Barcelona
Beach breakAll levels
Barcelona's urban surf: peaks between groynes a few minutes from the centre.
The waves come mostly from October to April, as short swells lasting a day or two: watch the forecast and be ready. The best days combine an east or south-east swell with an offshore north-westerly (mestral). Water drops to 13 °C in winter (4/3 wetsuit) and passes 24 °C in August, when the sea is usually flat.
Map
Barcelona (Poblenou)
Beach breakIntermediate
The Poblenou beach with the city's punchiest banks when an easterly arrives.
Montgat (Maresme)
Beach breakIntermediate
Beaches by the railway north of Barcelona that pick up the easterly swell well.
Castelldefels (Baix Llobregat)
Beach breakBeginner
A long beach south of Barcelona with gentle waves when a southerly swell arrives.
Sitges (Garraf)
Beach breakAll levels
The town beaches of Sitges, with peaks that wake up with a southerly swell.
Sant Pol de Mar (Maresme)
Beach breakIntermediate
A Maresme fishing village with coarse-sand beaches and rocks that shape the waves.
Pals (Baix Empordà)
Beach breakAll levels
An open Costa Brava beach, one of the most consistent in Girona with an easterly.
Vila-seca (Tarragona)
Beach breakBeginner
Tarragona's go-to surf beach, with small waves over a sandy bottom.
Conditions at a glance
| Spot | Wave type | Level | Best swell | Best wind (offshore) | Tide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Barceloneta | Beach break | All levels | E, SE, S | NW, N, W | All tides |
| Bogatell | Beach break | Intermediate | E, SE | NW, N | All tides |
| Montgat | Beach break | Intermediate | E, SE | NW, W, N | All tides |
| Castelldefels | Beach break | Beginner | S, SW, SE | N, NW, NE | All tides |
| Sitges | Beach break | All levels | S, SW, SE | N, NE, NW | All tides |
| Sant Pol de Mar | Beach break | Intermediate | E, SE | NW, N, W | All tides |
| Platja de Pals | Beach break | All levels | E, NE, SE | W, NW, SW | All tides |
| La Pineda | Beach break | Beginner | S, SE, E | N, NW | All tides |
Indicative information gathered from surf guides and surfers' experience. Conditions change with the sandbanks: check the forecast and ask at the beach.
Which wetsuit to bring
The water is around 13 °C in winter and 24 °C in late summer.
4/3 wetsuit
The autumn-to-spring suit for water at 12–16 °C.
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3/2 wetsuit
For water from 17 °C.
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Shapers in Catalonia
Order a board designed for these waves from a local shaper.