Barcelona — a blend of architecture, art, gastronomy and sandy shores. The Spanish city’s coastline provides the opportunity to experience all that the Mediterranean has to offer, without needing to journey far from the city. Given their central location, the beaches in Barcelona are extremely popular among locals and tourists, which means they can get crowded during the summer months. Despite this, they’re among Europe’s top-rated urban beaches, and a lot of effort goes into keeping them clean and safe for all to enjoy. We’ve rounded up the best beaches in Barcelona; read on to find out why we’ve listed them as our favourites…
Barceloneta Beach
Located in the Ciutat Vella district, Barceloneta Beach is one of the area’s most popular coastal attractions. The beach features a famous sculpture, L’Estel Ferit, which pays homage to times gone by when the area served as a fishing village. It’s safe to say that a lot has changed since then. With its plentiful restaurants, bars and nightclubs, Barceloneta offers a lively atmosphere that tends to attract a younger crowd. Sunset walks along the paths of Port Vell and Marina Vela offer great photo ops, and as with all seaside towns there’s no shortage of places to grab a bite to eat. Barceloneta's potato bombas are a local tapas favourite. Deep fried with a meat filling, they pair perfectly with caña (a 200ml draft beer). This Spanish staple is a typical bar order and the smaller pour is designed to keep beer cold during the summer months. A lively nightlife destination, Barceloneta is home to several renowned beach clubs and is a great spot for those hitting the beach to party, so if you’re looking to escape the city bustle, we’d recommend exploring elsewhere.
Sant Sebastià Beach
You'll find Sant Sebastià within walking distance from Barceloneta. These are two of Barcelona's oldest beaches, and in days gone by, swimming baths and spas used by the city's elite dotted their shores. Fun fact: Sant Sebastià was the first to introduce a shared bathing area where men and women could swim together, a move that certainly made some waves at the time. Today, Sant Sebastià provides a similar atmosphere to Barceloneta but with slightly fewer crowds. And in 2020, the beach was awarded a Blue Flag for its commitment to sustainability, excellent water quality, range of services and accessibility for functional diversity. When visiting, watersports activities are a must. From canoeing and paddleboarding to windsurfing and sailing — you name it, Sant Sebastià’s probably got it. While there are lots of amenities available, it’s a good idea to arrive early to bag yourself a sun lounger and beach umbrella.
Bogatell Beach
Nestled between Mar Bella and Nova Icària, Bogatell’s clear, shallow waters and range of beach activities make it one of the best family beaches in Barcelona to enjoy with little ones. Celebrated for being one of Barcelona’s sportiest beaches, it offers a variety of sports and leisure facilities, including table tennis tables, a football pitch and a volleyball court. Despite this, Bogatell tends to be less busy than its neighbouring shores. An array of beachside eateries offering al fresco dining line the sands, including the popular Xiringuito Escriba, which comes highly rated for cooking up some of the tastiest fideuà in Barcelona. And if you've never heard of fideuà, it's a must-try version of paella made with noodles instead of rice. While at Bogatell, be sure to check out the creative hub of El Poblenau. This neighbourhood lies adjacent to the beach and is home to a number of Barcelona’s hidden gems, its suburbs filled with art galleries, pop-up markets, microbreweries and specialty coffee shops galore.
Mar Bella Beach
Mar Bella is the ideal seaside destination to unwind. Its inclusive vibe celebrates diversity, with many LGBTQ+ hotspots, bars and restaurants creating a buzz along the promenade. Unlike Barcelona’s older beaches, Mar Bella was developed in 1992 as part of the city’s Olympic Games urban redevelopment programme. Having been designed with sustainability and accessibility in mind, the beach offers easy access for limited mobility, with plenty of nearby parking, and adapted showers and toilets. While Spaniards tend to be quite relaxed when it comes to nudity, Mar Bella is the only officially permitted naturist beach in Barcelona and features a designated nudist area marked by blue flags. Further along the beach you’ll find sports facilities and a children's playground, and if you love nothing more than sunbathing with a good book, be sure to make use of Mar Bella’s open beach library.
Ocata Beach
Don’t let the location of this seaside town fool you. Despite being slightly further afield in El Masnou, Ocata Beach is worth the trip. Compared to some of the other beaches in Barcelona included in our roundup, Ocata offers a quiet, low-key seaside experience. Its expansive coastline, flat shore and golden sands leave space for everyone to kick back and relax. From Barcelona, it takes roughly 20 minutes by car or half an hour by train to reach Ocata Station, costing just €3. The train pulls up right in front of Ocata’s long stretch of coastline which spans one-and-a-half miles. Swimming, kayaking, snorkelling and fishing are just a few of the activities available, and once you’ve worked up an appetite you can savour the local Catalan cuisine from El Masnou’s popular eateries. For travellers celebrating a special occasion, Tresmacarrons is an upscale Michelin-starred restaurant that adapts its seasonal menu to make the most of fresh ingredients from the surrounding El Maresme region. The tasting menu can be paired with ‘a walk through the DO Alella’, sampling wines from vineyards within one of the smallest remaining Spanish Denominación de Origen (DOs - association of wine producers and makers from the Maresme county).
The beaches in Barcelona are best enjoyed from early June to mid-September when the ocean temperatures reach 20 - 24’C. Though that’s not to say your Barcelona holiday should be limited to these months, as there’s so much to explore all year round. One of Europe's top visited cities, Barcelona offers the perfect combination of city break and beach holiday, effortlessly managing to satisfy multiple travel cravings in one.