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.). 

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.

Barcelona, Antoni Gaudi's City

This is a Catalan name. The first family name is Gaudí and the second is Cornet.

Born 25 June 1852

Reus, Catalonia, Spain

Died 10 June 1926 (aged 73)

Buildings Sagrada Família, Casa Milà,

Casa Batlló

Projects Park Güell, Church of Colònia Güell

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Catalan architect of Spanish nationality born in Reus or Riudoms, in Catalonia, and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.

Much of Gaudí's work was marked by his big passions in life: architecture, nature, religion. Gaudí studied every detail of his creations, integrating into his architecture a series of crafts in which he was skilled: ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. He introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís, made of waste ceramic pieces.

After a few years, under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the Modernista movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work transcended mainstream Modernisme, culminating in an organic style inspired by nature. Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works, instead preferring to create them as three-dimensional scale models and molding the details as he was conceiving them.

Gaudí's work enjoys widespread international appeal and many studies are devoted to understanding his architecture. Today, his work finds admirers among architects and the general public alike. His masterpiece, the still-uncompleted Sagrada Família, is one of the most visited monuments in Catalonia. Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. 

Gaudí's Roman Catholic faith intensified during his life and religious images permeate his work. This earned him the nickname "God's Architect" and led to calls for his beatification.