Beaches

By Elizabeth Meckel

It’s no secret that the Iberian Peninsula is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, specifically those in Barcelona.

There were no beaches in Barcelona until 1992 when the city hosted the Olympics. The city replaced two miles of industrial site with the sandy beaches seen today, according to a Business Insider article.

“It’s kind of crazy to think that there was no beach here before 1992, it seems like it’s a natural beach, and it feels like it belongs here,” said Olivia Ruk, a student from Point Park University.

There are five major beach sections in Barcelona. Platja de Sant Sebatia and Platja de la Barceloneta are locations that reach directly to the city and located within them are the cableway Sant Sebastia. Together these two beach sections are 1.1 kilometers and are the largest beach section in Barcelona, according to Barcelona.de.

Platja de la Nova Icaria is the central part of the beach and stretches approximately 400 meters long down the coast. It’s considered a relatively quiet part of the beach and is frequented by families. Metro stops to access this part of the beach include L4, Ciutadella Villa Olimpica, Bogatell, and Llacuna. The tram stops include T4 and Ciutadella Olimpica.

Spanning approximately 600 meters long, Platja de Bogatell, is considered the Olympic beach since it was created in 1992 specifically for the Olympic games. Because of the nature of the beach, the facilities are mostly sports related. This beach is considered one of the beautiful beaches on the coast of Barcelona and it is located relatively close to downtown.

“I’m not entirely sure, but I think we were at the Platja de Bogatell on free day. It was really beautiful,” says Rilyn Gancia, a Point Park University student.

Playa de Mar Bella is designated as the nudist beach of Barcelona. In Catalonia, there are no general rules on whether nudism is allowed or not, but in Barcelona it is a principle that it’s allowed as long as it’s not a public nuisance.

Connected to this beach is the Platja de Llevant, which stretched 500 meters down the coast between the breakers. It was created in 2006 and is the youngest beach in Barcelona.

The last section of the beach is Zona de Banys del Parc del Forum, a bathing area in the park, a port, cultural and industrial area, which is the northern most part of the beach. There are no sandy beaches here, but there is a seawater pool.

The W Barcelona is located at Placa de la Rosa dels Vents and is ranked No. 60 of 514 hotels in Barcelona. It is located directly on the beach and is a notable landmark on the beach.

Lucky for tourists this beach is easily accessible and within reach of multiple subway stops. Another wellknown feature is the promenade that sits behind the beach called the Paseo de Maritim. Showers, bars and shops are also easily accessible.

There are many facilities located at the beach including kiosks, sports facilities, boat rentals, sailing during the months of April-October, as well as changing rooms. General facilities include lockers, showers, toilets, sun loungers, parasols and bicycle parking.

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