Barcelona open to fining partygoers at overcrowded Carmel Bunkers viewpoint

The Barcelona city council might start fining those who drink and organize popular parties at Carmel Bunkers viewpoint as many nearby residents have complained about the noise and the overcrowding.

So far, officials have not fined anyone but rather have focused on seizing speakers or even stage lights, as Rosa Alarcón, the councilor for the neighborhood of Horta Guinardó, explained in an interview with Els Matins de TV3 TV program.

Police patrols will continue over the upcoming months and the city council is installing fences to restrict access to the site at night.

The problem according to residents, however, is not the fences but the number of visitors, as the only viable solution is to "change tourists' habits," Alarcón said.

Many locals have taken to social media to complain about the situation, including the waste left behind and the transport issues caused by many taxis and ride-hailing companies as they drop tourists off in the area.

But while residents are using social media to ask for help, social media is also their main enemy. 

Many users share on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok that the Carmel Bunkers viewpoint is a place "worth" going to and consider it part of their "bucket list" of things to do in Barcelona.

A video recorded of a sunset from the Carmel Bunkers while a DJ plays music went viral recently.

Videos have been heavily shared and liked, with some reaching over 60,000 likes and many surpassing millions of views.

Bunkers not actually bunkers

The Carmel Bunkers 360-degree viewpoint is located on top of the Turó de la Rovira hill, 262 meters above sea level.

But even though it is called the Carmel Bunkers, it has never been a bunker.

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), it housed the anti-aircraft defense, the only war-related element on the hill.

After the war, it became one of the last shanty neighborhoods in the Catalan capital.

To learn more about how Barcelona protected itself from Civil War air raids, listen to our Filling the Sink podcast episode published on April 1, 2023.