On holiday in Barcelona with kids? We’ve put together list of attractions in Barcelona that should keep all ages entertained. All places are childishly selected from our updated Barcelona guide for iPhones, momondo places. Download it today – for free!
Have fun!
L’Aquàrium de Barcelona
The aquarium is a must-see when visiting Barcelona with kids
L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, one of the largest in Europe, will probably keep kids amused for hours. Situated on the Port Vell – a kiddie attraction in and of itself – the Mediterranean is the centrepiece. It’s very diverse with its tanks of shifty little cave dwellers, amazing octopi and slippery eels. The other tanks are inhabited by luminous schools of colourful species from the Red Sea, Australia and the Caribbean.
However, the real crowd-pleaser is the shark tank that has been ingeniously structured with a glass tunnel running through the middle, letting you ‘walk’ through their watery habitat. Upstairs, there is host of interactive multimedia about local marine life. If you can, buy your tickets online before you go to obtain good discounts.
Where: Moll d’Espanya del Port Vell s/n
Tel: +34 932 217 474
Nearest station: Barceloneta
El Ingenio
El Ingenio: A toy lovers paradise
You can take home some of Barcelona’s colourful fiesta spirit with a few purchases from the enchanting El Ingenio. Here, you’ll find a trove of carnival garb, magic tricks, masks, old-fashioned toys, puppets and gadgets, and all manner of party paraphernalia, some of it mass-manufactured, but many pieces beautifully handcrafted.
The biggest draw is the paper mâché ‘capgrossos’ (or fat heads): squat, dwarf-like characters that make an appearance during the city’s traditional celebrations.
Where: C/ Rauric 6
Tel: +34 933 177 138
Nearest station: Liceu
Happy Parc
Happy Parc is the place to go on a rainy family holiday in Barcelona
It doesn’t often rain in Barcelona, but when it does, consider taking the kids to an indoor play park to let off steam. Happy Parc contains two soft play areas, one for toddlers and another for older children. Each boasts slides, climbing frames, walkways, tunnels and ball pits. There is a small café that sells high-sugar snacks, pizza slices, cakes and light refreshments. Alternatively, you can pick up healthier options at the supermarket just up the street.
Where: C/ Pau Claris 97
Tel: +34 933 178 660
Nearest station: Passeig de Gràcia
Tramvía Blau
Jump on Tramvía Blau
When the tramways were dismantled in Barcelona in the 1970s, only one route kept running: Tram 10. An original century-old wooden tram that still plies the Avinguda Tibidabo up to the base of the Tibidabo funicular, just as it has done since 1901. Kids will probably be thrilled by its rickety charm, while transport buffs will revel in its pristine condition. Mums and dads will enjoy the views of the grand Modernista mansions that line the Avinguda del Tibidabo.
Where: Plaça Dr Andreu
Tel: n/a
Nearest station: Av. Tibidabo
Cosmocaixa
The Amazon Rainforest is one of the major attractions in Barcelona
This huge red-brick Modernista building, constructed in 1894 as a hospital for the blind, has been spectacularly transformed into the state-of-the-art science museum, Cosmocaixa. All ages can admire the Flooded Forest, a reproduction of a section of the Amazon Rainforest. It has a glass path winding down through the different levels, but it’s the programmed activities that appeal the most. These activities have to be booked in advance – check the website for times and prices, although you can try just show up in low season.
The planetarium is always a winner, as is the interactive fun at Clik (for ages 3-6) and Flash (for ages 7-9). The museum also has a café with a terrace overlooking a huge open space in which there are more fun activities, including a sound telescope.
Where: Avinguda del Tibidabo
Tel: +34 932 126 050
Nearest station: Av. Tibidabo
Platja de l’Eixample
The hidden gem of Platja de l’Eixample
The best-kept secret in Barcelona is the fantastic outdoor pool at Platja de l’Eixample geared towards children under seven. Take the narrow passage off C/Roger de Llúria to find an expansive interior patio shaded with orange trees. The centrepiece is a beautiful modernista water tower surrounded by a tiled pool with knee-height water, which is perfect for even the smallest children to splash around in safely.
The City Hall brings in plenty of sand to create a sandy ‘beach’ around the pool, complete with buckets and spades. You can enjoy picnics on the benches, the convenience of charmingly old-fashioned striped bathing huts and the reassurance of the presence of several lifeguards.
Where: C/ Roger de Llúria 56
Tel: +34 934 234 350
Nearest station: Passieg de Gràcia
Las Golondrinas
Take a tour with Las Golondrinas when visiting Barcelona
Historic and delightful, Las Golondrinas are a real institution, allowing you to see Barcelona from the coast – which looks remarkably different. The company has existed for over 125 years. There are two tours from which to choose: the Port Cruise (40 minutes, which takes you around the cruise terminal) and the Seafront Cruise (90 minutes, from which you can view Barcelona’s coastline).
For both tours, you will leave the port and head northwards to the Parc del Fòrum. Boats leave almost every hour during the high season, less often in the winter and are unavailable from mid-December to early January.
Where: Moll de Drassanes s/n
Tel: +34 934 423 106
Nearest station: Drassanes
Parc d’Atraccions, Tibidabo
Enjoy a panoramic view of Barcelona from the old-fashioned Ferris wheel
High above the city on the panoramic hilltop of Tibidabo sits one of Spain’s oldest funfairs. Nostalgic visitors will enjoy the old-fashioned Ferris wheel with its extraordinary citywide views, the bright red aeroplane that has been the funfair’s symbol since 1929, the old-fashioned mechanical puppets in the Museu d’Automats, the chilling House of Horrors and the Funhouse mirrors. More demanding thrill-seekers will like the new rollercoaster and the crazy 4D cinema.
There are numerous activities, such as puppet shows, parades and even ‘correfocs’ – traditional Catalan fire runs. Try to be there at dusk to enjoy spectacular views of the city lights twinkling at your feet. Make sure to check the park’s website for opening times, which vary wildly off-season. Tibidabo also runs a shuttle bus from central Barcelona to the park.
Where: Cami del Cel, Plaça Tibidabo 3-4
Tel: +34 932 117 942
Nearest station: Av. Tibidabo
Transbordador Aeri
Get your adrenaline rush in Barcelona on Transbordador Aeri
This port-crossing cable car, Transbordador Aeri, was installed for the 1929 World’s Fair, and even in these times of high-tech amusement, it continues to provide an adrenaline rush for children and grown ups. Most people choose to hop on at the Barceloneta tower at the end of Passeig Joan de Borbó and then swing over the water and land at Montjuïc. From here, you can have a coffee and head back again – although it’s nice to walk Montjuïc’s parklands and then jump on the metro or funicular to go to the centre again.
The cable car’s steel cages can get very crowded in high season, but you might consider the breath-taking views to be worth it.
Where: Pg. Juan de Borbó s/n
Tel: +34 934 304 716
Nearest station: Barceloneta
Poble Espanyol
Explore the diversity of Spain at Poble Espanyol
Poble Espanyol, the ‘Spanish Village’, is yet another legacy from the 1929 World’s Fair, built to show off the diversity of Spain’s regional architecture and village flavour. It’s made up of reproductions of typical Spanish housing, civic architecture and squares, from whitewashed Andalucian ‘cortijos’ to the heavy stone architecture of Castilla.
Dismissed as Disney-esque by locals for a long time, the Poble Espanyol now has a fairly decent programme of workshops and performances for children, an interesting museum of modern art and dozens of little artisan workshops that add some much-needed cultural oomph.
Where: Avinguda de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 13
Tel: +34 935 086 300
Nearest station: Espanya
The Anella Olímpica
Visiting Anella Olímpica is one of the things to do in Barcelona
The ‘Olympic Ring’ is where the principal venues for the defining 1992 Games are clustered, and they still provide interest for both architecture and sport fans. The main events were held in the Estadi Olímpic, remodelled from 1929 and now used as home base for Espanyol, Barcelona’s ‘other’ football team. Part of the stadium’s ground floor holds the Museu Olímpic, where visitors can relive the finest moments of the Games through multimedia exhibits.
Other venues on the circuit include the a stunning Palau Sant Jordi concert hall, Santiago Calatrava’s needle-like communications tower and the Piscines Picornell, which has the state-of-the-art pools where the Olympic swimming and diving events were held. As a plus, they are open to the general public. The pools are easily reached via the Montjuïc funicular, but for the rest of the sights, the most convenient way to see them is the Bus Turístic since the distances between them are considerable. Travel to Paral.lel metro stop and then take the funicular to Montjuïc or the escalators up from Plaça Espanya.
Where: Avinguda del Estadi s/n
Tel: n/a
Nearest station: Paral.lel
Font Mágica
Spend the evening at Font Mágica
You would have to be a hardened soul indeed not to be seduced by Barcelona’s Magic Fountain. Situated on an elevated terrace in front of the MNAC, its water jets are manually controlled to dance to multi-coloured light and music in a free show that never fails to please anyone, especially children. If it all sounds very Las Vegas, it should be remembered that the fountain dates from 1929.
It was renovated in 1992 for the Olympic Games, which makes it a rather fabulous relic of entertainment technology. Performances take place every half hour on Fridays and Saturdays from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, in the autumn and winter seasons and Thursdays through Sundays from 9:00pm to 11:30pm in the spring and summer seasons.
Where: Plaça Carles Buïgas 1
Tel: n/a
Nearest station: Espanya
