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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.