World Traveller April/May 2020

Ferris wheel on Tibidabo
26 worldtravellermagazine.com
26 worldtravellermagazine.com
26 worldtravellermagazine.com
Start off on a high
Forget the Sagrada Família (the kids
won’t get it) and take bus T2a from
Plaça de Catalunya to Tibidabo – the
hill you can see from Passeig de
Gràcia. On top, there’s a theme park
with charmingly retro rides and fab
views (tibidabo.cat). Or, on the other
side of the city, take the funicular up to
montjuïc (telefericdemontjuic.cat). The
highlight here is the Magic Fountain,
next door to the Poble Espanyol,
a leftover from the 1929 World
Exhibition (the equivalent of the Expo),
where kids can visit attractions from
the whole of Spain.
Memorable meal
Take the metro to the Plaça d’Españya,
then nip around the corner to the
Suarna Bar restaurant on Carrer Llançà.
Admittedly, from the outside it looks a bit
like a shopping-mall diner, but the kids –
like the cops and the locals who dine here
– will love it. Paella is the house speciality,
but there’s also a kids' menu, entertaining
staff and, on the top floor, a play area
(restaurantesuarna.com).
Secretly educational sight
You may wish to explore La Ruta del
Modernisme in a bid to understand
Gaudí’s internal struggle between God
and nature, but that won’t cut it with
the kids – with the exception perhaps of
the Alice in Wonderland fantasy of La
Pedrera (lapedrera.com) and crazy Park
Guell, where they’ll love exploring Gaudí’s
cartoon-like playground. Otherwise, the
Museu Maritim (mmb.cat) will easily fill an
afternoon, with its fascinating collection
of model ships and a fish-shaped
submarine.
Blow off steam
Hit the beach. Most visitors head to
La Barceloneta, but for a more familyfriendly
vibe take metro line L4 to Selva
del Mar and the Platja del Bogatell,
where locals combine competitive
volleyball with loafing, paddling and long
lunches. This could also be the spot for
another memorable meal: try the paella
at the beachfront Xiringuito Escribà
(restaurantsescriba. com). And don’t miss
the magical Parc de la Ciutadella at the
edge of El Born district. It has a boating
lake, zoo and playgrounds – perfect for
hide and seek
Sleeping through
You can find cheaper places to stay, but
you won’t find a better location than
the Majestic Residence, one block from
La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia. The
two-bed apartments come with sitting
and dining rooms and, on the off-chance
you’ve got fussy eaters in tow, a fully
equipped kitchen. Prefer a hotel? The
Icon BCN is three blocks east of the Plaça
de Catalunya and 20 minutes from Parc
de la Ciutadella.
If only I’d known
The Barcelona card saves you so
much cash, providing free public
transport and free entry to 25 museums
(barcelonacard.org).