Sea, sun and a bit of fun

What beach do the locals go to in Barcelona? Well, they kind of don’t. The people of Barcelona always say that Barcelona's beaches are the worst, although there is some prejudice in this; there were times, and it is true, when the coast was an unpleasant place, dirty and not very well cared for. But this has changed and, for years now, Barcelona's beaches have been making a great effort to give their best image. That's why, over the years, they have filled up with people who go for sports, walks, picnics, sunbathing, swimming or celebrating with their friends and family.

Barcelona's beaches are Barceloneta, Sant Miquel, Somorrostro, Sant Sebastià, Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Levant, the first five being the most crowded. And it is undeniable that, due to the climate crisis, it is getting hotter and hotter in the city, and the sea offers a break from the high temperatures from earlier and earlier in the year.

Here’s the thing: Barcelona, apart from being the city, is also the name of the whole province, and it is a region that has a lot of attractions to offer, among them, its beautiful beaches. So if you’re wondering about which are the best beaches near Barcelona, we have, for example, the Maresme area, with its beaches of Calella, Santa Susana, Malgrat de Mar, Pineda de Mar, Caldes d'Estrac or Montgat, which can be reached by the train known as "Rodalies" and have a pleasant outing that can also include restaurants where you can eat a tasty paella and enjoy a most-beloved sunset drink.

On the other hand, if we look down the coast, we have Sitges, one of the best places in the province. This town is lively, has a lot of cultural life, a fantastic promenade, film festivals and a great beach with miles of sand where you can spend a great day, all very close to Barcelona. In addition, for the more adventurous, there are signposted routes to coves of all kinds, such as nudist or natural, where you can enjoy all that this incredible coast offers. If you want to know about the most beautiful beaches in Barcelona, check out the whole area.

And after talking about the best beaches near Barcelona by train, we can strongly recommend going a bit further north for a long weekend and by car, because it is on the coast of Girona, in the Costa Brava area, where the best beaches in Catalonia are to be found—a slightly more expensive location and better to go to out of season, but highly recommended.