VERDICT: We gave 4 out of 5 tickets and here’s why!
This guide forms part of our complete Spain Travel Guide, featuring destination ideas, scenic road trips, practical travel advice and honest first-hand reviews from across the country.
This article is part of our Barcelona: Ultimate Travel Guide. We spent five days exploring La Rambla, La Boqueria, the Sagrada Família, Port Vell and Barcelona’s distinctive neighbourhoods aboard the Bus Turístic. Follow our visit to one of Spain’s most exciting cities, featuring personal experiences, major attractions and practical visitor tips. Read the complete Barcelona guide here.
The towering monument that helped us navigate between La Rambla, Port Vell and Barcelona’s busy waterfront
Exploring Barcelona on foot was one of the best ways to experience the city, but we quickly discovered that one major landmark was particularly helpful for keeping us on track – the Christopher Columbus Monument.
Known locally as the Monument a Colom, it stands at Plaça del Portal de la Pau, where Barcelona’s famous La Rambla meets the waterfront at Port Vell.
Positioned in the centre of a busy roundabout, with a constant flow of traffic circling it, the monument was easy to recognize from several directions. It was also located beside a stop used by Barcelona’s hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses, including the bus tour we took during our visit.
Created for the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition, the monument stands approximately 60 metres tall. Its impressive 40-metre Corinthian-style iron column is topped by a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus created by sculptor Rafael Atché. Whether you are walking along La Rambla, exploring the harbour or touring Barcelona by bus, this unmistakable waterfront landmark deserves a place on your must-see list.
It was designed by architect Gaietà Buïgas, to honour Columbus reporting back to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in Barcelona after his first voyage.
Look for the eight lions!
Apparently, the whole structure weighs 233 tonnes, and around the base are 8 lions, allegories of the Spanish kingdoms, and reliefs showing his life.
The eight lions surrounding the Christopher Columbus Monument are made from cast iron painted black. Their metallic surfaces can look bronze or golden in strong sunlight, which makes the appear to be golden. They were designed to appear as guardians of the monument, with four seated and four standing.
The famous pointing finger is part of the legend. People say he’s pointing toward America, but the statue actually points south-southeast — roughly toward Constantine, Algeria, not west to the New World, and not east to his birthplace Genoa either.
It was oriented that way simply to have him pointing out to sea along the line of La Rambla. Inside the column is a small elevator to the Mirador de Colom, a 360° viewing gallery at the top with views of the Gothic Quarter, Sagrada Família, Montjuïc, Tibidabo, and Port Vell itself.
Safety Tip: Crossing Near the Columbus Monument
Traffic around Barcelona’s Christopher Columbus Monument moves quickly, so always use the designated pedestrian crossings when walking between La Rambla and Port Vell. Never attempt to run across the multiple traffic lanes, even if you see other people taking the risk.
Top 5 Monuments and Landmarks in Barcelona
- Sagrada Família
Construction began in 1882, with Antoni Gaudí taking over the project the following year and transforming it into Barcelona’s most recognizable architectural landmark. Official history - Christopher Columbus Monument
Standing approximately 60 metres high at the foot of La Rambla, the monument was unveiled for the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition and depicts Columbus pointing out towards the Mediterranean Sea. - Arc de Triomf
Designed by Catalan architect Josep Vilaseca, this red-brick triumphal arch served as the main entrance to the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition and features decorative symbols celebrating progress, culture and industry. - Casa Batlló
Gaudí remodelled this Passeig de Gràcia residence between 1904 and 1906, creating its flowing façade, skeletal balconies and colourful roof, features that have inspired its nickname, the “House of Bones.” Official site - Casa Milà: La Pedrera
Completed in 1912, Gaudí’s unconventional apartment building is famous for its undulating stone exterior, wrought-iron balconies and rooftop chimneys that resemble medieval warriors. UNESCO
Continue exploring Spain
- Seville, Spain
- Ayamonte, Spain
- Barcelona El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport (BCN)
- Barcelo Raval Hotel
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