The best beaches in Barcelona

Barcelona is such a cultural powerhouse, keeping visitors busy with Gaudí’s masterpieces and amazing restaurants, that it’s easy to forget it’s also a beach town. Though most locals will tell you to travel to beaches outside the city for a higher quality experience, you will find people on the waterfront year-round sunbathing, gliding through the water on stand-up paddleboards and scuba diving. Surfers can even enjoy the occasional swell when the typically flat Mediterranean pumps out some waves. 

Barcelona’s 4.2km (2.6 miles) of swimmable shore is split into 10 beaches connected by a long promenade. In a couple of hours, you could easily walk the whole stretch, but deciding where to lay down your towel takes some consideration. These are the top five beaches in Barcelona.

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1. Platja del Bogatell

Best beach overall

Much wider and larger than its neighbors, Bogatell has plenty of room for everybody. There’s even a grassy park if you want to enjoy the sound of the waves without getting your feet sandy. With a kid’s playground at the far end, plus volleyball and basketball courts and table tennis tables, it’s a great place for families to spend a whole afternoon. You can also rent a chair and umbrella from one of the xiringuitos, or beach bars.

The beach is past the busy main strip, but there are many dining options if you walk through the park toward the Rambla del Poblenou, a lively promenade that’s world’s away from the one in the city center. If you want to keep your eye on the horizon, make a reservation for Xiringuito Escribà. This beachfront restaurant has some of the best paella in town. 

Detour: Explore Poblenou, a former industrial neighborhood now known for trendy restaurants and an arts scene. You can walk down La Rambla or visit the contemporary gallery at Museu Can Framis.

2. Platja de Sant Sebastià

Best beach for sports

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In the shadow of the sail-shaped W Hotel, Platja de Sant Sebastià is on the busier end of the beach. You may find that the nearby amenities are worth putting up with some crowds, and you can ditch them quickly enough if you rent a paddleboard at Sea You surf shop or suit up at Underwater Barcelona and go for a dive. Next door, Club Natació sells day passes to its lap pools, spa and courts. The area is also very lively thanks to the calisthenics park, where Barcelona’s most muscled residents hang out next to skateboarders practicing kick flips in front of Desigual.

Recent years have seen new additions to the scene here, like the glitzy Bastian Beach Club; Honest Greens, a popular health-food chain; and Fika Coffee. That means there are a lot more refueling spots without having to walk back to Barceloneta.

3. Platja de Barceloneta

Best beach for convenience

No one is saying this isn’t the most crowded beach in Barcelona, but it is the easiest to get to. Beach hawkers walk the sand selling all kinds of necessities, from towels to mojitos, and summertime crowds can be boisterous. However, if you’ve got only a few hours to spare for your Barcelona beach time, it gets the job done – and you can’t beat the convenience of the location. You can eat well in Barceloneta at classic tapas joints like Bar Jai-Ca, go for the seafood at Can Ros or do as the locals do and pick up some chips and beer from a supermarket. Look out for one of the most iconic sculptures in Barcelona, L’Estel Ferit by Rebecca Horne, which pays tribute to the old barracas, or shanty towns, that were here before the waterfront transformation of the 1990s.

Local tip: The biggest beach party every year is the Nit de Sant Joan, the summer solstice festival that fills the shores every June with revelers eager to set off fireworks.

4. Platja de la Nova Mar Bella

Best beach for peace and quiet

If you’re running from the crowds, keep going past Bogatell to find the quiet end of Barcelona’s beaches, beginning at this stretch below the promenade. Though shorter than the other beaches, it has all the facilities you need (bathrooms and showers) with less foot traffic. The beach bars thin out this far down the beach, but there are a few options if you’re in a pinch, or you can walk a bit further to Bambú on Platja Llevant; this xiringuito gives typical beach fare a Thai twist.

Local tip: Don’t confuse this beach with Platja de la Mar Bella (no “nova”), which is the nudist beach disguised by the shrubbery just before it.

5. Zona de Banys

Best secret swimming spot

In Parc del Fòrum, the bathing area is worth the trip on a hot summer day. There’s no sand but a large dock to lay out a towel. It’s the only place in Barcelona where you can jump off a jetty into the sea – a refreshing treat if you happen to catch the city in the middle of a heat wave. The vibe is generally lively, and people bring their own food and drinks, since the restaurants are an uphill walk through the park. The best time to go is in the evening a few hours before the park closes, when the crowds start thinning out. This is also a nice spot for to get on a paddleboard – rentals and classes are available at Blue Salt.

Local tip: If there’s a festival on in the park, you might not have access to the dock, so check before you come all the way across town.