Family Vacation

Barcelona is also friendly towards the little ones. Condal City offers a wide variety of activities, allowing all family members to have unforgettable moments.

Visiting the Zoo and Aquarium

Aside from offering nice walks in its parks and intense days in its beaches, Barcelona also counts with places to meet the varied animal life. One of the most popular places is the emblematic Zoological Park of Barcelona (Parque Zoológico de Barcelona), inaugurated in 1892 and situated inside the Ciudadela Park (Parque de la Ciudadela). Although it achieved worldwide fame for housing the famous “Copito de Nieve” albino gorilla, this zoo is host to one of the most impressive collections in Europe, housing more than 7000 individuals belonging to 400 different species.

The best way to round off the day is to also visit the Aquarium, located at the Maremagnum commercial center in the city’s port. Its 11,000 marine creatures, belonging to more than 450 different species, make it one of the most important aquariums in the world and the perfect place for getting familiarized with Mediterranean, oceanic, and tropical aquatic life. In addition to letting visitors discover the different marine ecosystems, the aquarium also offers the possibility to dive in a 4 million liter (0.9 million gallon) tank, where you will have first-hand access to sharks, rays and moray eels. In order to take advantage of this magnificent opportunity, you will have to bring your scuba diver certificate. Their magnificent location and great selection of animals make Barcelona’s zoo and aquarium a safe bet to enjoy a fulfilling family day.

Visiting the CosmoCaixa

Another great option to engage kids and adults alike is the CosmoCaixa, the “La Caixa” Science Museum, inaugurated in 2004 and located in the Sant Gervasi area. This museum attracts science lovers thanks to its expos, experiments, objects, displays, and planetarium, but also architecture buffs thanks to its magnificent facilities blending avant-ward works with modern buildings, science and nature. In addition, CosmoCaixa also offers educational activities for the entire family, including courses, workshops and conferences.

Discovering the Tibidabo Amusement Park

Atop the Montaña Mágica de la Sierra de Collserola (“Magic Mountain of Collserola Hill”) you will find the Tibidabo Amusement Park (Parque de Atracciones Tibidabo). This park, founded in 1899, is one of the world’s oldest ones and is still running several century-old attractions like a flying simulator, the Automaton Museum (Museo de los Autómatas), or an elevator structure that lifts people up to 50 meters (160 feet). The park also offers more than 25 attractions, modern light shows, picnic areas, and restaurants. Furtherore, right next to the Tibidabo Amusement Park you will find the Templo del Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart Temple), a neo-Gothic monument with elevator to enjoy privileged views of the city.

Runaway to Port Aventura and Costa Caribe

Port-aventura-3Without a doubt, any family visit to Barcelona must include a runaway trip to the best amusement park in the country, the emblematic Port Aventura. Located in the Terragona province, just one hour away from Ciudad Condal, this park offers hundreds of attractions and shows to delight the entire family. In addition, visiting Port Aventura can be complemented with a refreshing visit to Costa Caribe, an aquatic park right next to the aforementioned amusement park.