Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

The bathing season gets under way at the city’s beaches today with the activation of rescue services and prevention measures for Covid-19, and cleaning services also stepped up. The high season begins on 25 May, bringing with it the assisted bathing service, the dog beach and a pilot project for four non-smoking beaches.

The city’s beaches (Sant Sebastià and Sant Miquel, Barceloneta, Llevant, Somorrostro, Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella and Nova Mar Bella) open for the middle bathing season today, which includes the days between now and 5 April, weekends in April and May, and the period from 13 to 25 September.

Which municipal services now become operative?

Prevention and information for Covid-19

• Twenty information staff providing advice on prevention measures and ensuring compliance with them.
• Installation of nineteen information totems with relevant information on the pandemic and current regulations.
• Real time information on the beaches website throughout the day on occupancy levels at the various beaches so users can plan their visits.
• Announcements as necessary via the PA system.

The use of face masks is obligatory at the beach and physical distances must be respected to avoid build-ups of people.

Basic services

The rescue and life-saving service consists of 21 watchtowers on the beaches and 28 lifesavers who provide information and assistance and conduct surveillance, rescue and evacuation tasks from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm.

Each beach has a public toilet for individual use. Beachgoers can also use the 97 showers located along the beaches, the eight beach bars (half the usual number) which are now open, and the service offering easy chairs and parasols.

As ever, the cleaning service is being stepped up for the summer with three more cleaning teams, three boats to clean the water and three manual cleaners to strengthen selective waste collection at the beach bars. In addition, the number of litter bins has been increased fivefold compared to the rest of the year, with 274 in total.

More environmental education

As from 1 April, the Beach Centre resumes its educational activities linked to the sea, the sand and the biodiversity of the coastline. Some activities will be organised for people to attend in person, in reduced groups. The centre also coordinates the project to collect waste from the seabed.

The centre is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 2 pm.

Adjustments due the loss of sand

The effects of Storm Gloria are still evident at the city’s beaches, where different measures have been taken in response to the loss of sand.

Part of the Mar Bella beach is closed, with services at the Llevant and Barceloneta beaches redistributed, the beach bars at the Llevant beach relocated and the assisted bathing service due to be shifted from the Barceloneta to the Sant Miquel beach when it opens.

A group of experts are working on a new roadmap for the city coastline, looking for solutions to the challenges posed by the climate crisis and setting out a new beach management model which is more sustainable.

Full information on the state of the sea, bathing flags, water quality, radiation levels, temperatures and the presence of jellyfish can be found on the Barcelona beaches website.