Cities Tourism Guide - Barcelona Tourist Attractions

Barceloneta Barcelona Beaches

From Monument Colon two wide walkways - Passeig Colom slightly inland and Moll De La Fusta on the waterfront push towards the Catalunya museum and Barcelona's Barceloneta beaches. At the Catalunya museum the paseo gets even wider as it runs into Paseig de Joan De Borbo. Perfect for cycling or strolling, family cycling is particularly popular and you can hire kids bikes or bicycles with baby seats from Barcelona's many bike hire outlets (see Barcelona Tourism weblink/getting around the city section for listings).

Once the old fishing quarter, Barceloneta has been considerably redeveloped in recent times offer a selection of pretty beaches and best Barcelona seafront seafood restaurants, the most scenic of which sit adjacent to the Catalunya Museum on Palau de Mar. These have delightful terraces with views onto the Paseo and out onto the marina.

Stretching towards the Olympic Port area, all of Barceloneta's beachfront and beach area have been extensively redeveloped to great effect. Barcelona beaches include first Platja Sant Sebastia which moves into Platja de Sant Miquel and Platja Barceloneta. Urban beaches don't get much better than Barcelona's beach choice (although Gran Canaria's capital Las Palmas comes close). Lazy beach cafes are dotted along the beaches, alongside striking public art (see Horn's beach boxes photo left) and a wide Paseo where cycling, roller skating and skateboarding are all popular. Perfect for families, Barcelona can offer both city break and beach holiday all in one!

In all Barcelona's Barceloneta beaches cover around 4 km and they're particularly crowded in peak season, popular with locals and visitors alike. Further developments are promising a marine wildlife park, two green areas and another bathing area (checkout the Barcelona Town Hall guide right for progress).

Montjuic Cable Car upto Castillo de Montjuic, Barcelona

For what are certainly the best panoramic views of Barcelona head to Montjuic (metro Parallel or Placa Espana) and take a ride on the spectacular Teleferic de Montjuic Cable Car.

The views are simply amazing of Barcelona from the cable car, especially towards the Barcelona Port Vell and waterfront area. The cable car moves at a pleasant slow pace, allowing ample time to enjoy the Barcelona views.

Once at the top, exploring the Castello de Montjuic and more views await. A cafe and the Military Museum is also up here. Kids will love the cable car ride. Find the cable car station at Montjuic just down from the Joan Miro Foundation. Cable cars are frequent so there are rarely queues.

Teleferic de Montjuic, tel. 93 328 90 03 for information. Open Jan to March 10am to 6pm, April to May 10am to 70m, June to Sept 10am to 9pm, October 10am to 7pm and November to December 10am to 6pm.

FC Barcelona Barca Museum & Camp Nou Stadium Tour

There's a real excitement among visitors just coming here to Camp Nou for the FC Barcelona stadium tour and museum, let alone seeing Barca play here! If you've got football fan kids, no doubt they've already told you you're taking them to the FC Barcelona Stadium at Camp Nou!

The FC Barcelona Camp Nou (New Ground) Stadium tour is self-guided (so you can take you time). The tour takes in not just the Camp Nou stadium (you enter it via the away team tunnel), but also various other areas within the complex such as the Camp Nou chapel, washrooms, commentary boxes and more.

They've really done the stadium tour justice here, as you can move around at the base of the ground, plus push up to the top of the stands, looking down on a full panorama of this great stadium. It may look a little rough around the edges compared to some of the mammoth new glamour football stadiums around the world, but that makes Camp Nou FC Barcelona more special somehow.

Moving into the FC Barcelona Barca Museum, get ready for a tour of 100 years of this famous club's history. Artefacts are fascinating, with everything from FC Barcelona old programmes to football cards, FC Barcelona Mascot memorabilia, posters, film footage, photography and more on display. FC Barcelona Museum & Camp Nou tour information. Tel. 902 1899 00. Extensive Barca history, opening times of the museum and stadium tour, and details of other facilities on-site such as the FC Barcelona store are all available in-depth via the FC Barcelona weblink right.

Port Vell Waterfront Shopping, Boat Trips, Aquarium, Cinema & Cable Car

The Port Vell waterfront area of Barcelona flanking Monument Colon/Columbus monument is a Barcelona leisure hub, popular with families. Shopping, the Barcelona aquarium, boat trips, top Barcelona seafood restaurants, Paseo strolling and waterfront picnicking, Barcelona cycling, cinema and a dramatic cable car ride are all on the menu in the Port Vell pushing towards the Barceloneta area. The walk from Monument Colon to Barceloneta's beaches is a delightful but quite long walk. If you want to speed things up, and many do, hire bicycles from around the Monument Colon, bottom of La Rambla area. (see the Barcelona Tourism guide right for Barcelona Cycle hire listings).

Park Guell - A Gaudi Creation that Kids will Love!

North of Gracia sits Gaudi's extraordinary creation Park Guell. Intended by Gaudi and patron Eusebi Guell as a select and isolated upmarket residential park, ironically today it's one of Barcelona's most accessible attractions.

Park Guell is a top family holiday hotspot, kids love the fairytale architecture and colored mosaic tiles - Park Guell is popular with school trips. Well worth making the Metro or tourist bus trip to, Park Guell offers some of the best views of Barcelona from its famous balcony vista. Be amazed by the caves with elephant trunk legs, the high colour mosaic tilework, mushroom shaped towers and Gaudi's distinctive salamander lizard. (Metro Vallcarca or Lesseps).

Plenty of space is on-site, including ample gardens for kids to romp around in, plus there's a choice of cafe restaurants.