The best beaches for surfing in Barcelona and surroundings
When someone mentions Barcelona, we think of Gaudí, the Eixample, the Ramblas, the museums, the restaurants… Seldom do we think of beaches, which it has. And of surfing even less. But pay attention! Barcelona has a growing number of surfers. It’s true that it doesn’t have the consistency of waves found in the north of Spain . But yes, there are waves on the beaches of Barcelona. Data shows an average of 130 days per year suitable for surfing. Here we tell you where the best surf spots are in Barcelona city and province.
The best waves in Barcelona
Barcelona is a privileged city . It is beautiful, and it knows it. And it doesn’t overwhelm, like Rome or Paris. Its location next to the Mediterranean is perfect. And as if that were not enough, it has the fortune of being admired from the two hills that guard it: Tibidabo and Montjuïc. From the first, it looks like an organized city, with straight avenues, designed and built to the taste of the bourgeoisie at the time of its greatest splendor. From the second, we discover the port side, the city rushing down the Ramblas towards the sea.
Barcelona is, on the other hand, a manageable city, that can be toured on foot or by bike. And also, it has beaches to enjoy the sea until the sun disappears. And surfing. Yes, you read it right, surfing! Waves in the same city and also beyond, to the north and south, in the region of El Maresme and in Sitges. Don’t believe it? Follow us and see. With more than 100 kilometers of coastline, the Barcelona coast is a good surfing destination. Especially if you get the right conditions. Just like you can in other Mediterranean destinations like Mallorca, where we recently told you about the best waves on the island .
Barceloneta Beach
Barceloneta Beach
Barcelona city has eight more beaches: Llevant, Nova Mar, Mar Bella, Bogatell, Nova Icària, Somorrostro, Sant Miguel, and Sant Sebastià. But La Barceloneta is the oldest and most popular. It is also the cradle of Catalan surfing. The swells from the east are the most favorable for surfing here.
Ideal conditions
- Size : 0.5m – 3m
- Swell direction : E, NE, SE
- Favorable wind : W
- Bottom : Sand
- Type of wave : Beach break
Badalona
Badalona has four kilometers of straight coastline and eight consecutive beaches, with the imposing chimneys of the San Adrián del Besòs Thermal Power Plant as a backdrop. The peaks that work extend from the iconic Pont de Petroli to the Nautical Club. Everything depends on the condition of the bottoms. But when the ideal conditions are met, the waves are fun, fast, and tubular.
Ideal conditions
- Size : 0.5m – 1.5m
- Swell direction : E, NE, SE
- Favorable wind : W
- Bottom : Sand
- Type of wave : Beach break
Montgat
Montgat has two kilometers of sandy areas and three beaches, divided by a rocky promontory called La Caleta de Montgat: Pla de Montgat, San Joan, and Le Moreres. Montgat is an ideal choice to swim away from the overcrowding of other Barcelona waves. The spots of the Church peak and the Station stand out.
- Size : 0.5m – 1.5m
- Swell direction : E, NE Favorable wind
- : W Bottom
- : Sand Type of wave
- : Beach break left and right : Beach break izquierda y derecha
La Caleta (El Masnou)
El Masnou is one of the most visited places in the El Maresme region. Just 15 minutes by car from Barcelona or 25 minutes by train, we find this spot that produces fast and very fun tubular waves. It has a large free parking lot (except in summer), with the option of overnight stay for vans and campers .
Without a doubt La Caleta is one of the best waves in the Mediterranean . One of those spots that, when they work, seem like an amusement park.
Ideal conditions
- Size : 0.5m – 1.5m
- Swell direction : NE and SE
- Favorable wind : W
- Bottom : Sand, some rocks
- Type of wave : Beach break
El Masnou (pueblo Masnou)
It’s the classic left of El Maresme. This spot is well protected from the wind and is a perfect option when the rest of the peaks in the area are out of proportion in size or wind. It is a fun, very smooth and easy to surf wave, perfect for starting to surf in Barcelona. But beware!, it only works on strong E or NE days.
Ideal conditions
- Size : 1m – 3m
- Swell direction : E, NE
- Favorable wind : W
- Bottom : Sand, watch out for rocks
- Wave type : Left beach break
Premia
The Espigón peak is a left that works on days with a lot of east swell. It breaks next to the small jetty that separates the Descàrrega and Plà de lós beaches. It’s a fast and fun wave with easy access from the north face of the jetty. Being well sheltered from the wind, it is a good option on big swell days.
Ideal conditions
- Size : 0.5m – 1.5m
- Swell direction : E, NE
- Favorable wind : W
- Bottom : Sand, be careful with rocks
- Wave type : Left beach break
Aiguadol (Sitges city)
We change direction. We return to Barcelona capital. And heading south, we go to Sitges. Aiguadolc beach is right behind the port and, like Balmins beach, the mountains in its surroundings give it a special beauty. Here, the best sessions occur with large and ordered S and SE swells. These are gentle and noble long waves, generally right-handers. But some left-handers can also appear.
Balmins or Cemetery Beach in Sitges , en Sitges
Without a doubt, it’s one of the favorite waves for longboard lovers. Its name comes from being steps away from the Sitges cemetery. It’s a smooth wave with a good ride. This beach hosts the prestigious ACL longboard circuit event.
PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR A SURF TRIP TO BARCELONA
When to go? The best time to surf in Barcelona
The best wave season is between September and March. From April onwards, wave consistency decreases. And during July and August, you may catch a few waves, but conditions need to align perfectly. So during these months, it’s better to focus on Paddle surf. In our post, the best beaches for paddle surf in Barcelona, we offer a selection of beaches and coves to explore on a SUP.
Getting around Barcelona
The road is the best option. But a good alternative is the Cercanías train. In fact, the configuration of the railway network, literally parallel to the coast, makes accessing the beaches as easy as getting off the train station and hitting the water with your board.
What surfboards do we recommend using in Barcelona?
Below we leave you our recommendation of surfboards for Barcelona and generally for surfing in the Mediterranean. We will distinguish between summer and winter:
Surfboards for Mediterranean waves in summer:
- Press Play Emery
- Beastie Mick Fanning
- Little Marley Mick Fanning
- The Break Quiksilver
- Happy Hour Ocean Earth Lost Hydra
- Pyzalien 2
- Pyzel Surfboards XRS DHD
- Surfboards for Mediterranean waves in winter:
CI Mid
- Lost Smooth Operator
- Pukas Lazy Link
- NSP Hybrid Shortboard
- Chilli Hot Knife
- Ghost
- Pyzel Pyzel
What to do in Barcelona when there are no waves?
We recommend that before embarking on your surf trip to Barcelona, check the surf wave forecast for Barcelona. Or any other wave forecasting app: windguru , the barcelona surf report, wisuki or Magigseaweed. In addition, we advise you to check the surf webcam of Barceloneta or the rest of the spots. Don’t trust the forecasts of todosurf Barcelona; they tend to be too optimistic.
For waveless days, a good alternative plan is to go Paddle surfing. In our article Paddle Surf en Barcelona We tell you which are the best beaches to practice Stand Up Paddle. While the project for one seems to stall, SUP is undoubtedly one of the water sports gaining more strength on the Catalan coast.
The best surfing videos in Barcelona
For those who still think there are no good waves in Barcelona, here are these images to change their minds. ‘Sometimes’, that’s the title of this video by Sant Jordi Hostels, which precisely reflects that ‘sometimes’. And sometimes a memorable session takes place in Barcelona.
What to see in Barcelona, what to visit in Barcelona
Barcelona is a complex city, with multiple faces , a city that never runs out. Our advice is to start the visit on the Ramblas , with a mandatory stop at the Boqueria market. From there it’s just a short jump to the Gotic District , worth a leisurely stroll. There you can find the cathedral, the columns of Augustus, the historic Plaza de San Jaume, the beautiful church of Santa Maria del Mar and some evocative medieval palaces, such as the Royal Major Palace, a 14th century work, where the Catholic Monarchs received Christopher Columbus after his first trip to the New World in the Tinell Hall.
City of Barcelona
The Eixample is another must-visit. Its iconography is almost infinite due to the succession of modernist buildings, the work of the great architects that the city produced at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The quintessence of this accumulation of beauty lies in the main facade of the Sagrada Familia and the famous block of discord, so named because it is the scene of competition among three of Barcelona’s most representative modernist gems: Casa Lleó Morera, Casa Amatller and Casa Batlló.
Parks are part of the most authentic image of Barcelona. Nobody should leave the city without visiting at least one of these three: the Ciutadella Park, Montjuïc and the Park G ü ell , Gaudí’s fantastical dream with an attraction not inferior to the Sagrada Familia.
Park Guell
And if there is time, the Poble Nou. And among the various museums indicated in the guides, three. The Picasso Museum , located in the Berenguer-Aguilar Palace. The National Art Museum of Catalonia , housed in the National Palace of the 1929 Exhibition, exceptional for its collection of Romanesque art. And the Maritime Museum , located in the splendid Gothic building of the medieval shipyards.
National Art Museum of Catalonia
What to see beyond Barcelona. Four suggestions
Barcelona hides with its wonders the rest of the province. Almost hidden by its wonders is Sitges, so fresh, beautiful and evocative. Here we recommend four visits you can make on your Surf Trip to Barcelona. Even we, surf fanatics, do not live solely on the waves.
Montserrat Abbey
Located 50 kilometers from Barcelona. And you can imagine, everything there breathes history, tradition and spirituality. No one has expressed it better than the poet Joan Maragall:
“Montserrat is the miracle of Catalonia. It is something of ours that resembles nothing else, it is completely outside natural laws… This is Montserrat, which from a distance perhaps looks like a flat blueish cloud Fantastically. And, depending on how we approach, we see how its profile of a gigantic castle advances, with its densely packed battlements. But arriving at its feet, when it rises broadly in front of us, with its thousand vague spires through the mist, then Montserrat, above all, is a temple”
Museum of the Roman Baths of Badalona
Imagine you have enjoyed a memorable day, with fun, fast and tubular waves. Well, since you are in Badalona, you cannot miss visiting the Museum of the Roman Baths, where you can see a complete and well-preserved thermal complex from the 1st century BC. Impossible not to remember the unforgettable scene from Spartacus, with Laurence Olivier pursuing Tony Curtis.
Arenys de Mar
The Maresme is a beautiful region, eclipsed by the attraction that the wonders of Barcelona exert on every traveler. Arenys de Mar is one of the most charming places you can visit in the area: one of those endearing coastal towns that have managed to survive tourism invasions. There is the evocative cemetery where the poet Salvador Espriu rests in eternal sleep.
Sitges
Sitges owes its fame to the painter and writer from Barcelona, Santiago Rusiñol, who, in 1891, established his home and studio there, turning an old fishing village into the mecca of a bohemian and sophisticated lifestyle that has endured to this day. But let’s leave history to historians. Sitges is a beautiful place worth visiting. Narrow streets, flowered windows, whitewashed houses. Beaches of endless and fine sand, museums, luxury sunsets…
≫ Other surf trips: the Cantabrian region
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