Sand sculptures in Barcelona

Barcelona is a very inspiring place with lots of unique character and charm. To be here is to be romanced by the city: the architecture, the colours, the scenes. So it’s no surprise that there are many artists here drawing from that inspiration and creating wonderful works. Music, painting, gourmet cooking, literature, it can all be found here, masterfully done with a charismatic Catalan twist.

The people are proud of their creations and want to share them with anyone taking an interest. You can find musicians performing on the various streets and plazas, great works of graffiti painted high and low, not to mention all the weird and wonderful creations at the different street festivals.

One form of art which is popular in Barcelona is the art of creating sand sculptures which come and go over time.

Where are they?

They can be found all along the beach at La Barceloneta throughout the year. Local artists use sand as a building material and the beach as a space in which to display their inventive pieces of work. During the summer is when you’ll find the most sculptures being made when the city is at its busiest, but even during the winter, you’ll still see a few.

Related article: Popular beaches in Barcelona

What do they look like?

They come in all shapes and sizes, from the small and intricate to the large and grandiose. Sometimes artists even collaborate to make big projects, such as the “sounds of the sands” based on Schönbrunn palace in Vienna. The main structure stood over 6m high, featuring a life-sized orchestra playing a variety of instruments. And not only was this project large in scale but even the smallest details were been painstakingly crafted to precision.

Other works you’ll be likely to see are Gaudí-style buildings, animals, and historical portraits.

Remember to tip

Although these are works of passion it is customary to give a little change to the artist after admiring their art. Most street artists in the city also have another form of income, but every little helps! It requires a lot of time and effort to develop a skill like this.

So, the next time you’re wandering the city streets admiring the historical architecture above you, take the time to see these great feats of engineering emerging from the beach. You don’t know how long they’ll be around for!