Posts Tagged ‘Sitges’

Barcelona Beaches guide

March 26th, 2010

sight-beach frontSince 1992 , year of Barcelona Olympic games, there are 4.2 km of golden sandy beaches only 10 mins from the city centre.

1) The Barceloneta Beach. This is the first beach close to city centre. You can get there with metro (yellow line) stop Barceloneta. Walk on the Passeo Joan Borbo full of sea food restaurants, cafés with terrace. At the end you will see the sea and the new W hotel, the Vela, as it looks like a sail boat. Barcelona out and inside swimming pool is on your right as the nudist beach.  Many small streets in this area with linen hanging on the windows, restaurants, cafés, shops.

2) The Vila Olimpica Beach Metro stop Vila Olimpica.This area has been built in 1992 to host  the athletes of the Olympic games. The luxury Arts Hotel, one of the 2 towers you will see on front shore and the strange huge copper goldfish sclupture by american architect Frank Ghery . There are some good restaurant on the sea shore, the Bestial is one of them.

3) The Icaria Beach has wider sandy beaches. Parking facilities.

bar-chiringito4) The Bogatell Beach quieter and wider beaches, water is cleaner. Also parking facilities. More dedicated to families and sailing sports. Nice chiringuintos (cafés on the beach) with own Dj plaing in summer time. Metro Stop Bogatell

5) The Marbella Beach further from city centre, close to Poble Nou area. Nudist beach section. Bars.

6) The Nova Mar bella beach is next to Poble Nou park  area and close to the new Forum congress centre. Good tip : on Sundays barbecue at the nautical centre on the beach.

By train you can go to Castelldefels beaches, long empty sandy beaches or to Sitges, cosy small city with friendly atmosphere. Small and crowded beaches in summer. Nice marina area with restaurants and bars.

Gay Barcelona and the Gayxample area

November 19th, 2009

Barcelona shopping

Barcelona is, after Amsterdam and Paris, one of the most popular gay destinations in Europe.

With it´s beautiful gay friendly beaches like Mar Bella, San Sebastian or, for the more older guys Chernobyl beach, you can enjoy a lovely summer. If you are staying a bit longer in town, don´t forget to visit Sitges. This friendly place is situated half an hour by train ( depart from Barcelona Sants) from Barcelona. In winter it´s wellknown for it´s Carnaval and in summer for it´s nice beaches. There are lot´s of gay friendly bars like the Dark Sitges Bar in C/ Bonaire 14, or the oldest lesbian bar Mary Pili in C/ Joan Tarrida 14. For a complete overview visit the gay Sitges guide.

The left part of the Eixample, also known as gayxample, is Barcelona’s gay district. This area is close to the centrically located Plaza Catalunya and therefore easily to get there. The closest metro station is Universidad which you can find on the red line 1 and the purple line 2.

It counts many gay friendly bars, restaurants, night clubs and saunas where  you´ll find a lively and tolerant atmosphere. In the day by day guide of Gay Barcelona 4u.com you can read where to go to on each day of your stay in Barcelona. This is also a good website for other interesting information about Gay Barcelona.

The most famous places to go out in Barcelona are DBoy and Salvation in Ronda Sant Pere 19-21. Two different halls offering very good cocktails and fantastic dance music.

These clubs are from the Matinee Group who also organises special dance parties. Look on their website for the latest information.

Apart from going out you can also do some good shopping in Barcelona.

Nice shops are:

American Men at C/ Consell de Cent 241 where you can find American Sports wear and EMale at C/ Consell de Cent 236 for Spanish Sports wear. For Italian designers clothes you don´t have to go far away for the shop Cool at C/ Consell de Cent 233. And last, but not least, we recommend you to have a look in DGM in C/ Casanova 70. Here you´ll find trendy clothes from brands like Von Dutch, Gola, De Puta Madre and the french brand RG512.

The best time to go shopping is from 10am till 2pm or from 5pm till 9pm otherwise you might have a chance to find some of these shops closed.

After some shopping, and before going out, you must have something good to eat and for this we would like to recommend you the following restaurants:

Sazzerak, C/ Consell de cent 211, International kitchen, tapas and cocktails in a friendly and modern ambience, open from Monday to Friday from 10:30am till 4pm and from 19:30pm till 3am. Saturday and Sunday from 19:30pm till 3am.

Castro, C/ Casanova 85, Creative mediterranean kitchen, lunch menu for €9,90, open every day ( Sunday only dinner).

Iurantia, C/ Casanova 42, Restaurant – Pizzeria combining tradition and modern Italian food. Carpaccio, Risotto, Meat, Fish and of course pizza and pasta. Open every day from 9pm till 12am and from Monday till Friday from 13:30pm till 4pm. Lunch menu for €9,90.

Do you want to know more? Watch this video about the Gayxample in Barcelona.