Viladecans beach (Baix Llobregat)

Viladecans beach (Platja de Viladecans) is a natural sandy coast of more than 2.5 km south-west of Barcelona airport, running from the mouth of the Remolar lagoon to that of the Murtra lagoon on the Gavà border, inside the Llobregat Delta nature reserve. It is reached by car on the C-31 and C-32 motorways; the serviced western end, Platja de la Pineda and Platja de la Murtra, has a large car park, lifeguards and a bar, while the eastern end is wild, with dunes and pines. It suits families who want an uncrowded beach with services near Barcelona, nudists and birdwatchers; skip it if you have no car, or if you want a town with restaurants behind the sand.

Quick facts

• Names: Platja de Viladecans (Catalan), Playa de Viladecans (Spanish). It is made up of four named beaches, east to west: El Remolar, Cal Francès (also spelt Cal Francesc), La Pineda and La Murtra.
• Where: the coast of Viladecans, Baix Llobregat, Barcelona province, between El Prat de Llobregat to the east and Gavà to the west.
• Coordinates: 41.2731, 2.0577 (Platja de la Pineda; OpenStreetMap).
• Length: more than 2.5 km in all (Catalunya.com). Spain.info gives El Remolar 845 m, Cal Francesc 324 m, La Pineda 1,255 m and La Murtra 176 m, all about 100 m wide.
• Sand: golden and fine; spain.info rates the water as calm but windy and occupancy as low.
• Protection: inside the Llobregat Delta Special Protection Area for birds (Natura 2000); El Remolar and Cal Francès are part of the Remolar-Filipines reserve.
• Entry: free.

Access and parking

By car: spain.info names the C-31 and C-32 as the nearest motorways. Catalunya.com says the car is the practical way to reach the delta and the beaches of Viladecans. Catalan Wikipedia lists a large car park at La Pineda and a 400-space car park at La Murtra; we could not confirm prices or summer opening.

By train: Viladecans station is on the Rodalies R2 and R2 Sud lines, and buses link the town with Barcelona and Gavà (Catalunya.com). The station is about 5 km from the beach in a straight line (OpenStreetMap), so you still need a bus, bike or taxi; we did not check which bus lines reach the beach.

On foot or by bike: a restored coastal path of about 800 m, for walkers and cyclists, joins La Murtra with the pinewood of Cal Francès (Catalan Wikipedia). The marked routes of the Llobregat Delta also include Viladecans beach (Catalunya.com).

What to expect

This is a natural beach in a nature reserve, not a resort: behind the sand are dunes, wetlands and stone pines, and Barcelona airport lies just to the north-east. The four beaches change in character from east to west.

El Remolar, the easternmost, is almost 900 m of medium sand facing south-south-east, between the mouths of the Remolar lagoon and the Sant Climent stream. Much of it is covered with dune plants and temporary pools used by shore birds. Access to this beach is closed from 1 March to 31 July for nesting, dogs are banned all year, it is not cleaned by machine, and nudism is practised (Catalan Wikipedia). An observation tower stands near the Sant Climent stream.

Cal Francès is a short beach of fine sand, about 320 m, with dunes and an important plant community, backed by marshes and the stone-pine wood of the same name. It has no services and is used by nudists. Only rubbish is removed by hand; reeds and seaweed are left as food for the small crustaceans that birds eat. Like El Remolar, it won the Platges Verges (virgin beaches) award of Ecologistas en Acción in 2018 (Catalan Wikipedia).

La Pineda is the main beach, 1,250 m of fine sand with regenerated dune vegetation and a slightly steep entry into the sea. It has the services: lifeguards, a bar, toilets, showers, footwashes, volleyball nets, access for people with reduced mobility and a large car park (Catalan Wikipedia); spain.info adds sunshade and lounger hire, a sports area and a children’s play area.

La Murtra, at the western end against the Gavà boundary, is a small beach of golden sand, 220 m by Catalan Wikipedia’s count, with a gentle slope into the water and a sandy sea bed. It has a lifeguard service, toilets, showers, a bar and help for bathers with reduced mobility. It loses sand in heavy rain.

Practical details

• Facilities: at La Pineda and La Murtra only (see above). El Remolar and Cal Francès have none.
• Water quality: the Catalan Water Agency tests the beaches every two weeks in the bathing season, with excellent results (Catalan Wikipedia).
• Dogs: banned all year at El Remolar and Cal Francès, and from 1 April to 30 September at La Pineda and La Murtra (Catalan Wikipedia).
• Nudism: at El Remolar and Cal Francès.
• Nature: the Remolar-Filipines reserve behind the beach covers 188 ha with the Remolar lagoon, the Filipines marshes and the Cal Francès pinewood (Catalunya.com).

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

Catalunya.com calls summer, and especially July, the best time to enjoy Viladecans, and recommends its beach for a day of sun and sand. El Remolar beach is closed until the end of July. Outside summer the beaches are good for walks and for birds: spring and winter are the recommended seasons for birdwatching in the delta.

Nearby alternatives

• HolaCamp Barcelona, 1.2 km away: the beach campsite just over the Gavà boundary.
• Gavà Mines, 6.3 km away: Neolithic galleries dug for the green stone variscite.
• Castelldefels Castle, 6.8 km away: the castle above Castelldefels and its beach.
• Church of Colònia Güell, 10.4 km away: Gaudí’s crypt at Santa Coloma de Cervelló.
• Montjuïc Castle, 13.5 km away: the fortress on Barcelona’s hill.

FAQ

Is there parking at Viladecans beach?

Yes. Catalan Wikipedia lists a large car park at La Pineda and one of 400 spaces at La Murtra. We could not confirm prices.

How do I get to Viladecans beach without a car?

Take the Rodalies R2 or R2 Sud to Viladecans, then a bus, bike or taxi for the last 5 km or so. Check local bus lines before you go.

Is Viladecans beach a nudist beach?

Nudism is practised at El Remolar and Cal Francès, the natural beaches at the eastern end. La Pineda and La Murtra are ordinary family beaches.

Can you swim at Viladecans beach?

Yes. Water quality was rated excellent in the Catalan Water Agency’s checks, and La Pineda and La Murtra have lifeguards in the season. El Remolar is closed from 1 March to 31 July.

Are dogs allowed on Viladecans beach?

Not at El Remolar and Cal Francès at any time, and not at La Pineda and La Murtra from 1 April to 30 September.

Sources and freshness