In Barcelona, practically in the city of Barcelona, we have up to 6 marinas. Each of them has its own strengths and attractions. It is not easy to decide which is the best marina in Barcelona. The truth is that their characteristics are quite different and there is little similarity between them, except for having a mooring area; and this with its corresponding usual services in the ports.
Of these, four are very centrally located, taking advantage of “the great harbour area of a lifetime”. This is known under the generic name of Port Vell and is managed by the corresponding consortium.
Thus, in the Port Vell area, the Port Vell itself, the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona, the Real Club Marítimo de Barcelona and Marina Vela encompass the offer for pleasure boats. The latter is located at the end of the port of Barcelona and is of very recent construction. It is the newest of them all and will host the America’s Cup 2024 starting next year. This is possibly the most important regatta in the world. Even so, the other ports may well also benefit from such an event.
The other two ports, further north and outside the Port Vell site, are more recent or newly created in recent years. They are Port Forum and Port Olímpic. Among these, it is not possible to indicate which is the best marina in Barcelona.
The candidates for the best marina in Barcelona
From north to south we find:
Marina Port Forum
This port facility is actually in the municipality of Sant Adrià de Besós. Even so, it still borders Barcelona and is located on the very border with the city of Barcelona. For this reason, from the outset it has been considered to belong to Barcelona. The port has some 200 moorings for boats from 10 to 80 metres in length and a large dry marina. This allows smaller boats to be kept dry and to request “navigation by use” with only 30 minutes’ notice. There is a superyacht pontoon for the largest yachts and a complete dry dock service with a 150-tonne travelift. www.portforum.com
Port Olímpic
It was created, as its name suggests, on the land opened up on Barcelona’s new seafront for the 1992 Olympics, opening up and bringing the city closer to the sea. It hosted the sailing competitions during the Olympic Games. It hosted the sailing competitions during the Olympic Games. After 30 years in operation, a new stage is being opened with the aim of turning it into a safe, quality public space. Not surprisingly, the area is benefiting from an important social, gastronomic and leisure boost. The port has 700 moorings for boats between 7 and 30 metres in length. For boat maintenance, it also has a dry dock service with a 45-tonne travelift. www.portolimpic.barcelona
Marina Port Vell
The name Port Vell encompasses a large port area with different uses and activities, both sporting and economic. The area of the water surface in front of the History Museum and bounded by the body of water between Paseo Juan de Borbón and the Muelle de España to the Muelle de Pescadores is what is known to nautical enthusiasts as the Marina Port Vell. It offers the usual marina services and is a reference point for mega-yachts. This is thanks to the large number of companies specialised in this sector and capable of working on the largest boats in the world. In its surroundings we find the Barceloneta neighbourhood as one of the main attractions of the city. www.portvellbcn.cat
Barcelona Royal Yacht Club
At the beginning of the 20th century – specifically in 1909 – the “Nautico” was created as a response to the birth of the “Marítimo” shortly before. Perhaps as a result of some personal disputes of the time, it was born to compete with the former in the nautical and sporting world. Even so, it was also a social club at the time, without sharing facilities but practically in the same location. Today, logically, both facilities coexist in harmony and share the same philosophy and passion for sport at sea. The club organises and hosts a number of nationally renowned regattas. The harbour associated with the club has some 175 moorings for boats between 6 and 40 metres in length. www.rcnb.com
Real Club Marítimo de Barcelona
Founded as such in 1902 as a result of the merger between two sports clubs – one for sailing regattas and the other for rowing – the Real Club de Barcelona was born. It was in 1914 that it adopted its definitive name with the nomenclature “Marítimo”, which has lasted until the present day. It is therefore a club that is more than a hundred years old.
And in its many years of history it has surely been considered by more than one as the best marina in Barcelona. Although at present it would be difficult to qualify for such an accolade simply because of the size of the facilities, with no capacity for spatial growth. Even so, it is true that of all the recreational nautical facilities it is, together with the “Nautico”, the most central and accessible port in the city of Barcelona. The port has a capacity of around 200 moorings for boats up to 40 metres in length. www.maritimbarcelona.org
Port Marina Vela
This newly created marina, which started operating only a couple of years ago, is located next to the emblematic Port Marina Vela. It is located next to the emblematic Hotel W, better known as Hotel Vela. It is close to the centre, with a wide range of restaurants, leisure and commercial areas, as well as direct access to the beach in a renovated area of Barcelona near Barceloneta, the city’s old fishing district. The Port Marina Vela facilities offer 130 moorings between 12 and 90 metres, a pioneering dry marina with automated entry and exit for boats and a dry dock area for nautical work and specialised services with capacity for large yachts. www.marinavela.com
So, which is the best marina in Barcelona?
In response to the question we asked ourselves at the beginning of this post, the truth is that we cannot give an indisputable answer. Each and every one of them offers characteristics that will make it more or less suitable for the corresponding owner or user. Some are more central and therefore offer more leisure, shopping and restaurant options, while others are further away from the centre and therefore quieter for life in port.
In addition, each one offers more or less standardised port services, but from here, each one specialises in other types of offer, such as commerce in Marina Vela or water sports in Port Olímpic.
In conclusion, we can say that the choice of which is the best marina in Barcelona is really up to the user or shipowner, as it will be up to them to decide, according to their priorities, what they value most in each of the facilities.
If you are interested in the nautical world, you can find more posts like this one in our blog.
