Things to do in Barcelona in the rain

You’ll be pretty unlucky if you find yourself in Barcelona on a rainy day – it’s a rarity but it does happen from time to time. No need to be down about it though as there are plenty of things to keep you entertained!

To kick-start the day

Go for breakfast at the beautifully unique We Pudding on Calle Pau Claris, 90. It is like stepping into the world of Alice in Wonderland where you can sip your coffee and nibble on a croissant under a red and white circus-style roof surrounded by mushrooms.

Things to do in Barcelona in the rain

Bus tour out of the rain

The rain shouldn’t stop you from exploring Barcelona and a good way to do this is by taking a hop-on hop-off city sightseeing bus tour. The double-deckers are covered so you can still enjoy the views from the top deck without getting wet. There are two routes to choose from, and either one will allow you to explore Barcelona’s must do’s without traipsing through the rain.

On the East Route you can stop off at one of our favourite Gaudí-designed buildings, Casa Batlló, the legendary Sagrada Família and if you fancy brushing up on your Catalan history, take a trip to the informative and entertaining Museu d’Història de Catalunya (Museum of Catalan History). On the West Route you have MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya), the Caixa Forum which often has exciting exhibitions on display, and the FC Barcelona Experience at Camp Nou which takes you around the stadium and behind the scenes into the team’s changing rooms.

Things to do in Barcelona in the rain

In fact, any one of Barcelona’s famous museums or tourist attractions can be done on a rainy day. The upside when it’s raining is you’ll feel less guilty spending an extra five minutes staring at that Picasso painting at the Picasso Museum when you know there’s no tempting sunshine outside. For a more unusual museum experience, how about the Chocolate Museum, (Museu de la Xocolata) where you can learn about the history of your favourite guilty pleasure.

A spot of shopping?

If museums aren’t your thing, then perhaps shopping sounds more appealing. Barcelona’s shopping options are endless, and heading to one of the city’s large malls would be an ideal way to get your retail fix and stay dry at the same time.

Las Arenas is the city’s most interesting shopping centre, converted in 2011 from a bullring. It can be found at Plaça Espanya and has a great range of shops and restaurants, as well as a large cinema complex on the upper floor. The Rock Museum is also housed up here. With an impressive memorabilia collection, the museum walks you through the history of rock music from its origins to the present day.

You could even take a shopping trip a little further out of the city, to the outlet village La Roca, which you can get to by taking La Roca Shopping Bus provided by Sagalés which departs hourly, Monday to Saturday from C/CASP, 34.

Things to do in Barcelona in the rain

Aquarium adventure

Another great place to visit, especially if you have kids, is L’Aquàrium de Barcelona. The aquarium in Barcelona is one of the most important marine centres in the world when it comes to the Mediterranean, with 35 tanks, 11,000 animals and 450 different species to discover.

Get out of Barcelona

If you want to try getting some better weather completely out of Barcelona, a good day trip to take is to Sitges. Even if it is grotty in Barcelona, chances are that here, just 35 minutes’ train ride down the coast, you’ll find beautiful sunshine. Sitges is a former fishing village with a whopping total of 17 golden sandy beaches and some great architecture to see. It’s a happening place with lots of bars and restaurants to discover and there is often something going on in the way of festivals too.

Things to do in Barcelona in the rain

Cook like a Spaniard

If you have a culinary streak, you might want to spend your rainy day taking part in a cookery class. These tend to be great fun and you get to learn how to cook all sorts of Spanish specialties, from paella to tapas. You can combine your lesson with a trip to the famous Boqueria Market in Las Ramblas where you will learn how to choose the best ingredients. In any case, you simply can’t leave Barcelona without visiting this market where you can spend hours wandering around, soaking up the atmosphere.

We hope this has given you inspiration to embrace your rainy day with open arms! And you never know, you may even be thankful for the rain if you are visiting some of the more popular attractions – the queue will probably be somewhat shorter!

Dress for Less! – Low budget shopping in Barcelona

Of course, when you come to Barcelona, you will spend the first days with visiting museums, sightseeing and hanging out at the beach or in a nice tapas bar. However, let’s face it. 

Every woman knows that desire that starts to take control of your body and mind at the latest on the 4th day of your stay in any foreign city: This irrepressible need to go shopping!

(Unfortunately), not all of us have an infinite budget or a limitless credit card, so we thought we could provide our readers with some information about how to save money whilst leaving Barcelona with a new wardrobe!

Check out the numerous outlets!

Many Spanish brands have outlet stores in Barcelona. You will find the most famous brands, selling their stuff for less than 50% of the original price!

Some addresses you should definitely check out are the following:

Mango

One of the most popular Spanish brands worldwide! Check out on of their three outlets

Cc. Heron City, Avinguda Rio de Janeiro

Carrer Girona, 37, Barcelona

Carrer de Viladomat, 169, Barcelona

Lefties

Lefties (as they sell Leftovers) is an outlet of the “Inditex” group, including famous brands like Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear, Bershka and many others. However, when you walk into the store you’d probably think this is a shop on its own. You can find several boutiques in the city.

Cc. Heron City, Avinguda Rio de Janeiro

Carrer Pelayo 2-4

Cc.. Maremangum

El Corte Inglés

The famous department store is the Spanish counterpart to the French Galeries Lafayettes or Printemps. They actually have an outlet store close to the beach in Poblenou.

Rambla del Poblenou, 124

Other outlets

You will actually find some more outlet stores in the Heron shopping center, just check out the website. If you are looking for an exclusive outlet, you should definitely plan half a day to spend in Roca Village. 

Passeig de Gràcia Barcelona

Passeig de Gràcia is part of the 5 KM shopping line and is an important road in Barcelona. The wide boulevards on either side of Passeig de Gràcia add to the feeling of opulence that this road gives you. Passeig de Gràcia is also home to two of Gaudí's most important creations here - La Pedrera and Casa Batlló.

Passeig de Gràcia Barcelona

Formerly known as Camí de Jesús ("Jesus Road"), it used to be little more than a quasi-rural lane surrounded by gardens joining Barcelona and Gràcia (then still a separate town), until the first urbanisation project in 1821 devised by the liberal city council, and led by Ramon Plana, who had to suddenly cancel his work due to the epidemics that were raging in Barcelona at the time. 

Passeig de Gràcia Barcelona

After the demise of the liberal government with the return of Absolutism in 1824, the project was taken up again by general José Bernaldo de Quirós, marquis of Campo Sagrado. The new avenue was 42 metres wide in 1827 and became a favourite place for aristocrats to display their horse riding skills and expensive horse-drawn carriages all through the 19th century.

Passeig de Gràcia Barcelona

In 1906 the architect Pere Falqués i Urpí designed the avenue's now famous ornate benches and street-lights. By that time it had become Barcelona's most fashionable street, with buildings designed by modernista/Art Nouveau architects of fame such as Antoni Gaudí, Pere Falqués, Jose Puig i Cadafalch, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Enric Sagnier and Josep Vilaseca.

Passeig de Gràcia Barcelona

The government of the Basque Country (Eusko Jaurlaritza) was based in Passeig de Gràcia, 60 during the Spanish Civil War. The Catalan poet Salvador Espriu resided in Casa Fuster (Passeig de Gràcia, 132).

Passeig de Gràcia Barcelona

How To Get There

Metro Passeig de Gràcia -(Green Line, L3) and (Yellow Line, L4) (southern most end) Diagonal (Green Line, L3) and (Blue Line, L5) Northern most end

Exploring Gaudí’s Casa Batlló

Some history: presenting Casa Batlló

Gaudí’s elaborately adorned and organically sculpted façade – now a symbol of Barcelona the world over – was built between 1904 and 1906 on top of an old country house on what was once the outskirts of the city.

Gaudí replaced the building’s original façade with a striking and colourful collage of stone, glass, and ceramic tiles that sparkle in the sun and subtly shimmer by streetlight. Even in the company of Modernista masterpieces like Domènech i Montaner’s Casa Lleó Morera and Puig i Cadafalch’s Casa Amatller, Casa Battló stands apart. This could be because unlike some of Gaudí’s other clients, Josep Batlló allowed Gaudí complete artistic freedom in the construction of Casa Batlló. The façade alone is proof positive that an artist’s imagination left to its own devices will produce the greatest art.

Barcelona, exploring Gaudí’s Casa Batlló

The tour: wandering underwater realms

Open to the public since 2002 (the year of Gaudí), the tour of Casa Batlló includes the Noble Floor, the Loft, the building well, the entrance hall, and the rooftop.

Barcelona, exploring Gaudí’s Casa Batlló

An unusual residence

On the way to Noble Floor, the former residence of the Batlló family, admire skylights shaped like tortoises’ shells and a curving banister carved from hardwood, resembling the spine of some massive beast. At the top of the stairs, get a glimpse of the blue-tiled building well. Enlarged and re-imagined by Gaudí, the building well features sea-coloured tiles that fade lighter towards the bottom and windows that shrink as they go up, creating the illusion of evenly distributed light.

Barcelona, exploring Gaudí’s Casa Batlló

In the main living area, peer out wooden-framed windows that showcase views of busy Passeig de Gràcia. The windows are unique in that they have no doorjambs and can be flung open for a continuous panoramic view of the street below (by your tour guide). Snap shots of carved pillars shaped like human tibia bones, embellished with stylised floral designs and massive wooden doors set with stained glass. Gaze up at a plaster ceiling that swirls and waves into a whirlpool. Before you leave, spend a few moments fantasising about a cosy winter afternoon watching flames flicker and dance, while slouching comfortably on a bench beside the floor’s mushroom-shaped fireplace.

Barcelona, exploring Gaudí’s Casa Batlló

Located directly above the Noble Floor, the loft is a utilitarian space once used by tenants for laundry and storage, characterised by stark white walls and simple curving shapes. Here, more than on the Noble Floor, you see the ‘bones’ or underlying structure of Gaudí’s genius, without the distractions of colour and texture present in other parts of Casa Batlló. Walking among its series of 60 arches, it’s easy to imagine you’ve been swallowed alive and find yourself inside the spotless ribcage of some ravenous animal.

Barcelona, exploring Gaudí’s Casa Batlló

Up the spiral staircase, explore Casa Batlló’s unique rooftop terrace, dominated by the overarching shape of the front façade’s dragon-inspired roofline with its large, iridescent tiles, so often compared to scales. Examine chimney stacks covered in elaborate mosaic work. Take in sweeping views of Barcelona from above. Breathe deep, and remember why you came. Casa Batlló is only the beginning. Gaudí’s city awaits.

Barcelona, exploring Gaudí’s Casa Batlló

Getting there

By bus:

TMB bus 7, 16, 17, 20, 22, 24, 28, 43, 44, 63, 67, 68

Barcelona Tourist Bus North and South routes Casa Batlló-Fundació Antoni Tàpies

Metro: 

L2, L3, L4  Passeig de Gràcia stop

Train:

RENFE: Passeig de Gràcia station

FGC: Provença station

Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi

Palau Sant Jordi (English: St. George's Palace) is an indoor sporting arena and multi-purpose installation that is part of the Olympic Ring complex located in Barcelona.

It was opened in 1990 and designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki and the maximum seating capacity of the arena is 17,000 for basketball, and 24,000 for musical events.

Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi

The Palau Sant Jordi was one of the main venues of the 1992 Summer Olympics hosting the artistic gymnastics, handball final, and volleyball final. Nowadays, it is used for all kinds of indoor sport events as well as for concerts and other cultural activities, due to its great flexibility.

The arena was the venue of the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics.

The arena was the venue of three Euroleague final four in 1998, 2003 and 2011. It also hosted the EuroBasket 1997 from the quarter-finals and the 2012 Spanish Basketball Cup.

Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi

The final of 2000 Davis Cup was the 89th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. Spain defeated Australia at Palau Sant Jordi on 8–10 December, giving Spain their first title. The arena also received the final of 2009 Davis Cup between Spain and Czech Republic with the victory for the Spaniards 5-0.

Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi

The arena was the main venue of the 2003 FINA World Championships. A temporary, regulation swimming pool was installed for the occasion. It played the same role for the 2013 FINA World Championships, since the city of Barcelona hosted the Championships again after 10 years.

Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi

The arena was one of six sites that hosted the 2013 World Men's Handball Championship including the Final. It also will be one of six sites to host the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

The Sagrada Família – Gaudí’s last work

When planning your trip to Barcelona, it’s impossible to ignore Gaudí’s masterpiece – the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (‘Holy Family’). Once you are in Barcelona, the Sagrada Família can be seen everywhere, from postcards and guide books to snow globes in souvenir shops, and it’s a monument that all Catalans are proud of. This Basilica is no hidden secret, but rather an imperative for anyone visiting the city.

We would like to give you an idea of its history and architecture, as well as offering you some practical advice for visiting the church. At the bottom of the article, you will find some important information such as opening times, and the official website. 

History

Although the Sagrada Familia is recognised as Antonio Gaudi’s masterpiece, he wasn’t the person responsible for placing the first stone, on 19 March 1882. This responsibility fell to the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, who was planning a smaller church than the one that was eventually constructed. Once sufficient funding for its construction was collected, work began in 1882 under Villar’s supervision. Very shortly, a disagreement arose with donators, and responsibility for construction was passed over to Antoni Gaudí, who at that time was 31 years old.

The original idea was that the church, dedicated to the Holy Family, would be entirely financed by donations. When Gaudí received a large donation from an anonymous source, he decided to transform the old neo-Gothic project into something more monumental and innovative as far as its shape and structure.

In 1914 Gaudí decided to dedicate himself exclusively to the Sagrada Familia project, even installing small living-quarters within the building, so that he was always on hand. Tragically, on 7 June 1926, on his way to the building, he was run over by a tram, eventually dying three days later. All of the city dressed in mourning and the Pope agreed for Gaudí to be interred in the unfinished crypt of the Sagrada Familia.

Gaudí had planned for a construction period of 200 years for the church. However, he did not leave a complete construction blueprint, as he wanted to count on the opinion of future generations.

After his death, several different architects continued work on the monument. Since that time, construction work has never been suspended, even during the difficult times of the Civil War when plaster models to scale, drawings and plans of the building were lost and destroyed.

Design

The Sagrada Familia comprises five main naves and three transverses, forming a Latinate cross. The five main naves have a total length of 90 meters and the transverses of 60 metres. When construction finishes, there will be 18 towers with a height of between 90 and 170 metres – the latter being the highest tower on a church in the world. These towers are dedicated to the apostles, the evangelists, Mary and Jesus Christ.

The three entrances symbolise the three virtues: Faith, Hope and Love, and are symbolic of the lifetime of Christ. The Nativity Façade is dedicated to his birth, the Glory façade is dedicated to his glory period and the Passion façade is symbolic of his suffering.

During the later years of his life, Gaudí planned many areas of the building so that they could be built by other people in the future. He did so by combining geometrical forms, chosen for their formal, structural, luminous, acoustic and constructive qualities: hyperboloids, paraboloids, helicoids, conoids and ellipsoids – surfaces which are ruled, making construction easier.

Visits

Of course, you don’t need to wait until 2025 to visit this impressive building. I would recommend that you visit it as early in the morning as possible. The best bet is at 9 o’clock, when doors open, as queues tend to form very early.

The first thing you will see in the interior of the church is the huge scaffolding. This makes it difficult to take in the building full dimensions. You can also use an audio-guide, which, for €4 extra, will allow you to see many other details.

Upon looking upwards, you feel very small. The enormous pillars rise up like trees up to the rafters. These impressions are doubtlessly caused by the trunk like structures branching upwards towards the ceiling. This lends a very pleasant feeling of being enveloped in warm light when the sun shines through the stained-glass windows.

You can also visit the tower for a small extra cost of €4.50, which is definitely worth it. A lift will take you to the top as going up by foot is prohibited but you are however allowed to go down by taking the stairs.

Tips

We would strongly recommend buying your ticket in advance, unless you happen to enjoy spending hours queueing! You can do this at the ticket office there or even better, book online.

If you haven’t booked in advance, make sure you arrive as early as you can, as early as 9am would be advisable on weekends to beat the crowds.

Invest in an audio guide to get the most out of your visit and hear lots of little details. They are available in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.

Visit the museum before you leave, located in the basement on the Passion façade. There’s a whole host of exhibitions – including photos from all stages of its construction, original designs and sketches, models of the church and information regarding the architects and craftsmen, past and present.

Address

Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Church of the Holy Family)

C. Mallorca, 401

08013 Barcelona

(The entrance is on the Passion Façade – Sardenya Street.)

Website: http://www.sagradafamilia.cat (in Spanish and English)

How to get here

Metro: L2 or L5 Sagrada Familia

Opening times:

From October to March: from 09.00 to 18.00

From April to September: from 09.00 to 20.00

25th and 26th December, 1st and 6th December: from 09.00 to14.00

Port Aventura Theme Park

It’s Sunday morning, 8 o’clock, and the alarm goes off: today the kids are coming back!

We have a look at the times, our destination being Port Aventura , Barcelona’s theme park and comparable to Thorpe Park or Chessington World of Adventures in Britain.

Port Aventura Theme Park

At the entrance (which also acts as an access point for the adjacent water park, the “Caribe Acquatic Park”) there is quite a significant queue. However, after about half an hour we manage even to overcome this particular obstacle and finally we reach the entrance.

Port Aventura Theme Park

Upon entering, the sight that greets our eyes is a vision straight from a fairy-tale: a huge river, bordered by rocks and thick, luxuriant vegetation which frames the whole Park, which then evolves into different themes the further you delve in to the park. There are Mediterranean, Polynesian, Chinese, SesamoAventura and Mexican themes all the way to the Wild West.

Port Aventura Theme Park

We decide to go straight in to the first ride: ‘Furious Baco’, a capsule which promises to simulate acceleration equivalent to that of a jet taking off. However, thanks to the information panels, placed at the entrance to each ride letting you know the waiting times, we realise that we would have to wait approximately one hour and 30 minutes, which causes us instead to head over to the following attraction, ‘Gran Canyon Rapids’. As you can easily guess from the name, this ride is an adventure through water rapids imitating those of the Grand Canyon, considered as ‘moderate’ on the signs next to each of the rides. We wait roughly 30 minutes, get on board and enjoy the ride. We were refreshed by the sprays of water which are sprayed from the obstacles throughout the duration of the ride.

Port Aventura Theme Park

Getting off the ride, we see an extremely tall tower, which is the symbol of ‘Hurakan Condor’. This time, the queue is practically non-existent, so we get straight on board and are lifted upwards to the top of the tower, to an altitude of 100 metres, hearts suddenly beating fast, and then…down! In 2 seconds flat we are already back to the ground. We make our way around the park and end up trying loads of the other rides, some of them really fun, others less so, but all of them giving the impression that, at least for the day, we had once again become kids.

Port Aventura Theme Park

The park is really crowded…everybody from families with kids; groups of elderly people, to groups of children all of which are in a general spirit of happiness. At times, the queues are rather long, but if you arm yourself with a good dose of patience (as well as the right kind of company), time flies by quickly, with comments exchanged between those in front of and behind you and by the time you get on the ride, they will have become your best friends!

Port Aventura Theme Park

The lunch break is a needed rest from the frenetic adventure, and this you can spend in one of the very numerous themed bars which are located inside the park, or in the shade of the palm trees which line the bank of the river.

Port Aventura Theme Park

It’s 6.30 p.m and we are tired, hungry but also very satisfied, and well in advance of the park’s closing time (from the 25th of May to the 26th of September the park closes at 8 p.m.). 

La Boqueria food market – a feast for the senses

Arguably the king of all European food markets, La Boqueria is a feast for the senses and cannot be left off your Barcelona bucket list. Just off the Ramblas, this fabulous market is loved by both the locals and the throngs of tourists who visit every day. Come here to stock up on the freshest and best-quality produce or just to take in the sights, smells and sounds that surround you.

La Boqueria food market, Barcelona

Trust us, you will feel the electric atmosphere as soon as you step over the threshold and through the market’s iconic iron gates.

From humble beginnings…

The history of the formally known ‘Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria’ is rich and complex, the first mentions dating back to 1217. It has lived through many phases, originating as a travelling open-air market where Catalans would sell their fruit and vegetables in front of the old city wall. Since then, the market has passed through various stages of construction, most notably in 1836 under the guidance of architect Mas Vilá. In 1914 the market’s emblematic metal roof was added.

La Boqueria food market, Barcelona

…to a modern day mecca for foodies

La Boqueria is more or less like a supermarket in terms of its size and produce available. It takes up 2,583 square metres and is home to around 270 stalls selling the most mouth-watering ingredients. If you fancy doing something different, you can take a tour round La Boqueria as part of a cooking class, but it’s just as good to go and explore the place yourself.

La Boqueria food market, Barcelona

At the entrance you’ll find stalls selling dried fruits, nuts, chocolate and sweets, but try to resist these until the end as these appetising displays are also the most expensive. Instead, head straight into the middle of the market to check out the seemingly endless samples of fruits you will struggle to put a name to. Grab a delicious fruit smoothie – there’s extremely good value and the perfect portable drink as you’re meandering around.

La Boqueria food market, Barcelona

Of course, the Boqueria has much more on offer than just fresh fruit and veg. Continue further and you’ll see the delights the butchers have to offer (you won’t stare the pigs out, we’ve tried). Make your way through the dizzying maze of Serrano hams, chorizos and fuets (cured, Catalan sausage) and enter the beating heart of the market where the floors are glistening wet from melted ice – welcome to the domain of the fishmongers.

Don’t neglect the furthermost corner of La Boqueria, either. Right at the back are some little-known stalls selling all sorts of wild mushrooms, while on the fringes are several spots to perch on a stool and grab a bite to eat. This is the perfect way to really absorb the madness going on around you.

La Boqueria food market, Barcelona

The need-to-know

La Boqueria is open from 8am until 8pm every day except Sunday but to snag the freshest produce, you really you need to get there before midday. The market tends to be less busy in the afternoon, which might be a better time to visit if tightly packed aisles aren’t your thing.

It’s very easy to get taken in by the ambience, but try to keep in mind the pesky pickpockets who take advantage of distracted tourists whose eyes are occasionally not on their belongings.

La Boqueria food market, Barcelona

If you are intending just to do a quick shop then don’t head to La Boqueria; it’s always very busy and you have to do some serious weaving. The prices are higher than in the supermarkets but that’s to be expected given the top-notch quality. Take a shopping trip here and you are sure to have a truly wonderful Catalan feast… enjoy!

Barcelona with children

Family holidays can often make for the best memories, but a lot depends on keeping the kids happy! Barcelona makes this an easy task as it’s a city that offers something for everyone, from beaches and parks to football stadiums and museums. To make your family holiday a stress-free experience, take a look at our guide to entertaining  children of all ages in the Catalan capital.

Barcelona with children 

Activities for young children

Barcelona’s Aquarium is an ideal way to spend the afternoon with younger kids. It’s an underwater kingdom housing almost 400 marine species including Nemo and Flounder look-a-likes which children will love spotting. Watch their little faces light up as they walk through the 360º glass tunnel called the Oceaneri – they might even spot a few sharks.

Barcelona with children 

As well as lions, tigers, elephants and gorillas, Barcelona zoo also has a great adventure playground where the children can run wild. We highly recommend the dolphin shows, which are great fun, especially when the dolphins launch balls for the audience to catch. Together with guided tours and workshops, the zoo houses a farm area with goats and rabbits for the younger kids to pet. The zoo is based in the Parc de la Ciutadella which is a nice spot for a family picnic. The park is beautiful, especially on sunny days when children can run around, feed the ducks and take a rowing boat out onto the middle of the lake.

Barcelona with children 

Hit the beach! Many people are surprised when they come to Barcelona for the first time and discover its vast stretches of beautiful beaches. Temperatures are warm enough for you to enjoy the beaches from March to October, so take the kids, let them take a dip and enjoy an ice cream. The closest beach to the city centre is Barceloneta and it can get quite overcrowded, so we’d recommend you heading a little further north to Bogatell Beach or Mar Bella for a bit more space.

Barcelona with children 

Activities for teenagers

CosmoCaixa is a great family day out, especially if you’re searching for something adults will also enjoy. Far from your average natural science museum, it’s an educational yet entertaining and interactive experience. The Amazon rainforest, complete with tropical downpours and alligators, is a particular highlight. You can conduct your own experiments, create sandstorms, and see animal species from all over the world.

Tibidabo is where you will find Cosmo Caixa and is great for slightly older children. It offers unrivalled panoramic views of the Catalan hinterland, the city and the Mediterranean Sea, while its funfair and amusement park are guaranteed to keep kids entertained for hours. Dare them to go on a few of the rides or simply buy some candyfloss and enjoy the view – either way, they will have an adrenaline- fuelled day out!

Barcelona with children 

FC Barcelona Museum and Camp Nou Tour is an absolute must if you have teenagers who are interested in sport and would appreciate seeing the home of one of the greatest teams in the world. This legendary tour takes you behind the scenes; you get a glimpse of the president’s box, the changing rooms and can even walk through the players’ tunnel. The tour also includes entrance to the interactive museum which has over 100 years of memorabilia on show. If you’re lucky enough to be here when FC Barcelona are playing at home, then why not take the family to see a game?

Barcelona with children 

Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia is the most visited attraction in Spain so it’s no wonder many families take their children to see it while on holiday in Barcelona. The Basilica, which isn’t set to be completed for another 20 years, is vast and dream-like. The inside is breathtaking and is full of models, photographs and plans from its humble beginnings in 1882 through the decades.

Barcelona with children 

Shopping! Trawling the shops with kids in tow can be hard work, but it’s something most teenagers enjoy (especially if the spree is on mum and dad!). Barcelona is fantastic for a bit of retail therapy so why not spend an afternoon strolling up and down Passeig de Gràcia or Avinguda Portal de l’Àngel. Or if you fancy something a little different, wander down the side streets of the Born and Gothic Quarter and discover a huge range of independent boutiques.