A Skater’s Guide to Barcelona’s Best Routes – Part 1

Whether you’ve just got your first skateboard, or you’ve been skating since the Gang Starr days, It’s crucial for a skater to know what routes to take when cruising from one site to the other.

Not only is Barcelona almost fully skateboard-accessible, but also, its semi-futuristic infrastructure makes it look like a giant skate park filled with some of Europe’s most magnificent sites.

After living and studying in Barcelona for almost two years now (and after starting out with nothing but a cruiser board) it is safe to say that I’ve travelled all around Barcelona, using all possible variations of these picturesque paths, and I can assure any skater a satisfying journey.

Route 1: Plaça d’Espanya – Plaça de les Drassanes:

 Plaça d’Espanya, built in 1929 in the occasion of the International Exhibition, is one of Barcelona’s most prominent squares and a must-visit for any tourist. It branches out into several ideal routes that lead to many attractive skate spots, and finally to Plaça de les Drassanes, another popular Barcelona square. After enjoying a solid session around Espanya, head towards the cyclist zone of Av. del Parallel, which will take you straight to Drassanes on a single uninterrupted road. Warning: Look out for the cyclists!

You might want to check out the Parallel skate park located a few blocks before Plaça de les Drassanes.

Route 2: Plaça d’Espanya – Plaça de Catalunya:

You can consider Plaça de Catalunya to be the center of Barcelona since it can lead you to basically anywhere your average tourist would want to take a selfie at.

If you choose to start your journey at Placa d’Espanya, head towards Gran Via. This road is simply stunning to skate on no matter the season due to the ever-changing colours of the trees on this path.

Towards the end of the route, you will encounter a cluster of the finest skate spots Barcelona can offer: Universitat, Auditory Bank, and the illustrious MACBA (The Barcelona museum of contemporary art and the skateboarding capital of Europe). These spots have been made famous by several influential characters in skateboarding history.

Plaça Catalunya, on the other hand, is more of a cruiser-friendly area where you can just ride around looking at the landmarks and hoping you don’t hit a pigeon or a tourist.

Route 3: Plaça de les Drassanes – Ciutadella – Marbella – Forum:

Possibly the longest and most exciting of all routes in which you can imagine yourself being in an old school beach-side skater movie.

Firstly, head towards Passeig de Colom, under the giant crab (yes you read that right) and onto Passeig de Joan de Borbó until you reach Barceloneta beach, one of the city’s most exotic and satisfying cruising spots.

Next, after reaching the beach, head in the direction opposite to The Hotel W and follow the trail of palm trees and bikini models until you reach Ciutadella.

Once at Ciutadella, grab a quick drink (preferably a can of Guarana) and go in the direction of the nightclubs and take Av. del Litoral, passing by the notorious beach flat-bars, until you reach Marbella Skate Park. This park is an excellent place to practice bowls and catch up on your Catalonian slang.

The route will finally lead you to Forùm, an industrial free-space and a safe haven for all skaters. Forùm consists of a gigantic smooth exterior area with astounding landscape views, and a semi-interior area covered by a metallic mirror ceiling. In this semi-interior area exists a small, yet memorable, skate spot locally known as the Silver Wall. It is also useful to know that the Silver Wall is an excellent spot to go stargazing and to end a satisfying adventure.