One of the top attractions of Barcelona are our city beaches. Since the Olympic games of 1992 Barcelona residents and visitors alike have been able to dip their toes in the Mediterranean in 4.5 km of beaches stretching along the entire coastal border of the city. The beach season is Barcelona is long. Daily services (lifeguards, red cross etc) are now open until September and after that the weekend services until the middle of October.
From the very centre of the city, where the heat, dust, noise and action of the city reaches boiling point, it's a mere twenty minutes to the tranquil and cool waters of the Med.
Names of beaches in Barcelona
From south to north there are seven beaches in the city of Barcelona. In 2006 they received about 3.5 million visits making them one of Barcelona's biggest city attractions.
In anticipation of an even better 2007 beach season in Barcelona the Barcelona city council beefed up services on the beaches introducing new and improved a range of new and improved services; a new website with webcams on all beaches, lots of extra waste bins, more cleaning patrols and special beach police patrols. The goal is to be the finest beach city in the world! And it seems to be working!
Another popular addition to the beaches of Barcelona, which launched in 2006, is the council's Beach Centre, which offers offers activities for kids, adults and organises temporary exhibitions. Located on the beach opposite the Hospital del Mar, the Beach Centre has a book and newspaper loan service, which received 20,000 enquiries in 2006.
The beaches of Barcelona are open with all these daily services operational until the end of September after the Mercč City Festival ends and weekend services until until the middle of October, when it officially starts getting a bit chilly for a dip.
Click on the names below to go to the official city beach webpages where you can see current water temperature, bathing conditions and see the facilities available.
Language tip: A beach is called " Playa " in Spanish and " Platja " in Catalan
Chiringuitos in Barcelona
Each Barcelona beach section has some beach bars on the sand itself. They are called chiringuitos. They are hugely popular and serve drinks, snacks and a good selection of food. Its not that cheap, but considering the beach location the prices are understandably a bit higher.
Each beach usually has a different owner of the chiringuitos on that stretch of beach. For example, on the Mar Bella beach the chiringuitos are owned by Mochima.
The chiringuitos also rent out sun-chairs, and organise DJs to keep the chill-out music at a constant background temperate of super-cool!
As the sun sets they stoke up the musical heat to burning in the evenings for 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 the alluring thought of a midnight dip in the Mediterranean with or without bathing suits are irresistible reasons to have a beach party, don't you think?
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 for 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
In recent years Barcelona beach waters have been invaded by jellyfish (medusas) This is due the warmer water temperatures in the sea combined with overfishing of the fish, that usually eat jellyfish and keep their numbers down.
Aside from doing all the things that help fight climate change, the Barcelona city council is also considering measures to reduce the number of jellyfish near the beach.
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, there are plans in motion to construct submerged stone breakwater dykes out at sea in front of the Barcelona beaches to reduce the number of waves breaking on the shore. The ideas is to make swimming safer and to reduce the erosion of the Barcelona beaches by the spring and autumn storms.
Water quality
While the beach water in Barcelona is very clean with regard to pollution etc, there were problems a few years back with a lot of rubbish in the water like plastic bags and bottles floating in the water, most of it having been blown off the beaches itself.
In 2006 an big "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 9 pm 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 Sebastiā and Barceloneta. This is because they are closest to main tourist areas and the centre of the city.
So this also means that the beaches are a bit more beaten up, busier, noisier and the beach, where you are most likely to have your bag snatched. Generally don't take too many valuables to the beach.
As always try and use your common sense regarding safety on the beaches of Barcelona and you will have a wonderful time.
If you are looking for more tranquil beaches with cleaner sand, simply 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 it is not compulsory. The nudist area is in front of the articial dune created to spare innocent eyes from naked bodies, but generally you will also find naked flesh 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 a new alternative to the beaches, the Parc del Forum swimming area. This is a enclosed but open air bathing area with many facilities. There are no pools - You bath in the sea. If you love sea water swimming but hate sand then it's perfect.
The predominant material used for the Parc del Forum area is cement. Lots of cement. Some say that wood or grass might have been a more fitting choice, but Barcelona is having somewhat of a love affair with cement and steel at the moment.
The chiringuitos also rent out sun-chairs, and organise DJs to keep the chill-out music at a constant background temperate of super-cool! 
