Today I plan to continue to share about cultural things you can do in this beautiful city Barcelona.
If you are a passionate sports lover, then the city can offer you a lot of possibilities. Let’s talk about public sports centers. Every district has several public sports centers, these are usually called CEM -centre esportiu municipal-Municipal Sports Center. These centers are well maintained and equipped with indoor and/or outdoor swimming pools, fitness and exercise equipment and facilities for a variety of sports. These centers are usually more economic, due to the fact that municipality takes care of the price range of those.
Of course, apart from CEM, there are lots of private sports and fitness clubs, specialized clubs in a specific field(tennis, racquet sports, swimming and water polo, martial arts, yoga, Pilates and so on).
Football is one of the most loved sports in Barcelona, it is a moment of pride for each person. That is why, you will find lots of spaces dedicated to football entertainment. As I am not a football fan, I will advise you to check more on this topic individually from experts, and not somebody like me, that only heard something.
As well, if you like doing sports on your own, below I would love to share some of the most beautiful parks and gardens where you can practice. We love to go with our kids, as it is a relaxing moment for us, while kids are running there and forth.
Jardins de Can Castelló- these gardens used to be the grand entrance to an old country house.
Jardins de Can Sentmenat- these are classical gardens with beautiful views of Barcelona and the Collserola hills.
Jardins de Joan Maragall- these gardens feature wooded avenues, vast lawns, ornamental fountains, outdoor sculptures and a small palace.
Jardins de Laribal- these gardens include beautiful terraces, pathways, small squares, ponds and lush plant life.
Jardins de la Tamarita- these gardens have as its centerpiece a small pathway guarded by statues representing America, Africa, Asia and Europe.
Jardins del Palau de les Heures- these gardens stretch in front of the emblematic Les Heures Palace, built at the end of the 19th century at the foot of the Collserola hills.
Jardins del Palau de Pedralbes – these gardens of the Pedralbes Royal Palace feature romantic bridges and verdant areas.
Jardins del Teatre Grec – these gardens were created on Montjuïc hill for the Universal Exposition of 1929.
Parc de la Ciutadella – the park is famous for its magnificent waterfall, elegant 19th century buildings, beautiful landscaping and rich vegetation.
Parc del Centre del Poblenou – with more than five hectares of green, this park has Mediterranean autonomous vegetation, which shares space with thematic areas and with the avant-garde of its design, the work of the French architect Jean Nouvel.
Parc del Guinardó- It is one of the most extensive green areas of Barcelona.
Parc del Laberint d’Horta – This park is known for its maze of cypress bushes. It is also home to the city’s oldest garden, a neoclassical treasure from the 18th century.
Parc Güell – this is the city’s most famous park, one that has come to symbolise all of Barcelona. It is a testament to Antoni Gaudí. This park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Turó Parc- the park has an oval pond surrounded by poplars and plane trees, a large, grassy lawn, an open-air theater and a bowling green.
But, how about the best part of the city? BEACHES? Of course, there are so many people enjoying the beaches while running or doing other types of sports. Barcelona’s beaches are easily accessible from the city center by metro and by bicycle. We live not so far from the beach, and we always go walking. And I know lots of people who come to visit Barcelona, enjoy the city running to the beach.
The beaches of Barcelona are: Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta, Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella, Llevant. Apart from the beaches in Barcelona, locals and tourists alike are drawn to nearby seaside towns such as Castelldefels and Sitges and to beaches on the Maresme coast. Further afield are the beautiful coastal regions of the Costa Brava in the province of Girona, and the Costa Daurada in the province of Tarragona.
What about activities for kids? If you follow our blog for a longer time, then you could see that I shared lots of times things we did with our kids. The list of cultural and leisure activities aimed at young people is extraordinary and practically endless. I will enumerate the main, and if you want, check the Barcelona Local Guide page, to inspire for more.
L’Aquàrium de Barcelona – the aquarium features 35 tanks, 11,000 animals of 450 different species, an 80-metre underwater tunnel and six million litres of water.
Font Màgica de Montjuïc – This illuminated fountain was originally built for the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition.
Zoo de Barcelona – the zoo has a wide variety of animals on show. It also has a restaurant, picnic area, electric cars, ponies and a mini-train. They also have summer camps for kids.
Parc d’Atraccions del Tibidabo – Adults and kids can take the Tramvia Blau and the Funicular to the top of Tibidabo hill, where fun awaits at the Tibidabo Amusement Park.
Here I will close the series of articles with advice on how to do your moving to Barcelona more smoothly. In the next article I will share a beautiful airbnb, that you can rent for 1 to 12 months, that are very well communicated. People who stayed there, came mainly to have a place where to live, while doing all the process of the move described in previous articles.