Barcelona Weekend Break

Barcelona's beaches

Barcelona has several very good beaches and, although the city is seen as a weekend break or cultural destination by many British and Irish visitors, it is definitely a "beach resort" for the Spanish (who make up most of the city's summer tourists).

All of Barcelona's local beaches have excellent access (including disabled), plus beach side showers, parking and lifeguards.

You can hire sun beds, parasols and equipment for water sports and the water quality is monitored on a daily basis. The beach area and sand are also kept clean with litter collectors working all the time and most beaches have bars and restaurants on or by the sand.

Top Barcelona weekend break beaches

Barcelona has several of its own beaches and each can be easily accessed from, or within, the city. In addition to these, there are a number of nearby beaches that require a short car or bus journey in order to reach them. Not surprisingly the city beaches tend to be the busiest, but also the ones with the best beach side services and facilities. Below is a brief summary of each beach (or beach area) based on what we at "Barcelona weekend break" thought of them.

Barcelona City Beaches

Barceloneta

Barceloneta is almost a mini beach village that starts around the point of the old city port and runs down the coastline and the seafront to the site of the new Olympic port. Much of this area was constructed and refurbished for the 1992 Olympic Games and it is clean and attractive.

The Barceloneta area encompasses a number of beaches including those of “playa de Barcelona”, playa de “San Sebastian” and “playa de San Miguel”. Behind the beaches there is a continuous promenade that offers great views of the sea and of Barceloneta village and much of it is lined with small scale building and a number of good restaurants and bars.

The Barceloneta area does get busy during peak times, but has a relaxed and easy going atmosphere. It is popular with all ages and nationalities and its restaurants have a good reputation if you want to sample the Catalan cuisine.

Nova Icaria

The beach at Nova Icaria is backed by a promenade and has a large and wide sandy stretch that extends four hundred metres out from the 1992 Olympic Marina.

Like all of the city's beaches it has a blue flag (for quality) and seems to be one of the more popular beaches for families and groups. There are plenty of places along the beach side area at which you can get a snack, drink or a complete meal.

Nova Icaria has a wide selection of beach side facilities available and not just the obvious showers and bars. Equipment for water activities can be hired and there are clever provisions for the disabled which see special access point, both onto the beach and into the sea. Special bathing chairs (with clever floatation adaptations) are also available and the a disabled ocean area has constant supervision during peak times.

This is a well maintained and highly serviced beach that offers excellent standards of safety for all.

Bogatell

The beach of Bogatell lies next to Nova Icaria and is yet another incredibly well service beach.

Bogatell is about one kilometer in length and has every facility, bar, restaurant and service that you could want - and of course a blue flag.

It is a good beach for singles, couples and families and it is possible to hire anything from a sun bed or parasol, to a jet ski or windsurfing board. In the case of the later, you can also obtain training and supervision (at an extra cost).

Disabled facilities are very good at Bogatell and there is a promenade that runs behind the sand from which you can access numerous cafes and eateries. This is a good clean and well maintained beach, but like all of the city beaches it can become crowded in July and August.

Mar Bella beach

Mar Bella is Barcelona's only nudist beach. It is close to the beach of Bogatell, but the two are separated by a breakwater and Mar Bella is more secluded and peaceful. It is just under two hundred metres in length.

Mar Bella is comparatively small and it sits behind a large sand dune making many unaware of its existence. Even so it has a good range of facilities and the sports and recreational equipment that can be hired on Barcelona's other local beaches can also be found here.

Mar Bella beach is ideal if you want to escape the crowds, but the ocean area is quite small and some rocky (small) stones are present as you enter the sea. Even so it is ideal for bathing and water sports and it has bars and restaurants by the beach.

Beaches outside of the city

Although all of Barcelona city's beaches are clean, well equipped and easily reached, they can get busy during the main summer holiday season. If you want to find somewhere a bit quieter, or avoid families, water sporting activities and noise, then the beaches below offer some alternatives. All require a short journey by bus, car or possibly train.

Beaches to the south of Barcelona

The beaches to the south of Barcelona tend to have calm seas, shallow water (with gradually sloping beach) and a good width of sand. For this reason they see more families than the beaches to the north and they usually have more beach side facilities.

Casteldefells beach

Casteldefells beach is massive with no less than five kilometers of beautiful sand and a number of bars, cafes and restaurants. This beach has all the shower and bathroom facilities that you are likely to require and its size means that you can always find your own space.

You can get to Casteldefells beach by bus or by car, but a short train journey form Barcelona city takes you almost to the edge of the beach itself.

If you want the crowds and the bars, settle down close to the main path that leads to the beach. However, if you want some seclusion and some space of your own, simply walk a couple of hundred yards further up and you will find things much quieter.

El Garraf beach

The beach at el Garraf is one of a number of much smaller beaches that punctuate the coast to the south of Barcelona and nearly all stay comparatively peaceful, whatever the time of year.

El Garraf beach can be reached by car, bus, or a short train journey and there is a further small beach next to it.

The town of Garraf is popular with gay visitors and has a friendly atmosphere.

Sitges area beaches

The Sitges resort area is very popular and at only thirty minutes drive from Barcelona offers no less than seven different beaches.

As a popular destination in itself, all the beaches close to Sitges have good facilities and the beach of “les Coves” is almost seven hundred metres in length.

Other beaches in this hamlet include “la Ribera” (just off the town centre), “la Barra”, Riera Xica” (with a promenade), “l'Home Moert” (which is a nudist beach) and “Terramar”(which can get very busy).

Beaches to the north of Barcelona

The beaches that lie to the north of Barcelona tend to have a more natural and un-spoilt appearance and the currents and waves are generally stronger and bigger. The facilities are less extensive, but the beaches are also quieter.

Badalon and Montgat

The beaches at Badalon and Mongat (which are the first beaches beyond Barcelona) are far from beautiful and have unsightly surroundings. They are best avoided.

El Masnou

El Masnou has three good beach (and the town can be reached by train). The beaches are Ocata which merges into another beach called Ponent and the actual beach of “el Masnou” which is split from Ocata by the town's small marina and harbour. Total beach length is just short of one kilometer and the golden sands rarely get overcrowded. The sea tends to be calm.

These beaches have facilities like beach volleyball and there are bars and cafes nearby.

Caldetes beach

Caldetes beach can become very crowded although it is an attractive beach with a length of just under one kilometer. The water is calm and there are bars etc by the beach. The town of Caldetes is also worth a look.

San Pol

San Pol extends your traveling time from Barcelona to not far short of the hour, although the beach is very nice and if you want a break from the city, the drive or train journey may offer a rest bite.

Tossa de Mar

Tossa de Mar is a really beautiful little town that is a one and a half hours drive from Barcelona and it has a great beach with a backdrop of a medieval castle and plenty of nice buildings. If you want a day out that includes the beach, a wonder around a town, and a bit of culture, this may be the place for you.