Barcelona: sea & mountains

Fábio Nunes
Mar 8
3 min read

Who hasn’t already heard about the magnificent beaches that Barcelona offers just a few steps from its historic city center? But did you also know that Barcelona has several mountainous areas that are perfect for lovers of wide open spaces and green nature?

It’s July, and La Barceloneta beach is, as usual, the safe bet for those who love swimming and fresh cocktails. Since 1992, and the Summer Olympic Games, Barcelona’s coastline has enjoyed a comfortable 5-km seafront of sandy beaches dedicated to seaside pleasures.

Along these 5 km, Barcelona has even managed to diversify its beaches to suit everyone: Sant Sebastià for water sports enthusiasts (your guide, by the way, loves sunrise paddle surfing…); Sant Miquel and La Barceloneta for seafood restaurants (…and they’re the closest to the metro); Somorrostro for nightclubs with commercial beats that will keep you dancing until the early morning; Nova Icaria, where beach volleyball nets invite you to an improvised match of locals vs. tourists (laughs…); Bogatell, quieter and very popular with families and couples; Mar Bella, the nudist and LGTBI-friendly beach; and Llevant… the dog-friendly beach!

But what many people still don’t realize when arriving in the Catalan capital is that Barcelona also has a significant geographical attraction that offers an alternative to crowded beach days: the mountains.

If you are a nature lover, Barcelona mainly offers two options that are easily accessible from the city center. The first is Montjuïc, where wooded paths, majestic fountains, and memories of the 1992 Olympic Games and the 1929 World Expo intertwine. The second is Collserola, a natural park of more than 8,000 hectares north of the city, where you can find the famous “Carretera de les Aigües,” a fairly flat path for hikers and mountain bikers with breathtaking views of the city, as well as trails that lead to its summit, Tibidabo.

Montjuic

Meaning “the Mountain of the Jews,” Montjuïc is inseparable from the history of Barcelona. You can begin its ascent from the most well-known side: Plaça d’Espanya, where the original buildings of the 1929 World Expo are located, including the majestic Magic Fountain of Montjuïc and the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC). You can also admire the beautiful Venetian Towers and the former Plaza de Toros, now converted into a modern shopping center: Las Arenas.

Halfway up your ascent, you will arrive at the Olympic Ring, with the swimming pool and the Olympic Stadium from the Games. A curious detail about the latter: it was actually built for the 1929 World Expo, not for the Olympic Games, during which it was simply renovated and used for several competitions. The swimming pool, meanwhile, is open to the public during the summer, and the bar is open all year round so you can enjoy a good drink, a few tapas… and a breathtaking view over the entire city, including the Sagrada Familia.

After recharging at the pool bar, you can continue your ascent to the summit by taking the different walking paths through the parks and viewpoints, or by using the Montjuïc cable car, from which you can once again admire the beauty of the city.

At the top, you will find the Montjuïc Castle, built in the 18th century and later used during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–39.

Finally, to reach Montjuïc, you can also come directly… from the beach! In 1929, for the World Expo, Barcelona built another cable car: the Port Cable Car. In about 10 minutes, it will take you from Sant Sebastià beach to the eastern slope of the mountain. Another option: visit the mountain first, then take the cable car down and end up in La Barceloneta with a refreshing dip in the warm waters of the Mediterranean.