Barcelona with kids

Last weekend my sister and her family came over to visit us in Barcelona, so we planned loads of cool, fun things with the kids.  From their first ride on a cable car to the biggest slide they´d ever seen, they pretty much laughed and screamed their way through the weekend.

Sometimes it´s difficult to know where to take kids when you´re abroad, so here´s a list of some top things to do in Barcelona that will definitely put a smile on your children´s faces. (Also some coffee / wine stops for you!)

1) The Castle of Monjuic sits on top of a hill near the working port of Barcelona. It looks over the sea and the city and is free for children to enter (5 euros for adults). The best way to get to the top is by cable-car and will guarantee some serious excitement for your kids. You can drive to the cable car stop or take the funicular train from Parallel Metro Station.

Beautiful Montjuic
Once you´re at the top, you can walk around the fortress walls and see some spectacular views of Barcelona. There are huge cannons to climb onto and plenty of space to run around. Inside the fortress there´s a restaurant in a small square where you can refuel and relax with a coffee.


On the way down, you can return by cable-car, or if you want a little more fun for the kids, then walk down the hill via the giant slide (Follow the main road down from the exit of the castle). It´s seriously huge and probably only suitable for children 3yrs +, but there´s a playground right beside it which is perfect for smaller children. For a more chilled walk you can stroll through the Botanic Gardens or look out over Barcelona at the Mirador. If at this point you fancy a glass of wine, head to the Hotel Miramar and relax on their terrace.

My crazy niece screamin her way done the big slide
   
Botanic Gardens on Montjuic

2) Having being brought up in the English countryside, I´m a big fan of green spaces and parks and just love this beautiful park in the middle of Barcelona. Parc de la Ciutadella is perfect for picnics, walks and boating. It has a couple of playgrounds for kids as well as a giant mammoth (bit random) and boating on the lake costs around 6 euros. It´s located right next to the Barcelona zoo so is a great place to stop for lunch before or after your visit.
  
Parc de La Ciutadella

Boating on the lake (pinterest)

Mammoth statue?!
 3) The Barcelona zoo is brilliant and I recommend checking the times at the door for the dolphin show as it´s really worth a visit. It costs around 19 euros for an adult and 12 for children, but if you live in Barcelona a yearly pass makes more sense and is great value. As well as all the different animals, there´s a huge play park with a zip wire and plenty of places to stop for a drink or Haribo!




4) Take your kids on one of the best miniature steam trains in Europe or let them ride a pony in the Oreneta Park. Described as a forest in the city, the Oreneta park is a great day out for the family and the mini steam train chugs through tunnels and over bridges to give the kids a really fun experience. There are also a number of playgrounds and table tennis tables (so bring your bats) next to the picnic area. With a bar and a swimming pool next to the park, it makes for a pretty good day out. (The train is only open on Sundays 11am-2pm)
Want this job!


5) The final place on my list is the Aquarium in Maremagnum. This is a good option for a rainy day as it´s all indoors. It´s approx 18 euros (adults) to get in, but you can get small discounts by booking online plus less queuing. The shark and sting-ray tunnel is good fun for the kids (and adults!) and it´s an enjoyable day out.

My gorgeous wee nephew x

I hope that this list helps you to plan your weekend with family. As well as these places the beaches of Barcelona are great fun for kids no matter what time of year it is. Hope you have fun and if you can recommend any other great stops let me know...

Comments

  1. Absolutely agree with these suggestions, it was the most amazing week and the kids loved the cable car, fort, zoo and beaches..all of it was brilliant, the best place to spend Easter holidays xx

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  2. The not so fun part of living in Barcelona...missing my sisters! xxx

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