Moll de Gregal

For decades, Port Olímpic was the kind of place that made locals cringe—a neon-soaked relic of the 1992 Olympics that had curdled into a tourist trap of the highest order. It was a gauntlet of guys in cheap suits waving laminated menus at you, promising 'authentic' paella that had likely seen the inside of a microwave. But things change. Barcelona, a city that constantly sheds its skin, decided it had enough of the grease and the grime. Moll de Gregal, the northern pier of the port, has undergone a massive, multi-million-euro exorcism.

What’s left is the Balcó Gastronòmic, a sleek, tiered promenade of glass and steel that finally treats the Mediterranean with the respect it deserves. Walking down the Escullera de Poblenou toward the end of the pier, the air changes. You lose the heavy, humid scent of the city and pick up the sharp, clean hit of salt spray and open water. To your left, the Nova Icària beach stretches out, a golden crescent of volleyball players and sun-burnt tourists. To your right, the masts of a hundred sailboats clink rhythmically against the sky, a metallic percussion that serves as the soundtrack to the waterfront.

The renovation has stripped away the claustrophobia. It’s open now. It’s airy. It’s the kind of place where you can actually breathe. The architecture is unapologetically modern—lots of sustainable wood, solar panels, and 'blue economy' hubs—but the real draw is the light. When the sun starts to dip behind the Torre Mapfre and the Hotel Arts, the whole pier turns a bruised shade of purple and gold. This is the best waterfront Barcelona has to offer if you want to escape the suffocating crowds of the Barceloneta boardwalk.

The food scene here is still finding its legs in this new skin. The old stalwarts that survived the purge have had to level up. You aren't coming here for a cheap bocadillo; you’re coming here for seafood that actually tastes like the ocean it was pulled from. It’s more expensive now, sure—that’s the price of progress—but at least you aren’t being hustled. You can sit on the upper tier, order a glass of crisp Penedès white, and watch the fishing boats navigate the mouth of the harbor. It’s a protein rush to the cortex, a moment of genuine coastal clarity in a city that can sometimes feel like a theme park.

Is it perfect? No. It’s a bit sterilized, a bit too 'planned' for those who miss the chaotic, dangerous energy of old Barcelona. But as you walk to the very end of the pier, where the concrete meets the deep blue, and the wind off the Gregal (the northeast wind the pier is named for) hits your face, you realize it’s a hell of a lot better than what was here before. It’s a reclamation of the sea. It’s a place to stand, look out at the horizon, and remember that despite the cruise ships and the souvenir shops, Barcelona is, at its heart, a creature of the water. If you’re looking for things to do in Sant Martí that don't involve a shopping mall, this is your spot. Just bring a jacket; the Mediterranean doesn't care about your fashion choices when the wind picks up.