Barcelona is truly a city that the entire family will enjoy. There are a couple of amusement parks on offer that are sure to keep the entire family entertained. The children can enjoy discovering the countryside on horseback, visit the Magic Fountain or spend the day on the beach. With so many fascinating places to see and visit, children will never forget their trip to Barcelona.

Amusement Parks
The Tibidabo amusement park is the nearest being only 30 minutes North of Placa de Catalunya by a special bus service called the Tibibus that leaves from outside El Corte Ingles (a large department store) in Placa Catalunya. The opening hours for Tibidabo theme park vary depending on the time of year. The Tibidabo is great for younger children as well as teens.

The Port Aventura Theme Park - Universal Studios is located outside Barcelona (1 hour 20 minutes by train). This is a theme park in which the entire family is certain to have a wonderful time.

Beaches
There are 4 main beach areas all within easy access from the city centre. Here the kids can enjoy a variety of water-sports cool off during those hot days.

Horseback Riding
The children will love a day of horseback riding around Barcelona. The rolling hills, mountains and fields of Catalonia are abundant with winding paths, making it very enticing to escape and discover the beauty of Catalonia from the saddle.

Magic Fountain of Montjuic
Here the children can enjoy a water and music extravaganza. The magic fountain is a spectacular display of colours, music, water acrobatics, light and motion. This magical fountain will capture your imagination and is a "must-see" when coming to Barcelona.

Parc Güell
Parc Güell is a beautiful park with superb city views. The Casa Museu Gaudí are located on the park grounds, this is where he lived for most of the last 20 years of his life. Here the kids can play and burn off some excess energy while giving the parents a relaxing respite.

Wax Museum
The wax museum is just a 5 minute walk from Passage de la Blanca (Just off the Ramblas) and is home to wax replicas of some of the most prominent figures in the history of mankind.

There are many opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities in Barcelona. Football is the most important sport in Barcelona, and the Barcelona Football Club is sure to give a fantastic show. Watching a football match is good entertainment, and also a great way to see the enthusiasm of the locals as they cheer their team. Besides football, the city offers horseback riding, beautiful beaches and scenic golf courses.

Beaches
There are 4 main beach areas all within easy access from the city centre. With waterskiing, diving, snorkelling and surfing on offer, you are sure to have a wonderful time.

Boat Rides
Take out a boat and enjoy a panoramic view of Barcelona from the sea as you sail along the city's coastline. From the sea you will be able to spot landmarks such as the skyscrapers of the Olympic Marina, the Sagrada Familia, and the Cathedral.

Cycling
Cycling is a wonderful way to discover Barcelona at a leisurely pace. You can cycle around the countryside and the Gothic Quarters and enjoy some of the most awe-inspiring views in the world.

Golf
Barcelona has some of the finest golf courses in the world. Here you can golf amongst Gothic ruins and scenic natural beauty.

Hiking and Trekking
Hike to St Miquel del Fai, where nature combined with medieval architecture provide the magical ingredients of a privileged place.

The Catalonian gastronomy is characterized by its diversity and influence of other cultures. Since Roman times, recipes have been incorporated from the Italian, French, Greek, Provencal, Arabian and Jewish fare. The result is a cuisine of great complexity and quality.

The cuisine of Barcelona presents the characteristics of the traditional Mediterranean cuisine, in other words, it abounds in vegetables, fish and meats, all cooked with olive oil, thus giving Barcelona the reputation for producing some of Spain's finest cuisine.

The essence of Catalan food lies in its sauces for meat and fish. There are five main types: sofregit (fried onion, tomato and garlic); samfaina (sofregit plus red pepper and aubergine or courgette); picada (based on ground almonds, usually with garlic, parsley, pine or hazel nuts, and sometimes breadcrumbs); allioli (pounded garlic with olive oil, often with egg yolk added to make more of a mayonnaise); and romesco (an almond, tomato, olive oil, garlic and vinegar sauce, also used as a salad dressing).

A favourite local dish is Faves a la Catalana: typical vegetables, various types of meats, and mushrooms. It is cooked and served in a clay pot. Other good things to look out for include oca (goose) and canalons (Catalan cannelloni). Wild mushrooms are a Catalan passion. 

Wine is often served during meals. Barcelona is best known for cava, the fine local bubbly. You can order wine by the glass (copa) in bars and restaurants. At lunch or dinner it is common to order a vino de la casa (house wine) - usually by the litre or half litre.

In Spain, coffee is a widely favoured drink. Spanish coffee tends to be strong and slightly bitter. In the morning, you can order a cafe con leche which is about 50% coffee, 50% hot milk. A cafe solo is an espresso.

There are numerous restaurants and cafés on offer: from the trendy to gourmet, there is something for every palate.

The Arc Café serves hearty Mediterranean, Caribbean and Asian-influenced dishes, such as chicken curry salad and spicy veggie burgers. The offerings are mostly vegetarian, however there is a good selection of meat dishes on offer as well. Located near the Placa Reial, the Arc Café provides an intimate setting, mellow music and wonderful food.

The Agut d’Avignon is located in the Barri Gòtic, and is known for its rustic yet elegant ambiance, and superb food. The menu is seasonal, offering regional specialties and dishes such as partridge pâté and roast wild boar with raspberry sauce.

Barcelona shopping offers around 35,000 shops and is the home to the famous 5 km shopping line. The shopping line stretches from the top of the Ramblas, through Placa de Catalunya along Passeio de Gràcia and up Avenue Diagonal. You'll find a huge selection of shops including many of the big names like Versace, Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Bally, Cartier and Calvin Klein to name but a few. You'll also find many high quality Spanish designer shops supplying a unique array of apparel.

The best shopping areas in central Barcelona are Passeo de Gracia, the Boulevard Rosa Arcade and Barri Gotic Streets which house both large department stores and smaller more intimate shops offering a wide variety of merchandise.

Besides shops, Barcelona is rich in open-air markets. Here you can find great antiques and collectables, food and produce as well as local artist exhibiting their wares.