Seaside in Barcelona

It was a sunny, beautiful day in Barcelona with barely a cloud in the sky. Never before had I been to a Mediterranean city during any of my travels to Europe. So what would I do on such a gorgeous day? Naturally, I wanted to go to the beach! To hear the waves, to swim, and to bask in the sun would be the key to a perfect afternoon. I made my way to the Metro, situated right on the crowded La Rambla, and navigated my way to Barceloneta, the exit closest to the beachfront. At first, I had in mind that Barceloneta Beach would be a reprieve from the crazed, touristy area near Placa de Catalunya, but I was most definitely wrong.

As I was nearing the shore and caught my first glimpse of the sparkling Mediterranean waters and palm trees, I also noticed the mass of beachgoers crowded onto the seaside expanse before me. Not to be deterred by all of these people, I removed my sandals and stepped onto the sand, scanning for a place to lay my beach towel. When I finally laid my towel down, applied my sunscreen, and sprawled out, I felt the overwhelming sensation of what it was like to be on a truly European beach. In the distance behind me, mountains loomed on the upper landscape and on the horizon in front, it was water as far as I could see. Everywhere around me, there were topless women, comfortably baring their skin in public, men in tight Speedos, and groups of people of all nationalities carrying on with their friends in many languages. This was a first for me, considering the extent of my beach trips have only been on American shores, where the atmosphere is so different.



I began to think about how Barcelona offered so much for the traveler to find when he or she visits. All kinds of tourists come to Barcelona on a regular basis to revel in its cultural and environmental diversity. Therefore, it’s no small wonder why I didn’t find the beach scantly populated. With the unique culture of the city, Barcelona is a destination for people around the world. For a better idea of why Barcelona is a focal point for tourists can be found here: http://www.bcn.es/medciencies/latalaia/n1/eng/printable-tribuna.htm.

Taking this into consideration, I probably shouldn’t have been taken aback about all the people crowding the beach.
On this stretch of beach, locals compete for space with the throngs of tourists. To add to the mix, there are many people hawking services and goods to try to capture any available money from the beachgoers. And at the same time, the invisible threat of thieves is ever present as well. This creates an unstable dynamic on Barceloneta Beach. The politics of space require everyone there who wants to relax in the sun (local and tourist alike) to share very limited room and not aggravate those around them. Also, the number of merchants competing for scarce money that their potential customers are willing to spend makes them very aggressive. It seemed every moment, you heard an Asian woman offering someone a massage in broken English or you were offered some “cerveza, aqua, Fanta, Coca-Cola…” by another vendor. And with the threat of thievery, you always needed to keep your valuables close by or to have someone you know watch them while you took a stroll. A review of Barceloneta beach’s sights, atmosphere, and activities can be found here: http://www.partyearth.com/index.php?section=locations&subsection=place_details&city_id=11&place_id=618.



Not only is the beach an exciting and relaxing way to spend an afternoon, but has a lot of cultural relevance for the Catalan people. Perhaps this may explain why locals are drawn to the beach to be close to the sea. I believe that tourists spend their day on the beach perhaps to find out a little more of what it means to be a resident of Catalonia as well. Barcelona is, after all, a Mediterranean city and the Catalan capital and has been shaped over time by its ties to the water. During the time of the Catalonian Empire, the Mediterranean was the way to spread Catalan culture and conduct trade throughout this part of the world. This seafaring culture has remained to this day with those who believe themselves to be true Catalans. More on the history and ties to the sea that Catalan culture has can be found here: http://www.soulofamerica.com/barcelona-history.phtml.

As I went to take my first swim in the Mediterranean (which was ice cold but refreshing), it kind of made me envy the life that some people have in this place. It’s a sun-soaked, mountainous region by the sea which offers a lot for people of diverse interests. I’ll certainly be back one day, but will perhaps next time go to a beach that isn’t so overrun. Regardless, it was definitely worth at least one visit.