Barcelona: The Perfect City to Skate

If you carried out a survey of skateboarders’ favorite cities, it’s certain that Barcelona would come somewhere near the very top of the list. In fact, wander through the city’s streets and it won’t be long before you spot more than a few skaters out and about. In the 1990s, at the very height of skater culture, Barcelona was something of a world capital for skateboarding, and that’s still very much the case to this day.

But why exactly do skaters flock to Barcelona? There are a few obvious reasons- the great weather pretty much all year round is one, as is the delicious food that attracts all kinds of visitors. But the true reason goes a lot deeper than that. There’s something about the city’s personality that makes it the perfect fit for skaters. People here live a lot more laid-back lives, and are therefore far more tolerant of skaters than the residents of some other big European cities. It’s rare for the police to ever approach skaters, and even if they do, it will usually only be to ask them to take their board somewhere else.

The Ultimate Skating Landscape

Another reason is that the whole city is a skater’s dream in terms of its architecture. While Barcelona’s Gothic buildings are famous the world over, the city has also shown a remarkable willingness to move with the times, and install much more modern buildings. This reached a peak when the 1992 Olympic Games were held here, and the city underwent an urban renewal under the catchphrase “Barcelona: Make Yourself Beautiful”. Architecture with plenty of the lines became the order of the day, which led to countless stairways, ledges, and other features that are simply too tempting not to skate off.

Barcelona Skating Hotspots

The center of this urban renewal was the Port Forum district, which means that any visiting skaters should certainly head down there to catch some serious air. Another popular spot with locals is the outside of the museum of modern art, MACBA. Officially, skaters are only authorized to ride their boards there on Tuesdays and Saturdays. However, head down there any other day and you’ll see that this is a law that’s rarely enforced- you’ll find a gaggle of skaters there pretty much every day of the week. A wide open space, there’s usually plenty of room for you to skate- just make sure you don’t bother any of the people visiting the museum and you should be fine.

Of course, urban areas are just one side of things. As you would expect from a city with such a committed skateboarding community, there are also plenty of great skate parks. The highlight of these is undoubtedly the Forum skating park, which since its in such a popular spot sees plenty of visitors. Alternatively, if you want to visit somewhere a little less crowded, then the Mar Bella skate park is the place to be. Of course, just roam the streets and you’ll soon find the ideal locations to pull of some awesome tricks- feel free to treat the city like your very own playground!