Those who go on holiday to Barcelona should include in the list of things to see absolutely "Barceloneta“, The famous and characteristic seaside district.
Brief history of the area
La Barceloneta saw its birth in the XNUMXth century, when Philip V of Bourbon expropriated a series of houses in the Ribera area, with the aim of building the military fortress of Ciutadela. The unfortunate inhabitants, victims of expropriation, then moved towards the sea, in a previously uninhabited area, and founded the neighborhood.
Born as a fishing community, in the 90s the Barceloneta has, in a certain sense, changed its skin, becoming one of the nightlife centers of Barcelona, ​​thanks to the presence of the beach. Today the area is dotted with chiringuitos (small beach bars where you can have cocktails and tapas in an absolutely holiday atmosphere), restaurants and clubs of all kinds where you can eat very well.
Furthermore, with the 1992 Olympics, the area benefited from precious embellishments and today it presents itself as a place with a cosmopolitan atmosphere, in which modern buildings also stand out.
The neighborhood has nevertheless maintained the simple and cheerful flavor of the fishermen's barrio of the past, and the inhabitants of today, just like those of the past, are modest and carefree people. It is this particular mix of tradition and modernity in a seaside setting that is the secret of the charm of Barceloneta!
You can get there by metro taking the Yellow line L4: you can't go wrong, because the right stop is “Barceloneta”. From there, a ten-minute walk will take you to the beach.
To see
THEThe neighborhood's most important attraction is the neighborhood itself with its narrow streets and its life!
You will notice the typical balconies of the colorful buildings with clothes hanging out in the sun waving, the cellars, the fishermen who clean the nets, the elderly women who sit outside the houses and the voices of children in the air. Even the restaurants that offer fresh fish of the day are a pretty sight!
In addition to this, we point out these points of interest:
- Church of Sant Miquel del Port, a Baroque-style church which in the past was the favorite spiritual center of fishermen and sailors. It is located in Placa De la Barceloneta and still today is a place of worship frequented by the inhabitants of the area;
- The home of  Ferdinand de Lesseps, French consul in Barcelona as well as designer and executor of the Suez and Panama Canal. It is located right next to the Sant Miquel church;
- Museum of the History of Catalonia, dedicated to Catalan history. It is located in Plaça de Pau Vila, 3;
- In the Port Olimpic area, the very famous sculpture of Fish dorato (Goldfish), the work of Canadian architect Frank Gehry. You will see the maxi-fish without difficulty: it is 35 meters high and 56 meters wide and is located on the seafront (to photograph it at its best, wait for the sunset). It was designed for the '92 Olympics and is made of bronze-colored steel.
- The Cubes. It is another sculpture, 10 meters high and composed of four cubes in iron and glass and also known by other names: Homage to La Barceloneta (Tribute to La Barceloneta) and "Wounded Star" (Wounded Star). This work by Rebecca Horn, a German artist, is located along the beach of Sant Miquel, in the homonymous “Platja de Sant Miquel”.
To do
It is easy to pass the time pleasantly at Barceloneta; here's what you can do:
- A lively one seaside life, on the crowded beach crowded with swimmers and surfers (especially on weekends);
- Visit the attractions of the area, which we indicated in the previous paragraph "what to see";
- Walk along the avenues that line the Barceloneta in bike or skateboard (we point out Deviant Bikes, where you can rent them);
- Delicious aperitifs, lunches and dinners taking advantage of the vast gastronomic offer of the area (find some suggestions in the next paragraph);
- Listen to live music in the beach bars or go in discotheque;
- If you love colorful markets, go to the Barceloneta Market in Plaça Poeta Bosca. Born in 1884, it was renovated between 2005 and 2007, while maintaining the original iron structure. On the roof there are solar panels that cover about 40% of the electricity consumed by the market.
Where to eat
La Barceloneta is full of gastronomic temptations; we indicate you five excellent restaurants and bars the area.
The Peninsular
This restaurant is located in an alley of the Barceloneta and specializes in typical cuisine, with a predilection for seafood that arrives daily from the Barcelona fish market.
You can then enjoy fish - which you choose from the counter - seafood, shellfish, shellfish, paella, stews and highly sought-after tapas.
Our advice is to… get advice from the waiters, who also speak Italian.
There are often specials of the day not to be missed.
Address: C / del Mar, 29.
The Delicious
A beach bar with a youthful atmosphere, which feels like a holiday!
The welcoming and helpful staff is ready to serve you excellent nachos, sandwiches, tortillas, olives, croquettes, sangria and spectacular cocktails, prepared with acrobatic style by the barman.
The prices of this chiringuito are average.
Address: Paseo Maritimo de Barceloneta S / N | San Miguel Beach.
Meson Barceloneta
This place is located along the promenade leading to Barceloneta beach and offers traditional Mediterranean cuisine. Decorated with a casual and modern style but with a touch of tradition, it offers mouth-watering tapas and boasts paella, fish, lobster, vegetarian, meat, chicken, with black rice as its main course, and always served in satisfying portions. .
If you have a small space left, you can also taste the creme brulee.
Address: Paseo Juan de Borbo 10.
Bar Celoneta Sangria Bar
A place very close to the sea, which offers vegan cuisine that everyone likes, even those who are not vegan. The environment is quiet and welcoming and the food and sangria (even the revisited one, based on white wine) are exquisite.
In particular, try the vegan paella and raw desserts, free of added sugars, dairy products and gluten.
Address: Carrer de Sevilla, 70 at the intersection with Carrer del Judici.
Close
A restaurant with an Italian touch, small but very well organized, using fresh and genuine ingredients.
It offers pizzas not huge in size but as good as the local ones, and then first courses, meats, desserts (the classic tiramisu will not disappoint you), an excellent beer and Italian wines.
Also find a noteworthy espresso.
Address: Paseo Juan de Borbon 68.
Fun
The Barceloneta area is a popular tourist destination for those who want to have fun, as it has the right ingredients, namely beach, sea, bars, clubs and discos.
That's why so many young nightlife lovers choose this area of ​​Barcelona as their favorite!
La beach, in particular, it is teeming: you can sunbathe "close neighbors", practice physical activity, listen - like it or not - to the music coming from the speakers or from the tambourines of the nearby bathers, buy mojitos from street vendors, or hide in one of the many chiringuitos! The sea can be said to be very clean, but the party atmosphere is not lacking.
In addition to the places to satisfy the palate, and in which listen to live music in the evening, this area is known for its discotheques where you dance for hours and hours.
The most famous are Opium, Pachá and Shoko, all close to each other, in the Villa Olimpica area.
The music in these clubs is mostly house style; in the summer they also host artists of international caliber, and to be able to enter it is essential to dress well, otherwise you risk being blocked at the entrance.
Barceloneta for children
The Barceloneta beach is really crowded, therefore not very suitable for families with children, although it must be admitted that sometimes the little ones know how to adapt better than the adults.
Here are some ideas on how to entertain children in the Barceloneta area:
- Take them to the beach in the game points made especially for them. For example, at the height of the Barceloneta Park there is one pyramid of colored ropes where all children are happy to climb!
- Spend some time in the playground near the Mercat de la Barceloneta: swings and slides are always popular;
- Go in search of the artists who make highly detailed sand sculptures, which the children will probably try to replicate in their own way in the following days;
- If the children are not too young, rent bicycles and go with them to discover the Barceloneta;
- Spend a day atBarcelona Aquarium, in nearby Port Vell.
