Barcelona and the beach : A love story

Since the Olympic games in 1992 and the massive clean-up operation of the beach and nearby Olympic marina .

The area has become a magnet for Barcelonans and visitors alike.

In the order if you are coming from the center, you can find :

Barceloneta : old fisher village, half rehabilitated and getting more and more fashion but still very popular and simple.

Then San Sebastian, Nova Icaria ( after Villa Olimpica ) , Bogatell and Mar Bella are more visited by locals then the first beaches and at the end you even have a nudist beach ( selva de mar ).

So if you're in search of cleaner waters and more space, hop a train for a short trip out of town.

You can drive up to the north or to the south using the train ( www.renfe.es )
In the south, the first beach of any note is Casteldefells - five kilometers of wide unbroken sand within 15 minutes' train ride from town.

On the way to Sitges, you can find Garraf aswell and of course Sitges quite touristy but preserved , it’s a well gay resort with relaxed atmosphere.

Just along the coast is the lesser-known Vilanova, a mainly family beach favored by locals

To the north, most of the beaches suffer from the presence of the badly planned coastal highway. It's best to keep going past the beaches of Badalona and Mongat until the electricity plants of Fecsa at San Adria are out of sight. Get off at Ocata, just after Masnou.

Further up the line is Caldes d'Estrach. The village is pretty and it's probably the least distance you have to travel to escape the urban sprawl of Barcelona.

so if you want to check out the beaches , have a look at Apartments Barcelona