5 things you need to know about going to the beach in Barcelona

It's summertime. It's hot. You've been touring Barcelona but now you need a break and the blue Mediterranean is so tempting...
Here is what you need to know to enjoy your beachtime safely and nicely:

•  When is the best time to swim? Locals find the temperature of the sea warm enough to bath from June to September. In October and May and even in some sunny winter days it is possible to see locals sunbathing, but only very brave ones will dare to enter the water. Nevertheless, if you come from a northern country it is quite likely that you will find the water warm enough in Autumn and Spring…

•    Is the beach clean? Far are those pre-Olympic years when only the fools would use the city beaches. Now our beaches are cleaned every night during the summertime and avail of all kind of facilities from public toilets to showers, access for handicapped, lifeguards… whoever, remember the beach of a four million inhabitant city can never be a paradise... And avoid the beach on the day after a summer storm: the rain carries trash to the sea water and it can get really dirty.

•  Which beach should I go to? Usually the most crowded beaches are those going from the Barceloneta to the Olympic Village, because they are closer to the city center and more accessible by public transportation (bus and subway). As you get further North from the Olympic Port, the subway stations are located also a bit further from the beach and consequently they attract less people but they stay cleaner. Many locals prefer the Bogatell, Mar Bella and Nova Mar Bella beaches because there is free car parking. There is also a concrete beach near Diagonal Mar by the Forum of Cultures.

• Dressing code.In Spain top-less is legal in all beaches, while nudist are recommended to use beaches specially designed for them. Anyway, rarely will the police warn a nudist in a “textile” beach if he or she is not disturbing other people… The only official nudist area in Barcelona is found in the Mar Bella beach, although a certain area of the Barceloneta beach has traditionally been mixed (textiles and nudists, and mostly gay). However, a couple of years ago the trendy W Hotel was inaugurated right next to it, and they have been making pressure to move nudists somewhere else. We’ll see what happens, as locals are very stubborn! 

• Safety.  Unfortunately, the beach in Barcelona is often frequented by pickpockets. My recommendation is taking to the beach only your swimsuit, towel and sun screen. Leave all documents, credit cards and money in your hotel room (or bring only enough cash for the subway/taxi ride, some water and maybe an ice-cream). 

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5 top areas where you want to stay in Barcelona

When I'm exchanging e-mails with my clients during the booking process for their guided tours, I often get asked about recommendations where to stay. And while this is a very personal choice, there are a few things you need to take into account when you select the area where you want to stay. 

Here are my thoughts:

*** In the old town: This is a good idea if you’d like to be surrounded by a medieval setting and if you don’t mind walking (some hotels are located in pedestrian streets and you won’t be able to get to the door by taxi). The is divided in four different areas:

• Gothic Quarter. Monumental area around the Cathedral and the Jewish Section.
• Born. Hype district with plenty of shops and tapas bars.
• Ramblas. I have mixed feelings about this vibrant street: in one hand, there are some nice hotels and it’s a lively area (and I love being close to the Boqueria Market!), but in the other hand it can get too busy specially at night, it’s a quite touristy area and pickpockets might be around. The lowest part of la Rambla (closest to the Port) at night gets an unpleasant atmosphere.
• Raval. The dark side of the Old Town… although some areas have improved a lot these last years, there are still many streets that are not at all recommendable. Check my Raval Googlemap for more info. I’d rather avoid to stay around here.

*** In the Eixample district (city center): The Expansion area is the modernist part of the Barcelona, and is considered the city center. Choose a place to stay around Plaça Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla Catalunya. In my opinion, if you are staying more than 4-5 blocks from them… it’s already too far to be considered the city center! In this area you’ll be walking distance from the Gaudí apartment buildings, right in the heart of the best shopping area, and you’ll have lots of food options nearby.

*** By the seaside: I’d only choose a hotel by the waterfront in the summertime, as in the winter you’d be better in town (unless you have a strong preference for one of the international hotels located here). There are three areas:

• Old Port and Barceloneta. This is the area nearest to the Old Town. It’s lively, there are lots of seafood restaurants and the beach starts here, however, it’s not so well communicated (specially the W hotel, at the very end of everything…) and you’ll end up using taxis all the time or walking a lot.
• Olympic Village. This area is quieter than Barceloneta, but it’s even further from the city center. The good point are the restaurants along the beach and the marina, as well as the beach nightclubs if you are planning to go out at night.
• Poblenou / Diagonal Mar. Although some international hotels are located here... That’s really far from any site (at least for the Barcelona scale… maybe for L.A. people it feels so centric!). I see it more of a business hotel destination: if you stay there be ready to take taxis all the time (or spend a lot of time in the subway). There aren’t even fun restaurants: the only two remarkable points are a huge shopping mall and the award-winning contemporary architecture of the area.

*** Pedralbes (end of Diagonal Avenue): A good choice if you are looking for big hotels from well-known international chains, but take into account that you'll be far from the city center and you'll need to take cabs or a long subway ride everytime you want to go sightseeing. In the other hand, the area is quiet, safe and local, and you'll be near two top shopping areas where the local high society goes: Corte Inglés (Maria Cristina) and L'Illa.

I hope this was helpful!
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New Foreverbarcelona Newsletters!

Hi, it's Marta, from ForeverBarcelona, and today I want to announce that I'm changing my newsletters style and frequency so I can be even more of help and share my knowledge and ideas with you while you are planning your Barcelona trip (or if you are just in love with our city and want to keep learning about it and how to enjoy it even more the next time you come!).

This newsletter will be now getting to your inbox once a week with 5 fresh tips, valuable recommendations or interesting advice. That's why now my newsletters will be called BCN Top-5.

You will also be seeing some design changes in the future, but for now I'll be focusing in what really matters for you: content!

I hope you'll really enjoy them and that I'll help you taking the most out of your Barcelona trip.
Best regards,

Marta
Your Barcelona Private Tourguide

**** Did you enjoy these tips? If you did and you know of other travelers that might be interested, please share this article with them. To know more about my Barcelona tours, visit Foreverbarcelona. Join my newsletters!