The Invisible Friend – Secret Santa in Barcelona

Amigo Invisible or Invisible Friend is the Spanish version of Secret Santa. Just like in the Western tradition of Secret Santa, in Amigo Invisible participants are randomly assigned a person to whom they will purchase a gif.

It has become quite the popular practice in Spain, happening among coworkers, friends and even families who have decided to replace the traditional “everybody gets everybody else gifts” with this simpler, more affordable solution.

Here are some suggestions for your Amigo Invisible gifts.

For friends and coworkers

Up to 10€

It’s not exactly easy to find a great gift for up to 10€. Sometimes a good bet is to go with funny, gag gifts that you can find at cheaper prices, to make your friend have a laugh. You can find a couple of those at Ryman Ryman, a chain of stores specialized in funny gifts like Batman USB pens, nunchuck  bottle openers, and Borat’s V-shaped swimsuit.

Another store with a variety of amusing and useful items is Tiger, where you can find anything from a mustache collection for every occasion, to beer helmets and grass-lined flip flops.

You can find Ryman Ryman stores in two locations: Carrer de Santa Anna 37 and Carrer Pi 10; and Tiger stores at Carrer del Rosselló 247, Carrer de Muntaner 272, and Carrer de la Portaferrissa 13.

Over 10€

There are so many cool things we can offer our friends. It really depends on the type of person you are assigned to. But here are a couple of stores where you will no doubt find something cool to give: At Wawas Barcelona you’ll get lost among a collection of colorful items like recycled purses, vinyl stickers, egg-shaped flower pots, and lots more. At OMG BCN you will find beard-shaped post it notes, cushions shaped like sprinkled donuts, cloth cacti, and a number of other fun and original items.

Wawas Barcelona is located at Carrer dels Carders, 14.

OMG Barcelona is located at Plaça de la Llana, 7.

For family

There are many family members who might end up giving a gift to as their Amigo Invisible, so our suggestions will be simply divided between men and women.

For women: There are a handful of stores in Barcelona that sell unique items that any woman in the family is sure to appreciate. Pay a visit to Magnesia, where you can find illustrations by talented local artists, delightful notebooks, beautiful jewelry, and other items, and Oslo Barcelona where you can find anything from paintings, to earrings, postcards, hats, intricate hairpieces, mugs, small furniture, candles, and clothing.

If the person you are giving your gift to is a little more conservative, you can always go to a home-decoration item. Just visit Home on Earth, Nest or Natura Home.

For men:  If your amigo invisible is a fan of quality television, a good option could be giving a DVD pack with a season of a great show like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones or 24. You can find DVDs and other entertainment items at stores like Fnac, Worten, and Media Markt.  Men usually enjoy electronic devices and useful gadgets, so if you think DVD is not the thing, you can still visit these same stores to find items like GoPro accessories, sports watches or pedometers.

Another option is wine or cellar tour in Catalonia, with companies like Castle Experience, Barcelona Secrets, and the Wine Colours.