General Information
La Barceloneta is a triangular coastal area in eastern Barcelona. It is situated next to the old port of Barcelona, in the Ciutat Vella district. Actually, in many books and touristic websites the neighborhood is mentioned as part of Port Vell, that is why for many tourists the two places are the same, but it is also acceptable to separate them. The name of the place means “the small Barcelona”.
History of La Barceloneta
La Barceloneta was built in 1753 for the inhabitants of La Ribera district which was partially destroyed by Philip V in order to construct a new fort (for additional information – History of Barcelona). Originally, most of the district’s residents were fishermen, sailors and other people whose occupation was related to the harbour and to the sea, therefore it was considered to be a cheap and not too popular area. However, if you visit the place today, you will be surprised because its image has significantly changed.
This is due to a tendency which has recently appeared in Catalonia. In many cities, for instance in Costa Brava and in Tarragona, more and more quarters, which were once inhabited by workers or fishermen, have been transformed into tourist areas. Barcelona is not an exception, in fact, with La Barceloneta district, the city is quite a good example of this phenomenon. In this case, the modernisation of the area has become necessary also because the city hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics which required great investments and constructions.
Though you can still observe several characteristics of the old fishermen quarter, the image of the neighborhood has completely changed, for now it has become a crowded tourist area with many expensive and high-level restaurants (mainly seafood), bars and clubs (for additional information – Bars and Restaurants in Barcelona) and with nice beaches (5 km beach area).
What do you see in La Barceloneta?
The area consists of two main parts, these two parts are completely different and both of them have their own characteristics and appeal. The old Barceloneta area is quite an authentic place with its old houses and narrow streets remained there from the past, when the neighborhood was inhabited by fishermen and sailors.
If you go inner to the district, you will arrive to the beach area, which is completely different from the old part. It is a modern area with numerous high-level seafood restaurants (for additional information – Bars and Restaurants in Barcelona). Since La Barceloneta beach is close to the center of Barcelona, it is visited by many tourists and local people. Due to this, the beach area of the district is a very active and crowded place during summer (for additional information – Summer Vacation in Barcelona).
There are numerous options to spend your time in Barceloneta. You can relax in the sunshine, swim in the sea or enjoy the different beach or sea sport events, like volleyball and tennis matches, sailing tours or surfing activities (for additional information – Sports in Barcelona).
The main attractions in La Barceloneta is without any doubt the seashore, but they are not the only one. For example, you can visit Museo de Historia de Cataluña (The History Museum of Catalonia) where you can participate in a nice exhibition about the history of Catalans. Moreover it has a terrace where you can relax by drinking a coffee and admiring the sea.
Mercat de la Barceloneta is another great attraction in the area. It is a food market with authentic local atmosphere and specialties. Besides these, you can visit the hangars of Port Vell that will also be a great experience.
Parc de la Barceloneta is a beautiful green park between La Barceloneta and Vila Olímpica. It reaches to the beaches and it serves as a link between the ring road and the seashore.
Finally, tourists can take a look at the cable car which goes up the Montjuic and if they think it will be worth to try it, they can make an amazing journey which ends on the Montjuic hill, where they can admire the port and the city from a bird’s eye view.
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You can enhance the experience by an exciting journey on a cable car. |
In addition to these interesting attractions, many guided tours pass over the area, for example, the bicycle and the segway tours (for additional information – Attractions and Tours near La Barceloneta and Attractions and Tours in Barcelona).