Portugal or Barcelona for Travel as a Black Girl: What to Know?

Stuck between Portugal or Barcelona for travel as a black girl? Both Portugal and Barcelona are best destinations for travel but what when travel as a black girl? You may want to know where racism is at its peak or which one is safest among both.

Portugal is famous for coastlines, port wine, amazing culture, UNESCO heritage sites and English proficiency. But on the other hand, Barcelona in Span attract those visitors who want to explore beautiful architecture, stunning arts, and gastronomy.

Let’s take a look at whether Portugal or Barcelona for travel as a black girl Reddit.

Portugal or Barcelona for Travel as a Black Girl

As a black girl looking to travel in Portugal or Barcelona, Portugal is considered as the best destination to travel. This is because Portugal tends to be welcoming and comfortable country for black travelers where they can freely move with full peace of mind.

In Portugal, there are less reported cases of racism and color differentiation as compared to various parts of Spain. But on the other hand, Barcelona in Spain is most beautiful city because of its amazing culture and beautiful scenery. Now it’s up to you which one you choose as a black girl.

Black History in Barcelona

Barcelona has a complex and mix history of black people including slave trade, Moorish occupation and the experiences of Black Spaniards. Let’s take a look at these in brief detail:

Slave Trade

Barcelona history is connected to slave trade which shows that 10% of the city’s population were slaves during medieval times. The city’s architecture is thought to have been funded by the slave trade.

Moorish Occupation

The Iberian Peninsula’s Moorish occupation led to development of African civilization in Spain. The “Moor” term was initially referred to a group of North African Muslims but later came to refer to black people. Afro Brunch is one of the famous events that address issues of immigration and integration.

After knowing the black history in Spain, you would easily get the idea why Barcelona in Spain is not good for black travelers.

Black Spaniards

Today, more than 2 million people in Spain refers to African descent and many of whom are descendants of the Moorish occupation. But the Black Spaniards are fighting for equality rights and representation.

Let’s move further to discuss how to travel both places as a black girl in detail.

Why Portugal Might be Better for Black Travelers?

Portugal is famous for diverse tourism, delicious cuisine, stunning attractions and more. But the real thing is why Portugal might be better for black travelers.

There are some reasons why Portugal is considered as one of the best places to go for black girls. Some of the reasons are as follow:

1. Lower Level of Racism

In Portugal, there is a low level of racism and this is one of the important reasons to go to Portugal for black girls.

As compared to other European nations, you can see Portugal treat black people with kindness, love and purity. It promotes a more comfortable experience for them to explore various places freely.

2. Visible Black Community

Luckily, Portugal has a vast black community in form of expats or foreigners. Lisbon is the famous city of Portugal where you can see a lot of black expats and most of them are African immigrants that intend to live here as a worker. So, due to this fact, black women or girls are welcomed.

3. Cultural Connection

The presence of both African and Portuguese people develops cultural connection that is good for both states.

The colonial history of Portugal match with the colonial history of various African states. It contributes to a sense of belonging for some individuals.

4. Pleasant and Mild Climate

Besides racism and other cultural differences, the pleasant and mild climate of Portugal attracts a lot of visitors every year including black people.

They could easily enjoy the flavors of mild climate by visiting famous attractions, best things to do with families and more.

5. Cost-Effective Living

Those black girls who want to start their career or want to go for study purposes, the best thing is this country’s effective cost of living.

As compared to other Western European countries, Portugal can be more affordable and making it accessible for black girls who want to live abroad.

Black Neighborhood Barcelona

Barcelona has a black population but not like other European countries or states. Most of the black people in Barcelona came from South Africa, Latin America and Caribbean.

While no specific area is completely filled with black people but here are few neighborhoods that have higher concentrations of Afro-descendant populations.

• El Raval
• La Verneda i La Pau
• Sant Martí
• Poble Sec

These neighborhoods may have higher proportions of black people. Already the Barcelona population is highly diverse as it scattered throughout the city. You can pay a visit to these neighborhoods to know whether black community has a good support or not.

Why Barcelona Might Not be Better for Black Travelers?

Being black in Spain is not as easy as you think as a black girl. Spain black population percentage ranges between 2-2.7% which is too low as compared to overall national percentage. Back in 16^th & 17^th century, the Seville Spain black population was only 10%

Based on these figures, the following are some reasons why Barcelona might not be better for black girls:

1. Racism & Discrimination

No doubt Spain is known for better culture and hospitality but it is hard to ignore the fact of extreme racism and discrimination.

Barcelona is one of the famous and largest cities of Spain where black people are treated badly. This could be in the form of subtle racism, police profiling and racial stereotyping.

2. Lack of Visible Black Representation

No doubt Spain has a growing black population, especially in Barcelona but it is not clearly represented in cultural spaces, media or public.

With this thing, black people like black girls feel they are less represented or isolated in different types of environments.

3. Limited Black-Owned Businesses & Cultural Spaces

In 2021, census recorded that there were around 182,000 black population in Barcelona. The population may increase with time but there are limited black-owned businesses and cultural spaces. Due to this, black girls do not easily find such places where they will comfortably sit, relax and enjoy.

4. Language Barriers

Although many people in Barcelona speak English and Spanish. The language barrier can sometimes create an unwelcoming atmosphere especially in less-crowded spots.

Those black travelers who do not speak the language may sometimes feel awkward when thy don’t clearly interact with locals.

5. Limited Support Networks for Black Travelers

Unlike some other cities like London, Paris or New York, Barcelona doesn’t have supportive networks for black travelers. This can make it harder to interact with other black travelers for sharing personal thoughts, experiences and share love with each other.

Due to these reasons, Barcelona is not recommended as a better place for black tourists, travelers or expats.

Conclusion!

Portugal or Barcelona for travel as a black girl. Both Portugal and Barcelona have rare travel experiences to offer to Black women. Barcelona is a highly urbanized cosmopolitan city with lively multicultural neighborhoods although, once in a while, you may encounter microaggressions.

Portugal, especially Lisbon and Porto, stands out for its warmth and rich Afro-Portuguese culture. Many Black travelers find the destination more accommodating, relaxed, with an in-depth connection to their African heritage.

While both spots have their challenges, they are generally friendly to Black travelers and present enriching cultural experiences, as well as opportunities for bonds to be made.

Frequently Asked Questions