Escape from the sun

A beach in Montgat near Barcelona, Spain. — Finbarr O’Reilly/The New York Times

NOT so long ago, families coming to the shore in Montgat, Spain – just outside Barcelona – built sandcastles, played paddle games and lounged along a broad band of beach that was once the picture of a European summer paradise.

Now, in some places, there’s barely enough room to put down a towel.