Barcelona is synonymous of Mediterranean, and if there is a place in the Catalan capital that breathes a maritime environment par excellence, this is the neighbourhood of Barceloneta, where we can find Barceloneta apartments to enjoy the best beach atmosphere without even touching the sand but…how to enjoy the beach in a cosmopolitan city like Barcelona?

Come to the neighbourhood, stay away from the beach

The first advice refers to the Barceloneta, and it may sound contradictory but it is quite true: enjoy the neighbourhood to the 100% as it deserves: it’s bars are real gems of traditional culture, hidden off the tourist mass and its central market constitutes a perfect combination between tradition and modernity, but stay as far as you can from their immediate beach.

Is it because the beach is a bad place? Of course not, but it is supersaturated and overcrowded with the touristy atmosphere that does not allow you to enjoy the idyllic atmosphere that surrounds the district.

Taking its seafront road from the Olympic Port you may find beaches where you can totally enjoy the sand and the Mediterranean Sea: the case of Nova Icaria and more specifically Bogatell: the favourite beaches of Barcelona citizens and free from the influx of low-cost tourism.

Find out what is the modern beach

There are different types of beaches and in Barcelona we can find them all: from the paella and sangria style (Barceloneta), which serves to see and be seen (Somorrostroand Nova Icaria), the birthplace of “modern roll” (Bogatell), the nudity (Nova Marbella) and that which lets you enjoy and not get dirty with sand (BanysdelFòrum).

Of all these, the place where you can find a different environment and the closest representation of the Barcelona brand is probably theBogatell beach. A beach where you can read quietly, play volleyball or take a bath without fear of ending dangerously with daubed paste of the port.

Enjoy the way to the beach

Do not go to  the beach without first making a stop through the neighbourhoods that surround it. We have discussed the potential and charm of Barceloneta neighborhood, but in Poblenou, we find another powerful place to enjoy.

Wherever you are located on the map of Barcelona, you really must visit the Rambla de PobleNou (metro stations: PobleNou, Llacuna or, if you don’t mind to walk, the well-connected and lovely stop of recently reformatted Glòries) and enjoy 100% their neighbourhood environment.

Also, the Rambla of PobleNou is perfect for eating quality food at a reasonable price, without the offer “for foreigners” offered at other restaurants where the paella isn’t a real paella at all.

At the end of the Rambla de PobleNou, and addressing the beach promenade, we find a beautiful corner converted into a park of Mediterranean forest where you might consider making a picnic first or if you want to find an amazing place that movesyou to a small village of the coast, looking for the hidden Plaza de Prim, a corner which is a treat for the senses.