Barcelona It is one of the most visited cities in the world – almost 26 million people stayed overnight in the region throughout 2023, according to the Spanish Ministry of Tourism. But anyone who thinks the city is not suitable for children is mistaken: family itineraries are abundant, bringing joy to parents and children.
Who proves this is Camila Amaral the name behind the blog and Instagram “Mala de Mãe”, who travels the world with her husband and three children. The capital of Catalonia is among the professional’s destinations, which highlights activities in postcards and in addresses less known to visitors.
In addition to visits to the Sagrada Família and La Barceloneta, which can indeed be included in the itinerary with children in Barcelona Camila highlights below 15 programs alongside the little ones around the city, but in her Instagram and E-Books She recommends 29 unmissable attractions for little ones.
Check out 15 things to do with children in Barcelona:
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Barcelona Zoo
Barcelona Zoo is one of the most beautiful and complete zoos I have ever visited with children, with a great proposal for animal conservation and reintegration. In addition to the zoo itself, there is a huge park that is a joy for children, with everything separated by age.
Ticket prices may change at the physical box office and on the official website. At the ticket office, tickets for adults cost €21.40 (R$130) and €12.95 (R$80) for children aged 3 to 12. For comparison, online tickets (for a limited time only) are costing €10.70 (R$65) and €6.45 (R$40) respectively. The zoo is located inside the Parc de la Ciutadella, which is also worth a visit.
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Park Güell
A must-see for adults and children alike, Park Güell is one of Antoni Gaudí’s most important projects. The place is fascinating, with colorful structures and sinuous shapes that leave everyone enchanted. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a public area, with the park itself, as well as a huge green area and playground. The part where the main monument is located is the most popular and requires a ticket – I strongly recommend buying in advance, as they sell out easily.
Visitors pay an entrance fee of €10 (about R$60). Tickets and more information can be found here here.
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Ciutadella Park
I consider this park a must-see because it has a delightful atmosphere and attractions such as a playground, playroom, pedal boats, rowing boats and picnic areas. It has a lot of green space and was built in the 19th century to resemble the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.
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Barcelona Aquarium
The Barcelona Aquarium is one of the largest in the Mediterranean and offers interactive activities with animals. There are 66 aquariums, which bring together 11,000 animals from more than 450 species. One of the coolest parts is an 80-meter-long transparent tunnel where different sharks and rays pass by.
Open every day of the year, tickets cost €26 (R$159) for adults; €19 (R$116) for children aged 5 to 10 and €11 (R$67) for children aged 3 to 4. More information here.
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Casa Batllo
Contrary to popular belief, Casa Batlló is extremely attractive to children and is one of the easiest places to introduce them to art. The vibrant colors and unusual shapes of this modernist building, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are sure to arouse children’s curiosity. To make the experience even more fun, the space has an interactive tablet.
My tip is not to use the elevator to get to the top, as they really enjoy the walk. It’s worth buying your ticket in advance, as the lines are huge – early in the morning or after 7pm are the quietest times to visit. Tickets for adults start at €29 (R$177) and children up to 12 years old go free. More information here.
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Spanish Town
Poble Espanyol is an off-the-beaten-path tour that brings together cultural excitement. It is an open-air museum on Montjuïc Mountain, which is worth a leisurely visit (more on that below). The site displays full-scale replicas of more than 115 typical buildings from different regions of Spain and has leisure areas, workshops for children, crafts and several restaurants. It is worth keeping an eye on the schedule of events throughout the year, such as flamenco shows and fairs.
Individual tickets start at €9 (R$56) during the day and €7 (R$43) at night. More information here.
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Montjuïc
One of the most important hills in Spain, Montjuïc has a beautiful viewpoint with breathtaking views of the entire city. It offers several interesting family activities.
Some examples are: the Magic Fountain, with its light show; the Castle, an old fortress that serves as a lookout point; the Olympic Ring, built for the 1992 Games; as well as the Olympic Stadium; the Art Museum of Catalonia; the Joan Miró Foundation; the Botanical Gardens; and the Poble Espanyol, as described above. There is also a cable car between some points in the surrounding area – check it out here.
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Science Museum – CosmoCaixa Barcelona
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In any city, the science museum is always a favorite activity for children and adults alike. The one in Barcelona is no slouch and is very interesting: in addition to being very interactive and educational, it has various exhibits, a planetarium, a Universe Room, a flooded forest and a space for little ones with workshops. The idea is to unravel the mysteries of the universe, nature and science in a fun and playful way.
Open every day, the museum has tickets starting at €8 (R$50). More information here.
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PortAventura World
If you want to spend a day at an amusement park full of rides and rollercoasters, PortAventura is the place to go. It is located about 100 kilometers from the city and an hour from Barcelona airport. The complex has not just one, but three parks – two dry and one water park. Here you will find Ferrari Land, a Ferrari theme park with 70,000 m² and 16 attractions for all ages, including the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in all of Europe.
The complex is located on the Costa Dorada and also has eight hotels. Ticket prices vary from park to park and there are even options for more than one day. A one-day ticket to Ferrari Land, for example, costs €17 (R$104) for children aged 4 to 10, rising to €19 (R$117) for children aged 11 and over. More information here.
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La Rambla and Mercado de la Boquería
Over a kilometer long, La Rambla is one of the most important and touristic streets in Barcelona, connecting Plaça Catalunya to the Old Port. It’s a pleasant walk and is a great way to explore other neighborhoods, such as the Gothic Quarter.
In the middle of La Rambla is the Boquería Market, an unmissable place that gives you the opportunity to try various foods and learn more about the local culture. There are more than 200 stands with the most different – and delicious – ingredients.
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Barcelona Maritime Museum
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Located in a renovated historic building, the maritime museum delves into Catalan and Mediterranean maritime culture through regular exhibitions and interactive activities, as well as featuring a collection that displays everything from ship parts to cartographic documents.
The interesting thing is that there is free entry from 3pm on Sundays – the museum is open every day from 10am to 8pm, with entry until 7pm. Regular admission costs €10 (around R$62) and the museum is close to the port and the Wax Museum. More information here.
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Barcelona History Museum (MUHBA)
The museum is aimed at the whole family and tells the story of the city, with interactive tours about its construction, its formation and its inhabitants. Some activities are aimed at children and there are also guided tours. The main headquarters is in Casa Padellàs, in Plaça del Rei, near Barcelona Cathedral, but there are other museum locations spread throughout the city with other remains.
Adult tickets cost around €7 (R$43). More information here.
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Barcelona Wax Museum
The wax museum is another one of those classics that exist in every big city, but that are a joy for kids, and is great on rainy days, for example. In Barcelona, the museum has 150 figures spread across 28 settings, including personalities such as Messi, Rafael Nadal, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billie Eilish and characters from “La Casa de Papel”.
Individual tickets cost €21 (around R$130) and there is a combo for €59.90 (R$370) that covers two adults and two children between 6 and 16 years old. More information here.
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Big Fun Museum
On La Rambla, Big Fun is an Instagrammable place full of scenes for the whole family. There are different areas, such as the upside-down house and the house of giants, where we feel like miniatures. Entry costs €22.50 (R$140) – children under 5 go free – and tickets can be combined with the Wax Museum and the Museum of Illusions. More information here.
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Museum of Illusions
An optical illusion museum is always a good option for having fun with children. Interactive and educational, this place is part of the Big Fun range of museums and is an alternative for hot or rainy days. The place has different scenes and games with optical illusions. Admission costs €13.50 (R$83) and children up to 5 years old go free. More information here.
About Camila Amaral
Camila Amaral is the name behind the blog “Mala de Mãe” and the profile @malademae on Instagram, which has over 155 thousand followers. A native of São Paulo, she documents her adventures around the world with her husband and three children. Her tips range from how to put together a travel itinerary to how to experience motherhood in a relaxed way. On her channels, her tips for destinations and itineraries include everything from Campos do Jordão and Orlando to less obvious places to visit with children, such as Fátima (Portugal), Interlaken (Switzerland), Munich (Germany) and Mykonos (Greece).
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Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
