Sculpture on beach
Children swimming in the sea
Beach and palm trees at night.
Hotel on a promenade
Ocean drive at night
Bathing suits hanging
Man with surfboard on a pier
Girls swim in the ocean
Woman and man play drums on the beach
People sun tanning
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1. Barcelona, Spain
With layers of architectural wonders, cutting-edge cuisine, and buzzing nightlife, Barcelona would be a world-class city even without the eight white-sand beaches that rim its Mediterranean coastline. Accessible by metro, the nearly mile-long (1.6-kilometer-long) Barceloneta Beach—revitalized in the massive waterfront makeover for the 1992 Olympics—is one of the most popular. Hit the Beach Centre to rent a beach umbrella, chairs, or a bicycle.
Photograph by Petr Svarc, Photolibrary

Top 10: Beach Cities

See photos of National Geographic Traveler's top 10 beach cities (including Sydney, Barcelona, and Nice) in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

July 08, 2010

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