BARCELONA: OLYMPIC MARINA AND BEACH

The Olympic Marina has become one of the most popular leisure areas of Barcelona. Located opposite the Olympic Village, it was built in 1991 during the redevelopment of this area of Barcelona previous to the 1992 Olympic Games. In the summertime, the beaches on either side of the marina – Barceloneta and Nova Icària – are the perfect place for sunbathing or for a cooling dip in the sea.

Sunrise view from La Barceloneta beach in Barcelona

The two twin skyscrapers on either side are the Mapfre Tower and the Hotel Arts. Located next to the Olympic Marina, they changed absolutely the skyline of Barcelona and have become one of the reference points of the city.

The twin skyscrapers of Barcelona beside Barceloneta beach

Next I will suggest a walk which begins in the Olympic Marina and ends near the W Barcelona Hotel, also called Vela Hotel. Through this walk you will enjoy the views of Barcelona beaches and the Port Vell. Let's begin!

Olympic Marina

Sailing boats in the Olympic Marina of Barcelona

Another nice image of sailing boats with the promenade in the background

Mar Bella Beach

Mar Bella beach is located next to the Olympic Marina

Barceloneta, Nova Icària and San Sebastià beaches

The twin towers beside the beach of Barcelona, the Mapfre tower and El Hotel Arts, which changed the skyline of Barcelona

Barcelona seafront are one of the most beautiful areas to walk under a lovely day



Barcelona promenade and Barceloneta beach with the twin towers on the horizon

Overview of the Barcelona promenade along the beach and the twin towers

Playing beach volley on Barceloneta beach

A closer view of the twin towers which changed the Barcelona skyline

Along the promenade between the Olympic Marina and La Barceloneta there are a lot of nice restaurants where enjoy a meal near the Barcelona beach

The W Barcelona Hotel, or Vela Hotel (Vela means sail), has changed the views from Barcelona beaches



W Barcelona Hotel beside the beach



Beach of Barcelona from which you can see a view of the coast of Barcelona



Another view of the previous beach in Barcelona, called San Sebastià



Palms near the W Barcelona Hotel in Barcelona

 The W Barcelona hotel with its 26th floors 

Barcelona from Eclipse Bar in W Hotel. This bar is on the 26th floor of the hotel

Barcelona Port Vell

Palau de Mar with the twin towers in the background

Walking along the beautiful promenade of the Barcelona Port Vell you will see nice Palms like these ones

A classic sailing ship in Barcelona Port Vell with the twin towers in the background on the right

The bridge called Rambla de Mar connects La Rambla with the Maremagnum and Aquarium

Another image of this bridge with the Vela Hotel in the background

Port Vell overview where the twin towers appear clearly. If you click on the picture, you will see the Columbus Colomn on the left, the Rambla de Mar bridge and the IMAX and Maremagnum area

Port Vell of Barcelona when you can see the Columbus Monument and the Maremagnum Shopping Mall

The Columbus Monument, which opened in 1888 during the Universal Exhibition, stands at the end of La Rambla, near the sea. From the top, 60 metres above the ground, you can enjoy great panoramic views of the city and the port

When you arrive at the Columbus Column you are actually in La Rambla, so you can keep walking along this nice boulevard which will lead you to the city centre and the Gothic Quarter too.

- How to get the Olympic Marina:

• Metro L4, stop Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica.
• Bus 10, 36, 45, 57, 59, 71 and 92.
• Tram T4, stop Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica.
• Barcelona Bus Turístic, stop Port Olímpic.

- Web site: www.portolimpic.net

I hope you enjoyed this route. Other interesting routes in Barcelona are:

• Raval Route
• Gothic Quarter route
• Gaudí and Modernist Route
• Route through the large green area in Montjuïc.

Besides if you like beaches, clicking on the next links you will find more pictures of another fantastic beaches in Catalonia: 

- Beaches near Barcelona

• Castelldefels beach
• Sitges beach

- Beaches in La Costa Brava:

• Blanes (S'Abanell and Sant Francesc beaches)
• Tossa de Mar
• Sa Tuna, Sa Riera and Aiguablava beaches in Begur
• Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell beaches
• Tamariu beach
• L'Escala, L'Estartit and Les Illes Medes
• Cadaqués, Roses and Empuriabrava

- Costa Daurada beaches

• Barra del Trabucador beach in Delta de l'Ebre
• L'Ametlla de Mar
• Salou beach

Other fantastic beaches I have visited in Spain and Portugal are:

• Beaches of Mallorca
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz
• Beaches in  Galicia
• Basque Country - Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián
• Cantabria and Santander
• Alicante

• Beaches in Algarve

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find links to more beautiful places of Barcelona. 

BARCELONA AND CATALONIA: BEACHES

As we are in summer (northern hemisphere), I would like to show you the most charming beaches in Catalonia I have visited until now. If you like going to the beach, you will enjoy them, I'm sure.

In Catalonia there are two kinds of beaches: along the coast of Girona you can enjoy the imposing and wild landscapes of la Costa Brava while taking a bath in the clear and turquoise water of a cove. On the other hand, the long and sandy beaches of Barcelona, like the ones of Sant Pol de Mar, and Tarragona will make you think you are close to paradise.

Next, these are my favourite beaches until now. Of course, there are fantastic beaches in Catalonia I haven't visited yet, but I hope to do it soon.

• Begur - Sa Tuna beach
• Begur - Sa Riera beach
• Calella de Palafrugell - Port Bo beach
• Platja d'Aro - Sa Cova Beach
• Sant Antoni de Calonge - Cap Roig beach
• Tossa de Mar - El Codolar beach
• Tamariu beach
• Palamós - La Fosca Beach
• Blanes - Cala Bona (Sant Francesc beach)
• L'Escala - Cala Montgó
• Llafranc beach
• Sitges
• Castelldefels beach
• Beaches of Barcelona city
• Empuriabrava beach

Other beaches I hope to visit soon:

• More beaches and coves in la Costa Brava

Begur - Sa Tuna beach

Overview of Sa Tuna Beach in Begur, probably the beach I like the most

Begur - Sa Riera beach

Turquoise water of Sa Riera beach in Begur from the Ronda Way

Calella de Palafrugell - Port Bo beach

Port Bo Beach in Calella de Palafrugell through a white archs

Platja d'Aro - Sa Cova beach

Sa Cova beach in Costa Brava, located beside Platja d'Aro

Sant Antoni de Calonge - Cap Roig beach

Cap Roig beach in Sant Antoni de Calonge

Tossa de Mar - El Codolar beach

El Codolar Cove from the old town of Tossa de Mar in La Costa Brava

Tamariu beach

A lot of people enjoy the beach of Tamariu in La Costa Brava in summer

Palamós - La Fosca

La Fosca beach in Palamós

Blanes - Sant Francesc beach

Cala Bona (Sant Francesc) in Blanes is another fantastic beach in La Costa Brava

L'Escala - Cala Montgó Beach

Cala Montgó in L'Escala

Llafranc beach

Llafranc Beach and the marina, which also appears in the background

Sitges

Sunset in one of the lovely beaches of Sitges, with the bell tower of the church in the background

Castelldefels beach

Castelldefels long sandy beach from the nearby Garraf Natural Park

Barcelona Beach

The Vela Hotel (Vela means sail) has changed the views from Barcelona beaches

Empuriabrava beach

Sunset in Empuriabrava beach

From Camins de Ronda you can enjoy nice views of many beaches and coves in Costa Brava:

• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Tossa de Mar
• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Sant Feliu de Guíxols
• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in S'Agaró
• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Platja d'Aro
• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Palamós
• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Begur
• Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Calella de Palafrugell

Besides, if you liked this pictures, clicking on the next links you will find more pictures of another fantastic beaches in La Costa Daurada, like:

• Barra del Trabucador beach in Delta de l'Ebre
• L'Ametlla de Mar
• Salou beach
• Miami Playa
• Beach beside the Castle of Tamarit
• Beach of Roc de Sant Gaietà

Other fantastic beaches I have visited in Spain and Portugal are:

• Mallorca
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz
• Beaches in Galicia (for example, Rodas Beach in Cíes Islands)
• Basque Country - Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián
• Cantabria and Santander
• Alicante

• Beaches in Algarve

As you can see in the previous pictures, there are a lot of beautiful beaches in Catalonia where you can spend a lovely day enjoying fantastic landscapes while taking a bath. I strongly recommend visiting them!

BARCELONA: SITGES

Sitges is a lovely seaside small town located 37 km to the south of Barcelona with a long promenade, perfect for a walk in the afternoon. Its beach is crowded in summer and its beautiful old quarter is always lively. From the church, the view of the beach and the promenade, especially in the evening, is wonderful.

Palm trees along the promenade of Sitges between the beach and the church

The painter and writer Santiago Rusiñol, who fell in love with the light and the beaches, moved to Sitges in 1891. His house and studio, Cau Ferrat, which is now a museum, soon became a refuge for modernista and avant-garde artists from across Europe. Their festivals, exhibitions and performances transformed the small farming and fishing village into a bohemian tourist destination.

Beach and promenade of Sitges from the church

From the beaches, the imposing church of San Bartolomé and Santa Tecla with its bell tower stand out against the skyline. As you walk through the steep narrow streets in the colina de Baluard, in the well-known "racó de la calma" (peaceful corner), you’ll be able to visit the museu Cau Ferrat, the Palau Maricel and the museu Maricel (a former hospital).  

So, you I recommend you visit the following places of Sitges and enjoy the views from them:

- Beaches of Sitges

- Promenade of Sitges

- Church of San Bartolomé and Santa Tecla

- Old Town of Sitges

• Palau Maricel (Maricel Palace)
• Cau Ferrat museum
• Palau del Moro (Moor's Palace)

- Aerial view of Sitges
- Sunset in Sitges

Besides in Sitges the following events take place every year, which makes the city get crowded:

• Carnival
• Corpus
• International Film Festival of Catalonia

Beaches of Sitges

Promenade and beach of Sitges

 Another beach of Sitges. This one on the other side of the old town

Palms and colourful buildings on the promenade of Sitges

Children playing on the beach in Sitges

Promenade of Sitges

I really like to walk among the palm trees of the promenade of Sitges 

Nice view from the promenade of Sitges

From this bar of Sitges you can enjoy relaxing views

Another view from the promenade of Sitges

Church of San Bartolomé and Santa Tecla

Church of San Bartolomé and Sant Tecla in Sitges from its promenade

Romanesque church of Sitges. Here the old quarter begins

A closer view of the romanesque church of Sitges. In the foreground, maritime motifs engraved on a streetlamp

Old Town of Sitges

Palau Maricel in Sitges

Courtyard of Palau Maricel in Sitges

Carrer Fonollar beside Palau Maricel in the old town of Sitges  

 

Behind the church of Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla you can walk along the most interesting streets of the old quarter of Sitges, where you will find the Maricel Museum, the Marycel Palace and El Cau Ferrat, where the modernist writer Santiago Rusinyol lived

 Palau Maricel in the old city of Sitges

Street of the old town of Sitges near Palau del Moro

Palau del Moro in Sitges

Aerial view of Sitges

Aerial view of the old town of Sitges and its beaches

Sunset in Sitges

View of the promenade of Sitges from the church in the evening

Sunset in Sitges

I also would like to recommend you a restaurant in case you want to have lunch in Sitges:

- Restaurant-Pizzeria Galicia

Address: Carrer d'Angel Vidal, 20, 08870 Sitges, Barcelona

Phone: 938 94 00 91

Near Sitges there are two interesting places to visit: Castelldefels with its almost 5km long beach and Garraf Natural Park. From Sitges, you can get Castelldefels by train, but you will need a car to arrive at Garraf Natural Park.

How to get to Castelldefels:

• By train, Line R2 from Barcelona-Passeig de Gràcia or Barcelona-Sants Stations (45min).
• By car, C-32 motorway and C-31 highway.

Tourist Office:

• Address: Plaza Eduard Maristany 2, 08870 Sitges
• Tel. (+34) 93 894 4251
• Fax. (+34) 93 894 1521
• mail: info@sitgestur.cat

The next link will show you the location of Sitges in a Map.

Besides if you like beaches, below you have other beautiful beaches in Catalonia: 

- Beaches in La Costa Brava:

• Blanes (S'Abanell and Sant Francesc beaches)
• Tossa de Mar
• Sant Feliu de Guíxols
• S'Agaró
• Platja d'Aro
• Palamós and Sant Antoni de Calonge
• Sa Tuna, Sa Riera and Aiguablava beaches in Begur
• Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell beaches
• Tamariu beach
• L'Escala, L'Estartit and Les Illes Medes
• Cadaqués, Roses and Empuriabrava

- Costa Daurada beaches

• Barra del Trabucador beach in Delta de l'Ebre
• L'Ametlla de Mar
• Salou beach
• Miami Playa
• Beach beside the Castle of Tamarit
• Beach of Roc de Sant Gaietà

- Barcelona Beaches

• Barceloneta beach

Other fantastic beaches I have visited in Spain and Portugal are:

• Mallorca
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz
• Beaches in  Galicia
• Basque Country - Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián
• Cantabria and Santander
• Alicante

• Beaches in Algarve

Finally, clicking on the next link, you will find links to other beautiful villages and places in Catalunya. Like Sitges, Montserrat Monastery, Sant Miquel del Fai or Sant Pol de Mar are other nice places in Catalonia near the city of Barcelona I really recommend to visit.