Barceloneta beach and quarter

About Barceloneta

The Barceloneta quarter was built in the 18th century on reclaimed land by the port, as housing for fishermen, sailors and dockworkers. Its streets were laid out in a neat grid with narrow, low houses, so even today it feels like a small seaside town inside the big city, with washing on the balconies and the smell of fried fish.

For a long time the shore was lined with warehouses, workshops and fishermen's shacks. Before the 1992 Olympics it was cleared, sand was brought in, a promenade built and city beaches opened. Since then Barceloneta has been the city's main beach, within walking distance of the centre.

The beaches and promenade

The sand runs north from the port towards the Olympic Port and is made up of several beaches: Sant Sebastià by the sail-shaped hotel, Sant Miquel, Barceloneta itself and Somorrostro. The sand is coarse, the water shelves gently, and in season there are lifeguards, showers and beach bars, or chiringuitos.

A broad promenade with palms, a cycle lane and benches follows the shore. Along it are Rebecca Horn's stacked steel cubes, *The Wounded Shooting Star*, and Frank Gehry's famous golden Fish by the Olympic Port. In the evening the promenade fills with strollers, and at sunset the beach is one of the best spots in the city.

What to see in Barceloneta

• The beach — sand, sea and beach bars.
• The promenade — palms, a cycle lane and sunsets.
• Gehry's Fish — the golden sculpture by the Olympic Port.
• The old quarter — narrow fishermen's streets.
• Barceloneta market — fish and produce, bars inside.
• The cable car — across the port to Montjuïc.

Where to eat

Barceloneta is the best place in the city for paella and seafood. Restaurants along Passeig de Joan de Borbó face the port, while old taverns hidden in the quarter serve locals tapas: fried squid, anchovies and the famous bomba, a ball of potato and meat with spicy sauce invented right here.

Paella is a lunchtime dish, not an evening one, and good places cook it to order for at least two. Avoid restaurants with photo menus and touts at the door; it's cheaper and tastier two blocks back from the sea. Around Barceloneta market there are little bars where fishermen and port workers have lunch.

Tips for your visit

On summer weekends the sand by the quarter fills up early, so head north to Nova Icària and Bogatell beaches, which are calmer and cleaner. The best swimming is July to September, when the water reaches 24 to 25 °C. In May and October the beach is lovely for walking and sunbathing, but the sea is still cool.

Don't walk around town in swimwear: Barcelona fines people for it away from the beach. Hire a bike or scooter to ride the promenade to the Olympic Port and beyond. It's easy with children, with gently shelving water, lifeguards and the aquarium at Port Vell nearby.

Nearby and on the way

39

Santa Maria del Mar

Barcelona, Spain

40 min · Free in the morning · 13 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Santa Maria del Mar

36

Picasso Museum

Barcelona, Spain

1 h 45 min · Paid · 16 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Picasso Museum

33

Barcelona Zoo

Barcelona, Spain

2 h 30 min · Paid · 17 min walk

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43

Parc de la Ciutadella

Barcelona, Spain

1 h 15 min · Free · 17 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Parc de la Ciutadella

How to do it right

• Leave valuables at the hotel.
• Paella is for lunch.
• Quieter sand north, at Bogatell.
• No swimwear in town.

Questions