Apartment in Barceloneta, close to the beach

La Barceloneta is one of the most animated neighbourhoods within Barcelona's city centre; this is thanks to its long golden sand beaches. There is always something going on. If you get off at the Barceloneta metro station (L4, yellow line), you should visit Palau de Mar, which used to serve as a storehouse to tradesmen who arrived at the harbour of the city. Nowadays, it hosts the Museum of the History of Catalonia. Walk from there along the Passeig Joan de Borbó towards the sea and you will pass along the best seafood restaurants of Barcelona. At the end of this street you will reach the Mediterranean Sea at Plaça del Mar. From this point on, Barcelona's famous 5 kilometres of beaches begins where plenty of beach bars, restaurants and hot clubs are situated. Enjoy the sun and the gorgeous sight of the sea there! If you like practising sports, you have the chance to play beach volley and rent a bicycle or a small boat. La Barceloneta was built in 1753, with its original intended purpose to host fishermen and sailors who had been dislodged from the Ciutadella in Ribera quarter. Since then, La Barceloneta has memorized the old atmosphere of the city with its small balconies full of hanging clothes and plants along with its tapas-bars and seafood restaurants. Its location is excellent. The quarter is surrounded by the old harbour (Port Vell) rightward, Vila Olímpica leftward and the Born Quarter and the Gothic Quarter northward and only 15 minutes by foot away from Las Ramblas. The new complex Moll d'Espanya is located next to Port Vell, where the Aquarium of Barcelona with its impressive amount of 450 sea species is situated. Additionally there is also the Maremagnum, an impressing mall which is formidable to go shopping. Walking along the Rambla del Mar you will reach Plaza de Colón. There you can take a small motorboat that brings you to the Port Forum. On this trip you will have a whole new perspective of the town seen from the seaside (the trip will take about 1,5h). Its surprising that such an authentic quarter has kept its special character through the years and the reforms of the town. You will find an interesting contrast between the narrow streets with its sea breeze and the modernness of the parts of the Barceloneta which were built for and after the Olympic Games in 1992.