Vamos a la playa! Vamos a la playa! Vamos a Barcelona! You probably already knew that Barcelona is a great city of sun, sights and endless delicious tapas. Exponentialize the awesomeness of this city and head there with your electric skateboard. Thanks this E-skate guide, you will find all the ideal spots to ride, local tips and charging spots.
Best time to ride: Ride early or late in the day to avoid the sun and the crowds in the summer.
Recharging: Most restaurants are open for you to plug in for some juice if you are a paying customer. Just ask « Puedo cargar mi skate por favor? ». We personally charged in the lobby at Hotel Barcelona Princess near Forum after buying an orange juice with no problems. And our friends at Organic Market Gracia say they are happy to let you charge if you decide to head up toward Park Güell with your board. We also have had success charging some other places so far. For free high speed internet, charging, air conditioned, head over to the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona from Tue to Sun 11:00 - 22:00. The Flax&Kale in the new H&M is also a great spot for charging. Food consumption is not required, maybe drink but not even that seems necessary.
Legality: As most things in this city of wild nightlife, if you are not bothering anyone, it’s tolerated. But, surprising enough for the "capital of skateboarding" you can still get a ticket for skating since the law of the land does not clearly define it as a legal vehicle. As the locals say, « Beware during election season because suddenly the laws of this city resurface ». For a guaranteed legal zone, the pathway along the beach of Barceloneta that leads for kilometers down to Forum are a 100 percent legal place to skate. E-skating has yet to be defined by the law, but electric scooters are used by many.
Warning: Don’t forget Barcelona is infamous for theft and pickpocketing, so always keep someone at the spot or beach watching your things. You can never be too careful around here.
Barceloneta
This old fishing part of town is the fastest way to get in the water and escape the Spanish sun. If you are leaving from Las Ramblas area just cruise along the wide sidewalk of Paseig de Colom, under the giant lobster, take a right at the colorful Miro statue and continue on the wide promenade of Passeig de Joan de Borbó under the palm trees to sounds of street musicians all the way to the beach. Once you get to the beach, cruise the coast. Going right towards the W Hotel - it's a dead end but is worth the ride up to it and back, plus this area of the beach is less crowded since it's a bit of a nudist section. After your swim you will have several options where to boost off to next.
Now that you had your swim, you can keep heading north towards Forum or catch a left at Puerto Olympico and take the bike path on Carrer de la Marina to visit Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. You will see the infamous cathederal towers in the distance.
Arc de Triomf
Halfway in between Barceloneta beach and Sangria Familia is the Arc de Triomf next to Ciutadella Park. This is a place safe from cars and has nice smooth sidewalks to slalom around. It's a perfect place to cruise with friends if you have no real destination and want to stay close to the center. Catch some carves and then some shade in the Ciutadella Park or visit the zoo.
Diagonal
If you are returning from Sagrada Familia and want to keep heading toward Forum, catch Avinguda Diagonal and enjoy kilometers on a massive walkway under the trees in between the tram and car lanes. Stick to the bike paths to be safe, but if you are going to carve the middle section mind the older folks strolling around. They might not hear you coming on your electric skateboard, especially thanks to Mellow’s silent motors.
El Forum
Now that you have reached what is basically e-skate pavement paradise. There are many massive lots on different levels of this zone that will make for great rallies with your friends. Jump in for a swim if the heat gets the best of you since there is not so many trees here. Coming later in the day might be best if you don’t want your eggs to fry. For a really fun downhill (or uphill) run, start from the top of the lot under the giant solar panel and hook a left then cut right along the mega transitions. Just explore around Forum for some vast lots to ride your board to the max! If you have a kicktail on your e-skate the oversized transitions can be a most radical riding experience.
Monjuic
Are you looking for good views and an escape from the swarms of tourists now? Then power up the hill on the south side of town called Monjuic. Test your board's climbing strength or catch the subway halfway up. You even take a ski-style gondola to the summit. There is the fort at the top that is worth a visit for an awe-inspiring view over the Mediterranean Sea. Or go into explorer-mode and traverse the multi-leveled green parks and smooth roads. What might be the best part about this mission is the downhill bomb to the bottom, especially if your board is equipped with freewheel rolling hub motors and some reliable brakes. When you get to the bottom you will have regenerated enough battery to keep cruising or head to the nearest bar for Sangria in Raval to let the party begin!
Check out some of our previous guides below and keep riding! Stay Mellow.
Biarritz E-skate Guide
Paris E-skate Guide
Hamburg E-skate Guide
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