Port Olimpic - Where The Games Were Held
In 1992, the Olympics were held in Barcelona, Spain, exposing
most of the world for the first time to the vibrant, wealthy
city that had grown here over the years. Port Olimpic was built
specifically to host the Olympics, and became the most
successful and popular section of the Nova Icaria project. In
this bright, modern area, it was almost too easy to forget how
ancient Barcelona really is.
Today, well over a decade after the Olympics, Port Olimpic is
still a beautiful place to visit when you've come to Barcelona.
With a brilliant night life filled with bars, restaurants, dance
clubs, and people, the evenings here can be magical. And during
the day, the same restaurants are just up the street from
excellent places to shop, visit, and stay. Port Olimpic is
located beneath the twin skyscrapers Mapfre Tower and Hotel Arts
Barcelona.
Where to Stay
The Hotel Arts Barcelona is one of the Ritz Carlton chain, and
is by all accounts the best hotel in Barcelona. It has excellent
views of the Mediterranean, Barcelona, and the mountains behind
the city. Fine art, from Chillida drawings to Susana Solano
sculptures, are everywhere, and excellent restaurants and
amenities abound. If you stay here, you'll be in walking
distance of the beaches and marina, have access to The Spa by
Six Senses, and you won't even have to walk outside to get to
the Casino de Barcelona. The one thing to remember: get a room
facing away from the nightclubs or high up in the building. The
discos get very loud at night.
Where to Eat
In the Hotel Arts Barcelona, you'll find the Enoteca restaurant,
featuring Mediterranean cuisine by Chef Jaime Perez and some of
the finest wines produced in Spain. For more informal dining,
try the Arola or the Bar Marina, also in the Hotel Arts.
Or you can walk down the Ramblas and choose from dozens of
little restaurants. But be warned: many of the restaurants here
are anything but authentic, and pickpockets do cruise the area.
What to Do
With a beautiful port looking out onto the Mediterranean, Port
Olimpic is one of the more enjoyable places in Europe to rent a
speedboat and just tool around for the day. Port Olimpic is
perfect for most boating ventures; its marina was built
specifically for Olympic sailing competitions, and you'll find
the flats where athletes were housed close by. Reclaimed beaches
line the seaside, where you can swim or engage in a variety of
water sports. Near the 700-berth marina, you'll find dozens of
places to eat.
Fronting the Marina adjacent to the Hotel Arts Barcelona you'll
find the Casino de Barcelona. In the casino itself you'll find
three hotels, a bar, and a disco as well as the gambling areas
themselves.
The Ramblas, a long pedestrian boulevard from the seafront to
the Placa catalunya, is a home for street vendors, artists,
tourists, locals, con men, and pickpockets. It's fascinating to
explore the colorful area, but you should keep a firm grasp on
your purse or wallet.
Something Special
Consider picking up a Barcelona Card. At a reasonable price
(currently 17 euros for one day, 30 for five days), you can
access for free over a hundred different attractions all over
Barcelona, as well as take advantage of public transportation
for free. Included in the price are museums, nightclubs, shops,
restaurants, entertainment, other services, and even unique
means of transport. The Barcelona Card is available at any
Turisme de Barcelona office as well as a few other places
throughout the city.