Want to know what the best beach in Barcelona for gays? I’ve been to Barcelona twice,  the cities beaches are fantastic and I remember that the city is very gay friendly. The city has been repeatedly named with having some of the best beaches for any city in the world, so even if you pick the worst beach in Barcelona, you’re still doing ok.

For instances, many of the beaches offer Barcelona WiFi, showers, changing areas (you shouldn’t walk in Barcelona with your bathing suit on), and places to get drinks and snacks. However there are some beaches that are really great for certain activities and some are the best for watching gay eye-candy, and for being extra gay friendly.

The Best Beach in Barcelona for Gays:

Barceloneta

It is known as one of the oldest and more traditional beaches in Barcelona, like Sant Sebastià which borders Barceloneta on its western side. The crowd on this beach tends to be young groups, families and children because there is an educational center for children called Espai de Mar. However there are a lot of foreigners and young gays who also come.

Barceloneta is popular among tourist because there are volleyball courts, changing areas, showers, snack bars, restaurants, shops and chair rentals. Barceloneta also has an information center where you can get information on beach activities.

The best beach in Barcelona for:

Pros – Easy to get to and a long wide beach with a variety of people. There are plenty of activities to do on this beach!

Cons – Tends to be a little more traditional  with more families and children.

Bogatell

This beach is sandwiched between Nova Icària and Mar Bella and was one of the beaches to be renovated when Barcelona received the Olympic games in the 90’s. Bogatell is very popular for people looking for a more sporty experience on the beach. It has a gymnastics, table tennis, volleyball, and basketball sections as well as a football (soccer) pitch.

In terms of length, it is shorter than Barceloneta and Sant Sebastià, but still longer compared to other beaches next to it.

(not Bogatell beach)

The best beach in Barcelona for:

Pros: Definitely a great beach if you looking for some recreational fun. Great for people watching!

Cons: Thin beach and not as wide compared to Barceloneta and Sant Sebastià. No beach bars but 3 restaurants across from the beach.

Mar Bella

This beach is between Bogatell and Nova Mar Bella and is known for it’s designated nudist section. No surprise that this is where the majority of gays can be found! This beach also serves the district of Sant Martí, and many of the residents use this beach.

The area has some beach bars and a gay friendly restaurant known as El Chiringuito de la Mar Bella. The beach also has some activities like basketball, ping-pong, kayaking, wind-surfing and skate boarding.

The best beach in Barcelona for:

Pros – This beach is the best beach in Barcelona for gays hands down. So many gays and is the only beach where there is a devoted nudist section. Fun bars and restaurants as well!

Cons – Not as wide as beaches like Barceloneta or Sant Sebastià.

Nova Icària

One of the newer beaches in Barcelona, it is also among the most quiet. That’s why people probably stay longer on this beach. Nova Icària is also known to be a Eco Beach for its service and quality.

Nova Icària is very close to the Olympic Marina therefore it gets a decent stream of people! However the good thing is that there are plenty of bars and restaurants close by. This beach is popular during the daytime and during the nighttime.

The best beach in Barcelona for:

Pros: It is a convenient beach with many bars and restaurants nearby. Also easy to get to because it’s next to the Olympic Marina. Next to the Mar Bella, a gay friendly beach.

Cons: Not as private as other beaches and smaller.

Sant Sebastià

It is known to be one of the oldest and a more traditional beach in Barcelona. The average age of the visitors on this beach is older and this beach is very similar to Barceloneta beach. It is actually the largest and one of widest beaches.

Sant Sebastià is more of a local beach with 70% of the users coming from Barcelona. Although foreigners do like to frequent this beach. This beach is huge and draws in a variety of crowd from young to old and straight and gay.

The best beach in Barcelona for:

Pros – One of the oldest and most traditional Barcelona beach. And it’s on the edge of with only 1 beach bordering it. It’s wide and it feels more out-of-the-way from the main city.

Cons – Many old people and some would consider a traditional beach. However there is a section where gay guys hang out and is consider one of the other gay beaches.

Other beaches in Barcelona

Llevant

This beach is one of the newest beaches in Barcelona, completed in 2006. This beach was only supposed to be temporary and the area was intended to host the platform for the Marine Zoo. This beach is rather narrow and not very frequented by tourists.

Nova Mar Bella

This beach borders the Mar Bella beach and is usually only used by the locals in the area. It is known as one of the quietest beaches in Barcelona.

Sant Miquel

This beach is near Barceloneta beach and is one of the most frequented beach. However there isn’t much activities and many people keep walking towards Barceloneta and Sant Sebastià beach.

Somorrostro

Somorrostro was a recent shantytown turned into a beach. This area is not popular among tourist and is among the shortest beaches in Barcelona.

images by: adria, henri, ohbarcelona, shawnvoyage

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