Beaches in Barcelona city

Names of beaches in Barcelona

From south to north there are seven beaches in the city of Barcelona. They get over 3.5 million visits a year making them one of Barcelona's top attractions.  In recent years the Barcelona city council has improved services on the beaches introducing a new website with beach webcams  extra waste bins, more cleaning and special beach police patrols. The goal is offer visitors the finest city beaches in the world.

A recent addition to the beaches of Barcelona is the Barcelona Beach Centre, on Barceloneta beach opposite the Hospital del Mar. It offers many free activities and exhibitions and has a book and newspaper loan service. The beaches of Barcelona are open from June to October. Daily services are operational from June until the end of  September after the Mercè City Festival in September ends. After that there are weekend beach services until until the middle of October, when it officially starts getting too cold to swim. By the way a beach is called " Playa " in Spanish and " Platja " in Catalan

  Barcelona average temperatures and sea water temperature

Click below to go to the official Barcelona city beach webpages, where you can see current water temperature, bathing conditions and see the facilities available on each beach.

  Sant Sebastià beach in Barcelona (most southerly)
  La Barceloneta beach in Barcelona
  La Nova Icària beach in Barcelona
  Bogatell beach in Barcelona
  La Mar Bella beach in Barcelona
  La Nova Mar Bella beach in Barcelona
  Llevant beach in Barcelona (most northerly)

The seven beaches in the city of Barcelona are all on the yellow metro line L4.

  Maps and directions of the beaches in Barcelona
  Photos of Barcelona's beaches

Chiringuitos in Barcelona

Each Barcelona beach section has some beach bars on the sand. They are called "chiringuitos. " These beach bars are hugely popular and serve drinks,  snacks and a selection of food. It’s not cheap, but considering the beach location the prices are understandably a bit higher.

The chiringuitos also rent out sun-chairs, and organise DJ’s to play chill-out music. Some of the bars organise evening beach parties.

Beach parties in Barcelona

There are many beach parties in Barcelona. Cool music by excellent DJ's, no neighbours and the unbeatable sensation of dancing with sand between your toes and  perhaps a midnight dip in the Mediterranean are good reasons to have beach party. The Barcelona beaches are also a great place for fitness activities. Barcelona has many smaller parks and gardens, but not that many big green areas, so the beaches are a year-round favourite for jogging, skating, rollerblading, walking, biking and of course beach volleyball.

Swimming and safety

Swimming and bathing in Barcelona is very safe and there are no dangerous currents. All the Barcelona beaches have the EU Blue Flag ratings for eco-quality, disabled access, lifeguards on duty (only in season), showers.  etc. It is often a bit windy with impressive waves, so if you are not a strong swimmer stay, you are advised to stay close to the shore and away from the rocks.

Jellyfish - Medusas

Sometimes the Barcelona beach waters have been invaded by jellyfish (medusas)  This is due to warmer water temperatures in the sea combined with overfishing of the fish, that usually eat jellyfish and keep their numbers down. If you are on the beach watch for the special "jellyfish" warning flag,  which will be hoisted  by the life guard. If you are unlucky and get stung then ask the life guards for assistance.  A jellyfish sting is not dangerous, just  unpleasant.

Surfing in Barcelona

Surfing, albeit on smallish waves, has become popular in recent years. This is an activity you will see in spring, autumn and winter in Barcelona. To the dismay of the local surfers, plans are in motion to make submerged stone breakwater dykes at sea in front of the Barcelona beaches to reduce the number of waves breaking on the shore. This will make swimming safer and reduce the erosion of the Barcelona beaches by the spring and autumn storms. 

Water quality Barcelona beaches

While the beach water in Barcelona is very clean with regard to pollution etc, there can be  problems with rubbish in the water like plastic bags and bottles. Most of this has been blown off the beaches itself, so take your litter with you when you leave please. Since 2006 an "clean beach" campaign to encourage bathers to clear up their own mess on the beaches has improved the water quality  considerably.  You can see the water quality on the official Barcelona beach website. On most days the water is refreshingly clear and clean and perfect for a quick dip after work or shopping. Many bathers stay on the beach until 21.00 in the evening in the hot summer months.

Which beach to choose in Barcelona?

The beaches run from south to north and so does the party scene. The party beaches for students, tracellers, backpackers and tourists are to be found on on southern most beaches, called Sant Sebastià and Barceloneta which are nearest to  the city centre. These beaches are a bit more beaten up, busier, noisier and the ones, where you are most likely to have your bag snatched. It´s a good idea to be aware and not take valuables to the beach.
 
How to avoid pickpockets and being robbed in Barcelona

If you are looking for more tranquil beaches with cleaner sand, head north along the beaches. As you pass each of the beaches in Barcelona, you will notice the difference. The north end beaches in Barcelona are mostly used by residents and families. They have cleaner sand and are far less noisy.  If you enjoy nudism or naturism, then head for Mar Bella beach, which is the official city nudist/naturist beach, although nudism is not compulsory.  The nudist area is in front of an articial dune created to spare innocent eyes from naked flesh, but generally you will find nudity a little way outside the designated nudism area. In the winter the water is generally considered too cold for swimming, but on a calm sunny day you will find many people on the beaches enjoying the sun and fresh air.

Don't like sand? Try the Parc del Forum bathing area

At the north end of the beaches there is an alternative to sandy beaches, which is the Parc del Forum swimming area. This is an open air bathing area where you can swim in seawater in an enclosed area.

  Maps, locations and information about the Barcelona city beaches
  Pictures of Barcelona's beaches
  Find beaches north of Barcelona in El Maresme