Vamos a la Playa!

Leisure Activity

Honestly, one of the main reasons I chose Barcelona over other cities in Spain was the fact that it is a costal city. I’ve never been to a beach other than at Lake Michigan before and was really looking forward to having the Sea be a part of my everyday life. The first week I was here I went to the beach every day. Most of the people from IES went to Barceloneta, the main beach that is easily accessed by public transportation. It is also the main beach for tourists. In Barceloneta was impossible to be calm and relaxed at the beach because every minute or two people came up to me and asked “masanje?” or “Cerveza, Refrescos?” These people were trying to get me to buy a massage for 5 euros or a beer or soft drink. One of my Spanish friends later told me that these venders are usually immigrants that are trying to make a living off of the tourism industry. This is not uncommon at all in Barcelona. In fact, the majority of vendors on the street or beaches are immigrants attempting to make a living off of the huge amounts of tourists. Also theft at Barceloneta is terrible, as people are robbed when they go into the water every single day.

After being harassed by both Spanairds and Americans, I decided to explore other stretches of the beautiful beach. I found a small area that I would soon dub “my beach.” It was the beach that was across the street from the huge golden whale structure that was on top of the hotel/casino. My roommate and I were the only Americans in the area. It was calm and relaxing and everything I wanted in a beach. Although it was quite a walk to find showers and something to snack on, the solitude was worth it.

One of the main cultural differences of the beach in Spain compared to the united States is sheer sense of shamelessness. Women do not wear tops at Spanish beaches. All women. Even Senoras that were much older than my grandmas did not tan with a top on. At first this really bothered me. I kept trying to find a spot on the area of beach that I wanted to be on without being too close to the topless women. After about a day or two I was totally used to it. Although I did not participate in the trend, I just accepted it and eventually it did not bother me. Women weren’t the only ones at the beach that had no shame. The men did wear bottoms, but barely. Men in the States usually wear baggy swim trunks at the beach or in the water. Here the Speedo is a common part of their wardrobe. Both genders were never afraid to show their bodies. They did not flaunt them either. Everyone was just very accepting and non-judgmental in what is usually a judgmental environment. Nobody seemed to have a care in the world. I don’t really blame them. We were all on the beach in Spain in beautiful weather.