Canet de Mar
Canet de Mar ·
Wide sandy beach with volleyball, basketball, and Modernist heritage
Information
Barcelona, Spain Get directions
Wide sandy beach with volleyball, basketball, and Modernist heritage
Barcelona, Spain Get directions
"Step out of the train station 40 kilometers northeast of Barcelona, and the farther north you wander, the wilder it gets. Clusters of rocks—often sheltering fisherman—spring up in the sand alongside hardy plants like sea fennel, yellow horned-poppy, and spiky American aloe. Closer to the center of Canet, as the gritty beach path widens into an esplanade, fishing rods are replaced by volleyball nets, soccer goalposts, and basketball hoops, all set against a backdrop of wide sand." - Gemma Askham
"Give us the wide-angle view: what kind of beach are we talking about? Step out of the train station 40 kilometers northeast of Barcelona, and the farther north you wander, the wilder it gets. Clusters of rocks—often sheltering fisherman—spring up in the sand alongside hardy plants like sea fennel, yellow horned-poppy, and spiky American aloe. Closer to the center of Canet, as the gritty beach path widens into an esplanade, fishing rods are replaced by volleyball nets, soccer goalposts, and basketball hoops, all set against a backdrop of wide sand. Lovely. How accessible is it? Take the R1 train from Plaça Catalunya toward Blanes or Maçanet-Massanes; from there, it'll be an hourlong ride. Once you’ve arrived, a paved promenade makes getting around easy; there are also plans to extend it farther south toward Arenys de Mar. Got it. Decent services and facilities, would you say? You’ll find showers and toilets, plus a buzzy fitness scene on the esplanade. How’s the actual beach stuff—sand and surf? Once you’ve hotfooted it to the water’s edge—which takes a while, given how wide the beach is—it’s yours to jump into. Anything special we should look for? Canet was home to Modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner—the mind behind Barcelona’s epic Palau de la Música Catalana—and the town is somewhat of a shrine to him today. His former house is now a museum (Casa Museu). You can also visit his remodeled 11th-century castle, Castell de Santa Florentina – used as a filming location in season six of Game of Thrones – which is a 30-minute walk from the beach. If we’re thinking about going, what—and who—is this beach best for? Of all the northern beaches, Canet doesn’t quite have the cliff-top spectacle of Calella’s Les Roques or the photogenic finesse of Caldes d’Estrac. Yet it feels like one to watch. Its Modernist heritage is already in place; pep up the scruffier edges with a shiny new promenade extension, and this will surely become one of the region's most coveted beach destinations." - Gemma Askham
