Barcelona Water Sports

A bit of a waterbaby? Barcelona is the perfect place to combine the natural rush of water sports with the stimulation of a city break.

Here in BCN, the ocean is your playground, whether you just fancy a quick swim from the city beaches, or you want to jump on a yacht to explore the coastline.

As well as swimming and sailing, surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, sea-kayaking, fishing, jet-skiing, wake-boarding and more are all available… read on to find out more, and how to book.

1. Barcelona Sailing

Barcelona’s Port Vell and Port Olimpic are both full of the gleaming hulls of beautiful seaworthy vessels! Sailing companies operate from both, and they can take you on a short cruise with a qualified skipper on the helm. There are plenty of experiences to choose from, with sunset cruises being the most popular. The tours are usually shared with around 8 people per boat, but the skipper usually lets you help out with the ropes or helm if you want to make the activity more sporty!

17 BEST SAILING TOURS

2. Barcelona Sea Kayaking

Like many adventure sports, sea-kayaking has risen sharply in popularity of late in recent years and the conditions in Catalonia are certainly perfect for a paddle. Up and down the Costa Brava you’ll find coves, beaches and bays to discover, and the relative calmness of the Mediterranean means you won’t be fighting an uphill battle just to get some nautical miles under your belt and explore by sea! There’s a great school/centre in Vilanova (about 30 mins from BCN by train) called Nootka where you can rent kayaks or take lessons. The most convenient option, however, is this sea kayaking in the Costa Brava activity, which includes transport to and from Barcelona, so no thinking required. Plus the waters here is turquoise and clear and scenery stunning.

5 BEST KAYAKING TRIPS

3. Barcelona Jet Ski

Speed freaks need look no further than this activity which sees you reach up to 50 mph on the back of a mean machine. With a briefing from an instructor and plenty of open sea to play in it’s safe to open up the throttle a little and feel the adrenaline. Rental starts at €120 for 30 mins, and you can fit a passenger on the back. No license required, but you need to leave a deposit. The meeting point is Port Forum.

4. Barcelona Paddlesurf

Stand-up Paddling (SUP) has taken the world by storm and Barcelona is the perfect place to try your hand at this fun water sport that is affordable and easy to take part in. The SUP centres are mostly based in Barceloneta and easy to reach. Once on the water, it takes a few minutes to find your balance, but once you overcome the jelly legs, it is relatively easy to stay upright! It’s a particularly beautiful experience at the start or the end of the day, when the water, life and the city are at their most tranquil!

5. Barcelona Sports Fishing

Where there is water there tend to be fish (duh!), and as the Mediterranean is no puddle it’s certainly ripe with the fruits of the sea. Tuna, sea bass or hake are all plentiful and if you fancy organising a sports fishing trip in Barcelona then we suggest you check out our Deep Sea Fishing options. They all include a chartered motorboat with all the necessary equipment and licenses.

6. Barcelona Windsurfing

Another fantastic sport you can try out in the Catalan capital, the best centre windsurfing right now is Club Nautic Poblenou. Their set up is a bit more local friendly, than tourist friendly, but if you get in touch with them I’m sure they’ll help you get on the water. They are based on Mar Bella beach. Otherwise you could try Base Nautica, although they are more focused on paddle boarding these days. Other options are to get out of Barcelona and head up the road to Castelldefels or Sitges!

7. Barcelona Kitesurfing

If doing battle with Boreas and Zephyrus, armed only with a thin sheet of canvass, is your bag baby, then you will find plenty of opportunities to enjoy yourself in Catalonia. Although it’s not possible to kitesurf within the Barcelona city limits, just down the road to the south is Castelldefels, Calafel and Sitges, all of which have kitesurfing schools where you can either take lessons or hire equipment. A little further up the coast, to the north, is Empuriabrava, recognised as one of the very best places for kitesurfing in the Costa Brava. A great place if you’re planning on spending several days kiteboarding.

Back on Dry Land…

Don’t spend so long in the water that forget to see everything else Barcelona has to offer, including world-class architecture (see our articles on Modernisme and Gaudi!), a fantastic programme of events and festivals, some of the best restaurants in Spain and a hedonistic nightlife scene.

Our list of fun things to do offers a great overview of everything on offer!