Ciutat Vella is the part of the city that everyone who has been to Barcelona probably knows better. Meaning “Old City”, it is the historical centre, house of many of the landmarks of the Catalan city.
Ciutat Vella is the original core of Barcelona. Born as Barcino, it was surrounded by the Roman Walls, now almost completely disappeared.
The district includes four barrios: Gotico, Santa-Caterina/Borne, Raval, and Barceloneta.
Barceloneta
Barceloneta is one of the most attractive areas of Barcelona as it is the only central area by the sea.
It was born as a fishermen village at the beginning of the XVIII Century and it served as refuge for the inhabitants of the Ribera / Borne area, whose houses were destroyed to build the Ciutadela fortress.
Barceloneta was built on the land that was recovered from the sea and the isle of Maians. Its urban structure reflects the typical layout of the time, with rectilinear streets and regular blocks of houses.
The properties were originally single-family homes, one per floor, exposed on two streets to optimise ventilation. Over the years, and as a consequence of speculation and of many people moving to Barceloneta from the surrounding areas, this structure disappeared and buildings became higher than the original ones. In addition, flats were split into halves and then quarters.
This is why now the typical Barceloneta flat has a surface of around 30 m2.
Today Barceloneta is one of the liveliest areas of Barcelona. Its privileged location between the sea and the historical city centre makes it one of the preferred zones for international buyers.
Any other part of the old city centre can be reached on foot, including Plaza de Catalunya and Paseo de Gracia. The Ciutadela Park (one of the largest green areas of Barcelona) can be reached within minutes.
Transport links are good, with a dedicated underground stop (Barceloneta, L4), an international train station (Estació de Francia) nearby, and bus stops. The shuttle bus to/from the airport stops at Plaza de Catalunya, at walking distance.
The area offers countless cafes, bars and restaurants, and several small shops, including local supermarkets.
Similarly to the Barrio Gotico and the Borne, it is, however, more difficult to find grocery stores and large supermarkets, or services such as gyms and schools, cannibalised by the huge number of shops dedicated to tourists.
Over the past years Barceloneta has experienced problems related to the huge number of flats dedicated to tourist rental (often illegally). This has led to protests by the locals and to interventions to regulate the situation.
I have written a dedicated post about the different types of rental, however if you have any specific queries and would like to have some information to choose the best type of rental for your investment property, please get in touch.
Barceloneta beach
The beach of Barceloneta is the oldest and the most famous of Barcelona. It was completely remodelled for the Olympic Games of 1992. It is 1.100 m long and it is equipped with volley ball nets, kids playgrounds, and showers. The beach is constantly monitored during the busy Summer season.
It is the most crowded beach of Barcelona, the preferred one by the foreigners. In Summer it gets extremely busy.
Its long boulevard by the sea is one of the best places to go for a walk, in any season of the year.
The Properties in Barceloneta
Buying a property in this area and in all the other old parts of the city, means buying not just a flat but a piece of the history of the city. Indeed, several of the buildings are listed as part of the patrimony of the city and the whole area of Barceloneta is a UNESCO Heritage Site.
Barcelona takes very good care of its heritage and by law each single building has to undergo regular technical inspections. Do not forget to check this during the purchase process.
Because of its history, the typical flat in Barceloneta is very small, usually between 28 and 34 m2. When well arranged, this can still accommodate a double bedroom, a lounge with open kitchen, and a good size bathroom.
Do not let the small size of the apartments put you off: Barceloneta is a good area to invest in, especially for a buy-to-let investment. Due to the excellent location, flats in Barceloneta rent out very fast.
We renovated a 30 m2 flat for some American clients and the result was so good that it was rented out in one day (see photo gallery).
The old buildings in Barceloneta have no lift and the apartments usually feature the Catalan vaulted ceiling. Even if it is often hidden by a fake ceiling, it can be recovered.
It is possible to find flats recently renovated, which often represent a good opportunity if you are not ready to embark in a renovation process. However, please be careful to check the quality of the renovation! It is not rare to be offered flats that have been “cosmetically updated” but not entirely and well refurbished. This is especially true in this area where buildings are very old and it may result in problems that come up a few months after the purchase and require to redo parts of the flat (electric system, kitchen, pipes, walls, etc.). We can help you assess the quality of the renovation before you commit to the purchase.
Barceloneta offers also some recent buildings, with larger flats and lifts. They are harder to find and more expensive than the typical small flat but they are a very good opportunity.
Very often flats in Barceloneta have no heating or air conditioning but this is easy to sort out. There are different possible ways to add heating or a/c depending on the flat and the type of building.
Some buildings have a communal terrace, which, in the vast majority of the cases, no one uses except the foreigners. Having a communal terrace is a nice plus as it offers an outdoor space to relax during the day or the hot summer nights. Check that the terrace is accessible, though, as some communities forbid its use.
As far as the rental potential is concerned, a property in Barceloneta would rent out very easily. The location has much more weight than the size of the flat or the state of the building, especially for young people who have to spend some months in the Catalan city.
Prices in Ciutat Vella
The average price per m2 in the district of Ciutat Vella had slightly decreased over the past year but it is now back to the level of Q3 2018 (source Habitaclia, October 2019).
The current price per m2 of 4.969,97 € is, however, the average of the prices in the four quarters, which includes lower prices in Barceloneta and the Raval, and higher prices in the Barrio Gotico and the Born.
Prices per m2 in Barceloneta vary a lot. The usual price for the 30/34 m2 flats can generally go from 150.000 € to 1800.000 € if the flat needs renovation or is a high floor (lifts are very rare to find in Barceloneta), and from 180,000 € to 250.000 € if the property is already refurbished, occasionally more (up to considerably more!) for flats with terrace, lift, or a larger surface, with a price per m2 close to the ones in the Gotico or Borne.
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