Barcelona is a city where people spend a lot of time outside, so as a result there is children’s play areas dotted around all over the city. There are also some lovely big parks, which are great places to take children to if one is visiting Barcelona. This city is also full of surprises for young visitors. Barcelona has a magic mountain – Tibidabo.



At the zoo one can see how a lot of animals live and a dolphin show. But one of the places where one can see the most fish is L’Aquàrium. One can walk through a tunnel under the water and see sharks and fish of all shapes and sizes.

Parc de la Ciutadella which has gardens, museums, zoo, cycling and rowing is a real haven, just nest to the Gothic quarters, behind the beach and near Arc de Triomf. A great place to picnic in, where there is lots of grassy & shady areas. Also a boating lake where one can hire rowing boats, an over the top fountain designed by Josep Fontseré and Antoni Gaudi, the Zoo, Zoology museum, a children’s play area, and much more.

El Laberint d'Horta is a great place for children particularly because it has a big maze. Parc de la Creuta del Coll , is a great place and has a parkland, boating/swimming lake, a small beach and a great children’s playground for virtually guaranteed fun.

Barcelona Zoo is based in the Parc de la Ciutadella the best way to find it is to go to the park and to follow the signs to the Zoo. The zoo has a wide variety of animals on show and along with a restaurant, picnic area, a shop, electric cars, ponies and a mini-train.

Barcelona Aquarium, just a stone’s throw inland from the Mediterranean in Port Vell, is considered one of the best in Europe, with an unprecedented collection of marine life. In a matter of an hour or two visitors can tour the icy polar waters of the Southern Hemisphere, precious Mediterranean biospheres and the colonies and atolls of the Tropics. Over 300 species thrive in some 21 tanks, each acclimatized to produce the exact conditions required for the flora and fish inside.

The shark tunnel is worth giving a visit however one has to be daring enough. One can even press one’s face against the glass to catch sight of giant-size Japanese conger eels, sea horses and luminescent fish of the deep. There’s simply no end to the slippery and slimy creatures to take in.

There are piranhas in the Amazon River reconstruction, caiman and over 20 species of penguin, including the Humboldt Penguin common to the marine reserves of Peru and Chile. In the heart of the rejuvenated Port Vel (Old Port), the Maritime Museum is a great museum for kids that tell the story of Catalonia’s long and successful history as a sea-faring kingdom. Housed in the medieval shipyard, the soaring gothic arches create a dramatic backdrop for an impressive story told through sound effects and plenty of hands-on exhibits. Presiding over a fleet of traditional shipping and fishing vessels is a life-size replica of the Royal Gallery. The kids will enjoy the time out.