Top 10 Beautiful Beaches near Barcelona


 

In many respects, Barcelona’s city center is not a good representation of what Spain has to offer in terms of coastlines. Barcelona’s main beach front was actually man made; prior to 1992, this actually wasn’t a beach destination at all.

Few people know that by simply hopping on a short train ride, headed out of the city, will bring you to a multitude of other beach options — none of which were made by man but rather naturally occurring wonders of the Spanish region.

For some gorgeous beaches in greater Spain, click here.

Here are 10 to add to your excursion list:

1. Nova Icària Beach near Barcelona

The wonder that is Nova Icària spans 400 generous meters of the Barcelona coast line.

In contrast to Barcelona’s city beaches, Nova Icària, and its neighbor Bogatell Beach, are two of the calmest and most relaxing beaches in all of Spain.

Icària, as a region, was initially the brainchild of a 19th century city-planner named Ildefons Cerdà. He intended to birth a utopia just outside of Barcelona that would bring socialist ideologies to the local people. Nova Icària beach is all that remains of this wild attempt; a subtle reminder that nature prevails in the end.

Nova Icària Beach – by Mister No – Wikimedia Commons

2. Ocata Playa near Barcelona

The picturesque Ocata will cost you a mere 30 minutes on the R1 train from Plaça Catalunya in the city center.

Once you arrive, the beach is a short walk from the station, boasting an expansive shoreline of sun, sand and ocean. This is also one of the flattest beaches in the region, so beach activities such as volleyball and football are popular amongst visitors.

Ocata Beach – by Azsuzs – Wikimedia Commons

3.  Bogatell Beach near Barcelona

I mentioned Bogatell in the first listing of this piece, as it is the beach directly next door to Nova Icària on the Barcelona coast. The beach itself deserves a mention of its own, however, as Bogatell has been an intrinsic part of the Barcelona fishing community for centuries.

It wasn’t until the 80s that locals started using Bogatell’s gorgeous shore as a place for rest and relaxation. To give you an idea of how calm and slow-paced this particular beach is, consider that Bogatell’s average age of beach goers is the highest in all of Barcelona.

Bogatell Beach – by Jordiferrer – Wikimedia Commons

4. Mar Bella Beach near Barcelona

500 meters of Barcelona’s coast is dedicated to the beaches of Mar Bella. For most of the 19th and early 20th century, this region was home to the Baños de la Mar Bella, or the Baths of Mar Bella.

Unfortunately these were completely destroyed in a storm, leaving most of the beaches in shambles in the process. It was only in 1992 with the approaching Olympic Games that Spain began restoring all devastated shores to their highest esteem.

Mar Bella is a beautiful place to spend a day in the sun, with a children’s play area as a key feature as well as a nudist beach section on one end.

Mar Bella – by Jordiferrer – Wikimedia Commons

5. Llevant Beach near Barcelona

One gets to Llevant Beach from Barcelona’s city center by simply catching the bus.

This is the newest beach in the region, as it was birthed when giant blocks of cement were removed from the coastline. Because it hasn’t been around all that long, you are likely to find peace and quiet here even in the peak of Spanish beach season.

This is also one of few beaches in Spain that has an entire parking lot dedicated to beach goers, making it perfectly accessible for anyone with a car.

Llevant Beach – by Jordiferrer – Wikimedia Commons

6. Barceloneta Beach near Barcelona

Man made or not, you can’t deny the innate charm of the beach closest to the Barcelona city center magic.

Barceloneta remains one of Barcelona’s top beaches as it is easily accessible, gloriously expansive and absolutely filled with things to do & see. This beach is approximately 4km in length, making it one of the longest in the country.

Few people believe that this white sand was flown in from Egypt, as it seems to blend effortlessly with the city and the water.

Barceloneta Beach – by Andrea Bergonzi – Wikimedia Commons

Click here for more things to do around the beach in Barcelona!

7. Zona de Banys del Fòrum near Barcelona

This isn’t your typical beach, but many travelers who love to swim yet hate the sand, seem to find all their needs are met at Zona de Banys del Fòrum.

This is a concrete shoreline that allows one to slip into and out of the ocean using stairs and ramps. In essence, it’s a giant salt water pool that feeds directly into the sea.

The Fòrum is an important site in Catalan history, as this was once where people would be executed if they opposed the dictatorship regime.

Zona de Banys del Fòrum – by Jordiferrer – Wikimedia Commons

8. Castelldefels near Barcelona

Castelldefels is one of those fairytale beaches that makes city lovers question their natural compass. It’s where golden hour can bring you to tears if you’re not prepared, or open, to so much beauty all at once.

The Castelldefels Beach, in spite of its allure, is never too full or too empty. Even in the peak of Spanish summer there always seems to be space for everyone, comfortably.

In April and May the winds come to Castelldefels, and so do the kite-surfers.

Castelldefels – by Simon Burchell – Wikimedia Commons

9. Montgat near Barcelona

Montgat is one of the most festive and well-loved beaches near Barcelona. It takes nothing more than a 20 minute train from Plaça Catalunya to get here, and trains run from early morning until late evening so that visitors can make the most of this marvel.

Montgat is known for paddle boarding, surfing and sailing. Beach goers also tend to stay until sunset every evening, so bring along sufficient food and drink to get you through.

Montgat Beach – by Isidro Jabato – Wikimedia Commons

10. Gavà Mar near Barcelona

Gavà Mar is another beach near Barcelona where wavy water allows for good fun. People come here to learn to surf in the gentle tides, and to explore windsurfing if the air allows for it.

The beach is a short 9 miles from Barcelona’s city center. You can reach it by train or by bus, but if there are more than 2 of you making the journey then splitting a taxi can often work out even cheaper than public transport.

Gavà Mar – by Mcuesta – Wikimedia Commons