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254
there are miniature train rides and pony
rides on Sun and public holidays (not Aug);
it’s at the end of c/Montevideo (take bus
#66 from Pl. Catalunya or #64 from Pl.
Universitat to the end of the line and walk
up Avgda. d’Espasa).
Playgrounds
Most city kids use the squares
as playgrounds, under parental supervision.
In
Gràcia
, Plaça de la Virreina and Plaça de
Rius i Taulet are handsome traffic-free
spaces with good bars with attached
terrassas
. Wherever your children play,
however, you need to keep an eagle eye out
for dog dirt. In the old town, the nicest dog-
and traffic-free playground is in
Plaça de
Vicenç Martorell
, in El Raval, where there are
some fenced-off swings in front of a great
café,
Kasparo
.
Parc del Fòrum
, at Diagonal
Mar, also has a good children’s playground
and lots of other child-oriented attractions.
Rides and views
Bike tours
Join a group bike tour for a
safe way to see the sights on two wheels.
See p.29.
Cable cars
The two best rides in the city are
the cross-harbour cable car from Barce-
loneta to Montjuïc (p.90), and the Telefèric
de Montjuïc (p.97), which then takes you
up to the castle at the top of Montjuïc.
Neither is for the faint-hearted child or
sickly infant.
Las Golondrinas
Sightseeing boat rides
around the port and local coast. See p.30.
Mirador de Colón
See the city from the top of
the Columbus statue at the bottom of the
Ramblas. See p.86.
Torre de Collserola
Stunning views from the
telecommunications tower near Tibidabo.
Under-3s go free. See p.147.
Theme parks
Catalunya en Miniatura
Torrelles de Llobregat,
17km southwest of Barcelona (A2 highway, exit 5)
T
936 890 960,
W
www.catalunyaenminiatura
.com.
A theme park with 170 Catalan
monuments in miniature, plus mini-train rides,
children’s shows and playground. Daily
10am–6pm, later opening April–Sept; closed
Mon Nov–Feb.
Illa Fantasia
Vilassar de Dalt, 25km north
of Barcelona, just short of Mataró (exit 92 on
the main highway)
T
937 514 553,
W
www
.illafantasia.com.
Supposedly the largest
water park in Europe, with slides, splash
pools, swimming pools, water games and
picnic areas. Buy a combined ticket (
billete
combinado
) at Barcelona Sants station
and you can travel free on the train to
Premià de Mar, and then take the free
connecting bus to the park. Mid-May to
mid-Sept daily 10am–7pm.
Port Aventura
1hr south of Barcelona, near
Salou and La Pineda (exit 35 on A7)
T
977 779
090,
W
www.portaventura.es.
Universal
Studios’ massive theme park based on five
different cultures – Mexico, the Wild West,
Polynesia, China and the Mediterranean –
plus the Costa Caribe water adventure
park. There are also four on-site hotels, a
beach club, shops, restaurants and
shows, as well as fairground rides
(including the biggest roller coaster in
Europe). Two-day and two-park combina-
tion tickets offer the best value. Trains from
Passeig de Gràcia/Barcelona Sants run
directly to Port Aventura’s own station (1hr
15min; info from RENFE
T
902 240 202).
Daily: March–Oct 10am–8pm; July & Aug
10am–midnight; Christmas & New Year;
Nov–Dec Sat & Sun only.
Tibidabo
Dubbed “La Muntanya Magica”, the
rides and shows in the mountain-top
amusement park (see p.145) are unbeatable
as far as location goes, though tame
compared to those at Port Aventura.
CHILDREN’S BARCELONA
|
Children’s attractions