Déu del Coll Heritage
- Monestir de les Mares Mínimes Heritage
Stadiums & Sports
3- Pavelló de la Vall d'Hebron Heritage
- Camp Olímpic de Tir amb Arc Heritage
- Nou Sardenya
Landmarks & Notable Places
8- Casa de les Altures Heritage
- Casa Comas d'Argemir Heritage
- Torre Jussana Heritage
- Casa Gustà Heritage
- Antic Institut Ravetllat-Pla Heritage
Show 3 more →
- Casal de la Font d'en Fargues Heritage
- Torre del Suro Heritage
- Casa Còrdoba-Planàs Heritage
worth knowingacross 3 categories in and around Barcelona
About El Carmel
What are the main landmarks in El Carmel?
El Carmel takes its name from the Santuari del Carmel, which began as a hermitage, opened on 11 April 1864, and became a parish in 1962. Its chapel held only thirty people, so a new church by Francesc de Paula Daumal i Domènech and Miquel Campos Pascual was built from 1985 and opened on 16 July 1988, the feast of the Carmen. On the Turó de la Rovira the architect Josep Danés found an Iberian settlement in 1930, with a wall about 370 metres long and pottery from the 4th to the 2nd century BC.
The Les Altures water tank was built on the same summit in 1886. Can Móra's masia survives on carrer Portell.
What is the history of El Carmel?
The ground of El Carmel was once split between four old towns: Gràcia, Horta, Sant Martí and Sant Andreu de Palomar. Gràcia, Sant Andreu and Sant Martí joined Barcelona in 1897. Horta followed in 1904.
Farms grew almonds, carobs and vines on the Turó d'en Móra, as the hill was called until the sanctuary rose. In the early 20th century the bourgeoisie of Gràcia and Horta built second homes on the hill in groups such as Bacardí, Can Mans and Salt de les Bruixes. Shacks came with migrants from the rest of Spain after the 1920s, and large apartment blocks from the 1960s.
Where is El Carmel?
El Carmel borders la Teixonera, la Clota, Horta, la Font d'en Fargues and Can Baró in Horta-Guinardó, and el Coll and la Salut in Gràcia. Three hills frame it, the Carmel highest at 265.6 metres.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in El Carmel?
Around the Santuari del Carmel: the western slope and the parish that named the barri. Below the Turó de la Rovira: the hill and its Iberian site.
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Updated October 2026