Rated one of the best urban beach
Nearly eight beaches dot Barcelona. The closest and most popular is the Barceloneta Beach, which is been rated amongst the best urban beaches by National Geographic. Given the popularity of Barceloneta beach, it gets crowded in summers, between mid-April and early October. In summers, you will find plenty of chiringuitos (beach shacks) that serve tapas and drinks.
Barcelona city beaches have all the general facilities, like lockers, showers, and toilets. You can hire beach sun loungers, umbrellas, and bikes. If you are visiting Barcelona with children, head to Nova Mar Bella beach as it family friendly beach with children's playground. Barcelona beach is not only about sand and the sun. You can indulge in water sports like windsurfing, body boarding, wakeboarding, jet skiing and kite surfing. Water sports is especially popular with teenagers visiting Barcelona.
It may be surprising today, but there was
no beach before the 1992 Olympics. Barcelona literally created the beachfront for the Olympics by demolishing industrial buildings, garbage dump and slum dwellings that had cropped up on the waterfront.
If you want to be away from the hustle and bustle of the urban beach, head to small beach towns around Barcelona or to the beach resort town of Sitges.