The beaches of Barcelona repeatedly attract tourists and locals alike to visit the beach any day of the week to loosen up, have a cold drink and enjoy the breath-taking Mediterranean sun.

The indisputable vibe and ambiance created by continuous music, beach volleyball and football players and continuous cries of beer, cola, agua, cerveza create the distinctiveness of the Barcelona beaches.

Nevertheless, with this party environment also results in rubbish and filth within and around the beaches. As such, Barcelona beaches have developed a delicate status for being dirty and having unclean water.

Nevertheless, 1992 resulted a colossal cleaning procedure of the beaches in order for the Barcelona Olympics. To this day, protection of Barcelona beaches still exists however frequent overcapacity around the main beaches like Barceloneta and Bogatel is the fundamental ground in retaining such a reputation.

So, if you are looking for those breath taking beaches with crystal clear water, I recommend hopping on a train, bus or going by car for a small outing out of town.

To the north lies the famous Costa Brava which contains pinewoods rising close to the seashore with branches going into ocean illuminating water of the richest blue to shades of pristine turquoise. Also up north just after Masnou lies Ocata which contains an enormous stretch of golden sand with pleasantly uncontaminated and clear water.

What’s more about an hour up the north shoreline from Barcelona, you can get to San Pol. Surrounded by lush green hills, San Pol contains delightfully clear water that is never over crowded and entices many to make day trips over weekends.

In comparison along the southern coast, you can hit upon Costa Dorada renowned for its superb sandy beaches. Tarragona is the primary beach which is quite considerably south of Barcelona but again contains those waters that you would witness on a dream getaway resort.

Having visited beaches both north and south of Barcelona, I found that the beaches down south were very sandy with warmer water. As an Australian, I love the sandiness but the beaches up north provided colder and more refreshing water to swim in.

Now you can make the decision…if you are searching for the upbeat and vibrant scene, beaches within Barcelona are the best option. Nevertheless if you are looking of a more tranquil and beaches with water of better quality, I suggest taking a day trip out of Barcelona.