Barceloneta Beach

Sun-kissed Barceloneta is the nearest beach to Barcelona city center. Many visitors explore the waterfront as part of bike, Segway, or self-guided three-wheel GoCar tours. Sailing tours, speedboat excursions, and catamaran cruises from Barcelona also float past Barceloneta Beach and nearby Port Vell. Other water-based tours include activities such as jet-skiing and parasailing, while helicopter tours fly over the sands.

Architecture tours also make stops in the Barceloneta neighborhood, at landmarks such as the iconic sail-shaped waterfront W Hotel, the sustainable market of La Barceloneta, and the eye-catching Torre Mare Nostrum skyscraper.

• Barceloneta is a must-visit for sunseekers and beach lovers.

• Bring sunscreen as the sun’s rays can be very strong, especially in summer.

• Barceloneta’s beachside promenade, Paseo Maritimo de la Barceloneta, is wheelchair accessible.

Take the yellow metro line to the Barceloneta stop. Alternatively, it’s possible to walk: From the southern end of Las Ramblas, the beach is just 20 minutes away on foot.

Barceloneta Beach is at its most atmospheric during summer, when sun-worshippers come here in droves to take advantage of the warm weather. Time your visit to coincide with the end of the day and sip a sangria by the waterfront while watching the spectacular sunset.

As well as presenting ample people-watching opportunities, Barceloneta is also a good place to view art, including several notable pieces commissioned during the run-up to the 1992 Olympics. Look for Frank Gehry’s 183-foot-long (56-meter-long) El Peix sculpture, which resembles a giant copper-colored fish, and Rebecca Horn’s crookedL'Estel Ferit (The Wounded Shooting Star, aka Homage to Barceloneta), inspired by the shacks that once lined the Barceloneta seafront.