Barceloneta

Starting off with a post on my barrio – or at least the barrio in which I’ve stayed the longest so far – beachy Barceloneta! 

 

















There is so much to love about this place, at least for me. It has such a relaxed atmosphere, even when it’s brimming with tourists in the summer. Walking around here for the first time about a year ago, the first thing that caught my eye was that people would leave the doors to their houses open, and stand outside having a coffee or a cigarette, or just enjoying the sun. And since for most houses in Barceloneta the front door leads straight into the living room, I could actually see the families inside having lunch or relaxing on the couch. And not just that – they would also leave their laundry to dry out in front of the house, on the street, even if they were not around, without being afraid someone would steal it. That’s just how chill and friendly the atmosphere is in this neighborhood. 

Barceloneta is quite small, it wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to walk from one end to the other. In the center there is a square with a market. Some events are being held there sometimes, just small local neighborhood events, like dances or children singing. Otherwise, it’s full of children playing an people hanging around.

What I really love about this place are its tiny authentic bars with an Andalusian feeling. Usually they are stuffed with loud and tipsy crowds that spill out on the street, shouting and laughing. Bar Leo, for instance, is a great example of that. It is by far nothing fancy, the floor is usually dirty, the crowd is eclectic and guiris would probably be scared of it. But my favorite one is Absenta. Also tiny, this bar is filled with all kinds of weird décor that seems random but somehow fits together quite well. There are bookshelves, couches and cozy lights that make it feel like a living room. A friend of mine once took out a random book from the shelf, only to find that the pages inside were cut in a square to form a nice hiding place. Also, I was quite surprised – and amused – to find an old Bulgarian sign warning us about high voltage. Finally, the little hidden restaurants in the heart of Barceloneta offer much better (and cheaper) typical cousin than the ones on Joan Borbó that seem to attract all tourists. 

While you can skip these restaurants, the other side of Joan Borbó – the old port – can offer tons of entertainment – for free! This is the scene of street performers and musicians. “Made in Barcelona” are regulars there, playing four days of the week. This band plays amazing Cuban and Latin-American music and always gathers an impressive crowd. Funny thing is, although having seen them numerous times, I still don’t know just how many members the band has, as they are always changing. They share the scene with great circus street performers – some of which used to be my flatmates! If you hang around long enough you can witness acrobatics, a magician who is also a bit of a comedian, and a clown. I really have no words for how hilarious that clown is. There is another band that plays in different locations around Barceloneta, although I don’t know their name yet, and various other musicians that come and go. 

The beach? You see Barceloneta is always marketed as “the beach place.” It’s the first thing tourists associate it with (And yes, this is the most typical photo you'll see of it, every guiri has one of those). Yes, the beach is an inseparable part of Barceloneta’s chill ambience. I do go there every day, just because I have it so close. However, this is just a crowded, dirty city beach – and yes, the water is surprisingly clean and everything is far better than, say, Valencia’s brown muddy soup – but still. It doesn’t deserve all the glory marketing has been putting on it. The barrio has things of much more value.

 

But chiringuitos are not bad after all. And the free WiFi at the beach is also nice. Going out of the house in flip flops and lounge clothes, grabbing something at the bakery or the cheap Nostrum and heading to the beach to have lunch and coffee – that’s priceless.