Why the locals in Barcelona are hiding Gaudi’s Park Guell bus route from tourists

Locals have found the perfect way to prevent tourists from overcrowding the popular 116 bus route going to Park Guell. Photo / Emilio Rappold, Getty Images

Would you be offended if locals purposely hid a bus route to one of the best destinations in the city?

Locals in Barcelona’s La Salut neighbourhood have taken a bold step to control and reduce the overwhelming tourist crowds at Antoni Gaudi’s Park Guell.

The number 116 bus route, a popular choice for tourists heading to the iconic park, has mysteriously disappeared from Google and Apple maps, leaving unsuspecting visitors at a loss.

Antoni Gaudi’s Park Guell is one of the most famous tourist spots in the city. In fact, it is the second most visited tourist destination only after the Sagrada Familia church.

With its picturesque views and bright colours signature to Gaudi, tourists flock to the area to get a peek at the beautiful attraction. Tourists can walk, cycle, or get a taxi to the park, but some will likely choose the bus ride to the La Salut neighbourhood of the Spanish city.

As the park gained popularity over the years, locals have quickly tired of the tourists who clog up the buses. But instead of rallying in the streets, locals have found a better way to control the situation.

A peek at the majestic sunset view of Park Guell in Barcelona. Photo / 123rf

The 116 bus route had been wiped from Google and Apple maps, preventing those without prior knowledge of the route from having access to it. It will be specifically hard for tourists to catch the bus because most information on which bus to catch and where to catch it has been removed.

The removal of the bus route has been a welcome change for many residents who have long felt overwhelmed by the number of visitors. The narrow streets and limited capacity of the 20-seater minibus serving the route have made commuting a nightmare for locals, and worse for the elderly. But now that tourists don’t have as much access to it, locals can go on with their daily lives much easier.

Luz Lopez, 75, expressed her relief to a Spanish news site elDiario.es, saying, “Before, the bus was so full even people with walking sticks couldn’t get on”.

Although it is still a mystery who was behind its disappearance, many have speculated that it was an effort from Barcelona’s council, as a Google spokesperson told the Guardian that bus routes could only be deleted through a request from such.

The removal of the bus route to Park Guell is only one of the many solutions Barcelona has implemented to tackle the issue of over-tourism.

With nearly 32 million visitors descending on the city annually, compared to just 1.6 million residents, the local government has made a conscious effort to curb tourism, including halting the issuance of new licenses for tourist accommodations and introducing regulations to reduce short-term private lets.