Investment approach
A house by the sea in the Maresme: how to compare the coastal towns
The further north from Barcelona, the fewer the trains and the more second homes. Maresme towns by Idescat and Rodalies data, and checks by the sea: railway, riera, coastal law.
A house by the sea near Barcelona is most often sought in the Maresme, and the choice of town there is decided by distance to the city, train frequency and seasonality. On the stretch of the R1 line from L'Hospitalet to Mataró, on weekdays at rush hour a train runs every 6 minutes, and trains to Calella run every 15 minutes (Rodalies). The further north, the more second homes a town has and the quieter it is in winter.
What the Maresme is for a buyer
The Maresme is a comarca (county-level district) northeast of Barcelona, stretched along the sea: 477,375 residents in 2025 on 398.53 km² (Idescat). Below runs a chain of towns by the beach and the railway; higher up the slopes stand estates of houses on plots.
From this come two different markets. By the sea you buy a flat or a townhouse near the station and the beach. In the hills you buy a house with a garden, a view and a car in every scenario. How to choose a house on a slope is covered using the example of Alella and Teià.
How the coastal towns differ
The differences are plain in Idescat's open data: how much housing is occupied permanently, what share is large houses, and how often the train runs.
| Town | Residents, 2025 | Main homes as share of all housing, 2021 | Homes above 120 m², 2021 | R1 train at rush hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgat | 12,835 | 88.5% | 9% | every 6 min |
| El Masnou | 24,727 | 88.0% | 19% | every 6 min |
| Premià de Mar | 29,348 | 88.3% | 10% | every 6 min |
| Vilassar de Mar | 21,234 | 78.5% | 16% | every 6 min |
| Mataró | 131,370 | 90.8% | 9% | every 6 min |
| Arenys de Mar | 16,982 | 74.8% | 14% | to Calella every 15 min |
| Calella | 20,775 | 72.0% | 11% | to Calella every 15 min |
The housing figures come from Idescat's municipal profiles, the train intervals from the R1 line page (weekdays, rush hour, for the stretch to Mataró and for trains to Calella). North of Mataró, services to Blanes and Maçanet are added to the trains to Calella, so the real interval at a specific station is checked in the timetable.
The key takeaway from the table: in Arenys de Mar and Calella a quarter of the housing or more is not a main home; these are second homes and empty flats. In summer such a town is lively, in winter noticeably quieter, and for year-round living this is worth seeing with your own eyes in November.
What housing costs in the Maresme
Open estimates exist for the larger towns. According to Tinsa, the average value of completed housing in Mataró in the third quarter of 2026 is 2,507 €/m², up 10.25% in a year, against 2,636 €/m² on average across Catalonia (Tinsa). This is an appraised value of new and second-hand housing together, not the price of listings.
For small towns there are no open series, so the price of a specific house is checked against closed transactions nearby. The first line, the centre and a hillside with a view within one town form different markets, and the municipal average blends them.
What to check on a house near the sea
By the sea, three checks are added that the city does not have.
The railway. The R1 tracks run between the towns and the beach. If the bedroom faces the line, trains are audible in the evening and early morning, and the beach is reached through crossings whose location affects daily life more than the map suggests.
Rieras. Seasonal watercourses turn into torrents after a downpour. According to a study by the Consell Comarcal del Maresme (the comarca council), reported by 3Cat, 65 rieras were analysed and about 105,000 people live in a flood-risk zone. A house's position relative to the nearest riera and the consequences for insurance are covered in the article on rieras and fires.
The coastal law. In the 100 m protection zone from the inner edge of the ribera del mar (the seashore strip), new buildings for residential use are banned; for land that was urban in 1988 the zone is 20 m wide (Ley 22/1988, art. 23, 25 and disposición transitoria tercera, the third transitional provision). What this means for renovating and extending a house is described in the article on the Ley de Costas.
How to choose a town for your own scenario
It is easier to choose in order, from lifestyle to the specific house.
- Decide how many times a week you need to travel to Barcelona and at what time.
- If the trips are daily and without a car, start with the towns up to Mataró, where trains run more often.
- If the house is needed as a second home, the northern part with its seasonality may suit better and cost less.
- Decide whether you need a plot. If so, look at the estates on the slopes and allow for a car and upkeep of a garden.
- Do the route house, station, work on a weekday at rush hour, and see the town in winter.
- Before the deposit, check the rieras, the coastal zone, structures without licences and the price against transactions.
Who a house in the Maresme does not suit
The Maresme does not suit someone who wants to live right by the water and hear no trains: in the coastal strip the railway is almost everywhere between the house and the beach. It also does not suit a buyer looking for a lively town all year round in the northern towns with a large share of second homes.
More caution is due for those planning to rebuild a house on the first line or to buy next to a riera: there the restrictions and risks are determined by the plot, not the price. How the coast looks from the standpoint of an investment project is covered in the overview of the Maresme and Garraf. DNPI checks the price of a specific house against transactions as part of a property valuation.
Questions and answers
How do I get from the Maresme to Barcelona without a car?
By the R1 train along the coast. On the stretch to Mataró on weekdays at rush hour a train runs every 6 minutes, off-peak every 10; further north the intervals are longer.
Which Maresme town should I choose for year-round living?
For permanent living with frequent trips into the city, people look most often at Montgat, El Masnou, Premià de Mar and Mataró: there about 88–91% of housing is occupied permanently and the train runs more often. The final decision comes down to the specific street and house.
Does the railway get in the way of living by the sea?
It depends on the flat. If the bedroom windows face the tracks, trains are audible, so a house is listened to in the evening and early morning and you look at where the crossing to the beach is.
Can a house right by the sea be rebuilt?
It depends on where the plot lies relative to the Ley de Costas protection zone and on the town planning. It is a question for an abogado (lawyer) and an architect before the deposit.
How much does a flat in the Maresme cost?
In Mataró, according to Tinsa, in the third quarter of 2026 about 2,507 €/m² of appraised value. For the small towns there are no open series, and the price is checked against transactions nearby.
