The best thing about Barcelona is that there’s everything you could fancy. You have the big metropolitan city, the mountain and finally, the beach. There are 9 beaches along Barcelona that come alive in summer and they all have their own characteristics.
After reading the post you’ll definitely know which beach is the best one for you!
Beaches in Barcelona
Sant Sebastià
This is the very first beach that you’ll find in Barcelona, if we have the W Hotel as our starting point. It’s also one of the oldest swimming areas in the city. You’ll probably see elderly and families enjoying a quiet morning, although it gets more lively at night with young people.
The beach is adapted for people with reduced mobility and it’s also home for the Pukas Surf School. They do surf, paddleboard and windsurf activities. If you are bothered about nudism, you probably don’t want to be on this beach as it’s allowed.
If you look up you’ll see a weird tower. It’s the Sant Sebastià Tower. It was one of the Cable Car stations and it’s now the exquisite Torre Alta Mar Restaurant, which I totally recommend.
Barceloneta and Sant Miquel
Here is where young people meet to enjoy the sun, the music and the Xiringuitos (beach bars) as well as the party. There’s only good vibes here. People play instruments, sing or chat until night time. If you want to meet new people, here is the place to do so.
I wouldn’t recommend this beach if you like chilling and relaxing as it’s quite noisy.
NOTE: There are little stones instead of sand and the water isn’t very clean because of the waste people throw away.
Somorrostro
This area sits between the Barceloneta and the Port Olímpic. You can enjoy a special Mediterranean meal in one of the fancy restaurants located at the beachfront. Check out the Twin Towers and the enormous fish bronze statue from this beach. The most popular beachfront Clubs are Opium or Pacha, which will be open during evening time for you to have an early cocktail.
Nova Icària and Bogatell
These two calm beaches are located passed the Port. There’s volley ball courts and other activities as well as restaurants. In my opinion, the atmosphere here is more chilled and quiet. There isn’t that many people playing loud music and there’s definitely less vendors shouting their heads off.
I strongly recommend this beach if you’re trying to avoid big crowds like in Barceloneta Beach.
NOTE: The sand is soft and it’s suitable for kids as the sea level is very low making access to the sea easier.
Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant
All of these beaches tend to be less crowded with tourists and vendors as the ones mentioned before. They also have cleaner water, softer white sand, a playground area for kids and a massive parking area. If you continue the promenade you’ll bump into another nudist which is often concurred by the LGBT community.
You might as well try them all out and pick your favorite as they’re not far from each other. You can always stop at every Xiringuito that you come across along the promenade to have a cold beer or a cocktail!