The Best and Worst of Barcelona with Kids
Barcelona may be the friendliest city I have ever visited. There are many attractions for the whole family to enjoy in the Catalan capital from the green Parc de la Ciutadella and the famous La Rambla pedestrian-only street to a chocolate museum. Would I recommend a visit? Definitely! Would I go again? Probably not. Find out why in my surprising take on the best and worst of Barcelona with kids.
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Barcelona Basics
This widespread city is the capital of the Catalonia region of Spain. Catalan is one of its official languages, which sounds to me like a mixture of French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
I always like to make an effort to speak at least a few words of the native language wherever I visit. Since everyone speaks Spanish as well, though, I didn’t bother tackling Catalan and instead got by with un poquito d’Español.
La Rambla
Barcelona’s most famous street is La Rambla. It is filled with vendors and street entertainers as well as a live bird fair.
My favorite part is La Boqueria, a vibrant food market. You can pull up a stool at one of the grills or grab a cornucopia of fruits, veggies, nuts, bread, meats, and cheeses. Then find a picnic area at Parc de la Ciutadella for an affordable lunch.
I love a good open-air market, and this is one of the best I have ever visited. With the burst of colors, scents, flavors, and upbeat energy — it’s overwhelming in its beauty.
To me, this is THE best part of Barcelona. Beware, however, of pickpockets that target tourists in this area.
Chocolate Museum
Any family trip to Barcelona with children should include a stop at the Museu de la Xocolata. Visitors can learn at this chocolate museum how chocolate came to be eaten and how it is made. Afterward, you can (and should!) purchase a chocolate treat or two at the onsite café.
The most fun, though, is browsing through various sculptures made of chocolate in forms. We saw a chocolate bullfighting scene, Mickey Mouse made of chocolate, and our daughter’s favorite, Finding Nemo.
Parc de la Ciutadella
Although the architectural styles in Barcelona is beautiful, the city center felt a bit stifling to me due to its lack of greenery. To get your nature fix, take the kiddos to Parc de la Ciutadella. Rent a rowboat and take a spin around a tiny green lake. Be warned that there were no life jackets available when we visited, which made me a wee nervous while paddling about with a wriggling toddler.
After our boat tour, Karissa swung on the swings and dug in the sand at a crowded playground. Visiting a park is one of my favorite things to do when traveling with kids. Parks offer free entry and it’s nice to take a city break. Young children make friends easily no matter the language barrier and it’s the best way to get a glimpse into the everyday lives of local families.
Barcelona Beaches
If visiting during summer months, then you’ll want to hit one of Barcelona’s beaches. You could easily spend a whole day or more splashing and playing with older kids and younger kids alike along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Bring along some water shoes or pop into one of the shops to get an inflatable ring. The pebble beaches may be uncomfy for tootsies.
My daughter liked digging with her bucket and shovel best. I liked soaking up some Mediterranean sunshine. And my husband? Well, as an American dude, he was thrilled to get his first peek at a few topless sunbathers. (Sheesh…men!)
Picasso Museum
My husband and I took turns trying to keep our toddler from destroying precious works of art at the impressive Museu Picasso. The famous painter Pablo Picasso grew up in Barcelona and this museum contains the most extensive collection of his early works. This isn’t necessarily the most kid-friendly destination but it is definitely worth a visit, especially if you’re a big fan of Picasso’s artwork.
La Sagrada Familia Basilica
Construction of one of Barcelona’s most popular tourist attractions, La Sagrada Familia Basilica began in 1882 and is still underway today. This unique church was designed by Antoni Gaudi, one of Barcelona’s most famous residents. The basilica should reach completion by 2026. Get more out of your visit by purchasing La Sagrada Familia tickets in advance with audio guide.
Promise the kids you’ll stop for ice cream at the park across the street in exchange for good behavior at this one-of-a-kind architectural feat.
Park Güell
Gaudi designed Park Guell as a high-end residential area for the Barcelona elite. Today it’s a tourist attraction filled with lovely paths, some breathtaking architecture showcasing Gaudi’s work, and great views of the city.
Although incredibly pretty, there isn’t a whole lot to “do” at Park Guell besides walk around. And, it’s a bit of a trek to get there. If you’re on a tight schedule without enough time, then this one can be skipped, especially if visiting Barcelona with younger children.
Family-Friendly Tours
From skip-the-line tickets and guided walking tours to boat trips and day trips from Barcelona, GetYourGuide has got you covered. Take a look at our trusted partner’s most popular Barcelona tours for families.
Dining in Barcelona with Kids
I have friends who have traveled to Barcelona (without children) and rave about the array of tapas bars. The Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain has called Spanish cuisine, “the best food in the western world” and here’s a video of Samantha Brown enamored with a garlic-slathered piece of fish along Barcelona’s harbor. (I think my family ate at this very restaurant!)
Our experience, however, was quite different from theirs. Our toddler hated all Spanish food. She refused to eat anything in Barcelona. This includes items she loves at home like pasta with red sauce, a fried egg served with French fries, and bread with a mild cheese from La Boqueria. In Barcelona, she lived off of fruit, ice cream, and chicken nuggets purchased on a daily trek to McDonald’s in an attempt to get some protein into her belly.
I have to admit, I wasn’t a big fan of the food in Barcelona either. Many of the tapas we tried were too dang greasy for my liking since many came deep-fried. The paella was decent but filled with too many odd creatures from both land and sea for my comfort. In fact, my favorite meal in Barcelona actually took place at an Italian restaurant.
Now, the Crema Catalana was a different story. It was like a cross between flan and crème brulée. Muy delicioso!
Keep in mind that people in Barcelona typically eat dinner quite late in the day. Restaurants may be closed during what most Americans consider dinnertime. Add jet lag to the mix and it can be difficult to find the food you want when you want it. If you can, then plan to eat your final meal with the locals between 9 and 11 pm.
Kid-Friendly Accommodations in Barcelona
My family visited Barcelona before our Disney Cruise in the Mediterranean and Disney recommended Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel. It’s a great place for the entire family, just a short walk from the Las Ramblas area. The décor was at once modern and elegant, too.
We were given a free upgrade to a one-bedroom suite both on our pre-and post-cruise stays, just for asking. (And this was before I launched Travel Mamas, so it’s not like we got any special treatment!) Our room was HUGE, especially considering European standards.
The staff was beyond courteous. Every time hotel employees saw our daughter, they cooed at her and handed her a lollipop. In fact, we finally had to ask the staff to stop offering candies to our little one!
One of my favorite memories of our stay in Barcelona was splashing in the hotel’s rooftop pool with its stunning view of the harbor spread out before us.
For additional options, take a look at the best hotels for families in Barcelona at Booking.com or these Barcelona accommodation recommendations from The Broke Backpacker.
The Verdict on Barcelona with Kids
To make the most of our costly air tickets to Europe for our cruise, we decided to extend our family holiday in Barcelona by a few days before and after our sailing. This really gave us a chance to explore this welcoming Spanish city.
The best thing about Barcelona is its people. Everyone we met was friendly and genuine. They definitely went out of their way to make sure we had a good time in their town.
There are plenty of family-friendly activities in this vibrant city, too. I highly recommend visiting Barcelona with kids.
As for me, I’ve been to Barcelona twice and that’s probably enough. The food wasn’t my family’s favorite and I felt a little nature-starved here. Plus, I feel like I’ve already experienced what I wanted to explore in Barcelona, and the world is filled with places I have yet to see.
Explore More of Spain
Ironically, Spain has become one of my favorite countries on Earth and I hope to live there someday! Discover my suggestions for exploring the amazing city of Seville with kids.
Explore more of Spain with this list of the best things to do in Málaga.
Take a look at the most romantic things to do in Southern Spain.
Learn about an unusual Catalonian holiday tradition in this round-up of wacky Christmas traditions in Europe.
Save These Fun Things to Do in Barcelona with Kids
For future reference, keep this list of tips for visiting Barcelona with kids. Simply pin the image above to Pinterest. We hope you’ll follow Travel Mamas on Pinterest while you’re at it!
What are your thoughts on visiting Barcelona with kids? I know some of you must think I’m nuts for poo-pooing Barcelona’s food. Go ahead…add a comment!
A Note from The Travel Mama: This story was originally written in 2009 and is regularly updated to reflect the current top things to do in Barcelona with kids.
I recall with horror that my family ate almost exclusively at McDonald’s in San Francisco’s Chinatown and at the Vancouver World’s Fair on a couple of trips when I was young. I grew out of it. As a parent, I have taken my kids to McDonald’s when I would rather have eaten local cuisine. Thankfully, my kids are now starting to grow out of it too.
Allison – The funny thing is that my daughter is the much more adventurous eater of our two kids. I wonder how she would fare if we returned to Barcelona now that she is several years older!
I like that you were honest and said that some of the food wasn’t to YOUR liking. It’s your opinion, and thank you for sharing it. traveling with a toddler is not always easy, especially when it comes to food! I know that too well 🙂
Thank you for your comment, Jenna! Kids can be tricky travel companions, can’t they?!
Tapas are not local food. They may bevbery Spanish, but Barcelona just happens to be a Catalan city.
Paella and Sangria are sure to get you into a tourist-trap. Kind of like looking for flamenco and bullfights. If you came to Barcelona looking for that, you got the wrong place. Again, it’s a Catalan city.
If you want to know about Catalan food you should try esqueixada, pà amb tomàquet, escalivada, bacallà a la llauna, anxoves de l’Escala, arròs caldós, etc. No need to go to fancy restaurants sporting one or more Michelin stars. Any restaurant claiming to serve “cuina de mercat” (market’s cuisine) is a good bet.
Regards from Barcelona
Marendins – Thank you for the tips on Barcelona’s cuisine. I will know what to order if we visit again!
Maradins – Thank you for offering constructive and helpful tips, not mean-spirited criticisms like a few of the others. My family travels a lot and I always LOVE to get suggestions of dishes to try and now my mouth is watering in anticipation of our trip to Barcelona!
Colleen – Good for you for not taking the nasty comments lying down! While we haven’t resorted to McDonald’s when visiting big cities (but, alas, definitely yes while on road trips when we don’t want to stop for long), we have bypassed more gastronomically-adventurous restaurants in favour of ones which offer pizza, pasta or similar foods more palatable to my picky daughter. For a foodie like me, this is tortuous but still preferable to dragging a hungry and, therefore, cranky child around on what would otherwise be a wondrous adventure! Stopping by a grocery store or market for fresh snack food (which might end up being lunch AND dinner for the children!) is also a great strategy that works for our family. Thanks for the great tips about what to do / where to go while in Barcelona!
Hi Kim – Thank you for the comment! Hitting up the grocery store while traveling is a great tip when traveling with picky eaters – good for the budget too!
I think there’s a major difference between difference in tastes and ignorance. I think you should ashamed of yourself taking your toddler to mcdonalds, it says everything about American culture. Try giving them a wise variety of fresh food and they won’t want to eat that rubbish masquerading as food.
Hi Belinda,
There is a difference between being kind and being a jerk. Have you ever been to McDonald’s in your life? Do you even have children? I, my dear, am not ignorant. I am very well traveled, educated and intelligent. Thank you for stopping by my blog to say mean things.
Best,
Colleen
Hi there! I LOVE that you included McDonald’s in this article. However we feel about Mcdonald’s, it’s amazing how comforting it is when in a situation with a picky eater and limited choices. I feel sometimes that no city is worth visiting unless it has a McDonalds, or at least in my youngest son’s opinion. I enjoy reading those opinions above of people who would criticize your information. I am sure it must be nice to live in their perfectly manicured, highly enlightened world. Bless their hearts. In the meantime, thank you for giving your honest review of Barcelona. We’ll add it to our research as we, too, consider a cruise to this area!
Cynthia – You crack me up! When I lived in Europe for a year, I sometimes headed to McDonald’s when I felt homesick for the U.S., which is funny because I rarely eat at McDonald’s! But you’re so right; McDonald’s can feel comforting in a foreign locale. Have a wonderful Mediterranean cruise!
Thanks for the article Colleen, we’re going to Barcelona next week and it’s nice to be “prepared” while taking along our 21 months old daugther with. She’s quite selective in food (as probably lots of toddlers), so we’ll probably stick to her favorites ;).
I’ve also heard about Barcelona as a gourmet city…not sure we’ll be able to experience it that way. Just to see messy little face with food all over will be a fantastic thing and if together with that we can explore some local specialities: great!
Greetings from DK
Nicoline,
Have a wonderful time in Barcelona! It’s such a friendly city, I know you will have fun!
Hi guys,
Gotta say I’m a bit surprised on the food comments taking into account that Barcelona’s famous for it. Also taking into account that, as a cosmopolitan city, it has got all kind of restaurants from Mediterranean to Far Eastern; and fast food too, from tapas (which are also in this category) to McDonalds. Not to forget that, if budget allows, it has the greatest density per square mile of MIchelin-awarded restaurants in the World, even higher than Paris nowadays. It’s certainly very difficult not to find something that wouldn’t satisfy your palate -or your kid’s. But hey, I respect other people’s criticism, it’s only that I find it unfair to judge Barcelona’s gastronomy so lightly.
In any case, please don’t take my comment as me being offended/defensive, I just would like to point out that, of the many ‘lows’ of Barcelona, food is certainly not one. Perhaps some people did little ‘searching’, as someone is suggesting. As in any major tourist destination, if you stick to the touristy places you’re likely to be served junk food while being exorbitantly charged.
Thank you for your comment, Enric! I know many people love, love, love Barcelona’s food but we were not among them. My husband and I actually asked the hotel employees (not the concierge) for restaurant recommendations and specifically asked them to tell us where THEY go, not tourists. It may have also had to do with traveling with a toddler. Unfortunately we were unable to really delve deeply into the tapas culture there because we had to go to bed when things were just beginning to heat up in Barcelona.
Thanks for the comment, Juliana! I always find it interesting when people get so offended (and offensive) about something as simple as a different taste in food.
Well, I’m glad that some 18 month olds are so very cultured. Unfortunately, many toddlers are fussy eaters and parents do the best they can while traveling to get their kids to eat (usually something that is familiar to them). It’s not about being ignorant. Everyone has the right to their own food preferences. It is narrow minded to think that everyone should like something just because you do. This article was honest and describes a pretty realistic problem that many families face while traveling…and I’m thinking most toddlers would reject the cabbage and corned beef suggestion as well.
My 18 month old loved the tapas in Barcelona and all of Spain. Educate yourselves a bit more and know what to order. There is a lot of variety and more to it than just the fried food and mayo, etc. you guys are too narrow minded and this article does a great disservice to some of the best food around. We had no issues whatsoever. As if Mcdonalds was better than tapas. Seriously people, really? Don’t be so ignorant. Read about the cuisine before you go.
I was reading the post, and was flipping out. People don’t like spanish food. Then after few minutes I thought maybe I’m too strict with other people thoughts about the food questions. But NO!! Just can’t be like this. And thank you Sofy for saying the truth. and Now I’m inspired to post my own opinion about this post.
Anna – I look forward to reading your post. Please send a link to your story when it is live. I might also like a different flavor of ice cream than you. It’s okay to like different things. Everyone has different taste buds. And, like I said in my story, we rarely eat at McDonald’s at home. But sometimes you need to do what you need to do when traveling with a toddler.
Are you people on drugs? Don’t like food in Spain? Going to Mc Donalds to feed your children! Give me a break!!! Go to England and eat some boiled cabbage with corned beef…jeessus.
I haven’t been to Spain, but I always thought the food is good there. It’s good to know. We plan to go there next year and we want to see the chocolate museum with our kids.
Dee & phxbne – Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Barcelona’s cuisine!
Allie – You crack me up! I love that Sangria won over dinner most nights. Ahhh…to be so young with such priorities again!
I backpacked in Barcelona and loved it but not for the food. We were on a budget and many nights it was dinner or sangria and sangria won everytime. I did find a great bagel shop off La Rambla
that made amazing sandwiches. Other than that we had paella once and it was no where near as good as the Paella in Nice.
Sangria was awesome though.
I am not a huge fan of the food in Spain either. We took our then 15 month old to Spain and food was a struggle. Although we did learn she loved black olives and ham!
Hi phxbne,
When you took your 15 month old to Spain, how did you manage to watch her and also be aware of pickpockets? I would like to go with my 15 month old as well but don’t know if it is manageable with all the pickpockets around to be alert for.
Hi Pearl – I know your question was directed to phxbne but I thought I’d chime in anyway! We went with a 2.5-year-old and warded off pickpockets by using one of those geeky money wallets recommended by Rick Steves that you tuck into your shirt. It was hot, uncomfortable and looked lumpy under my clothes. I lived in the the South of France for a year and traveled throughout Europe without ever getting pick-pocketed simply by keeping my money/ID in a front pants pocket and always keeping a hand over my pocket walking through crowds. If approached by a gaggle of kids or someone unfamiliar putting something in front of you, turn around and quickly walk away. There are also some great pickpocket proof pants and shirts that are available now – check out ClothingArts. They are much more practical and attractive than the silly money wallet!
Hi Colleen, thanks for sharing your experience.. do you also keep your 2.5 year old in a stroller while walking through crowded places in Barcelona? Also, have you traveled with a toddler while expecting a second child? I want to go before there is an addition kid since travelling with one kid will for sure be easier than two…
Hi Pearl –
We actually found out we were expecting our second child while on our Mediterranean cruise/trip to Barcelona! We kept our toddler in the stroller but also let her out to run around in parks, etc. We had one of those safety harnesses (or backpack “leash”) that allowed her to get out and stretch her legs/explore and have some freedom without us needing to worry about her getting lost. Check out these options in the Travel Mamas Store: http://astore.amazon.com/travmama03-20?node=1&page=3
Hi Colleen,
I might be in the same boat.. as with my first babymoon, I went after 20 weeks preggo since I wanted to make sure anatomy scan was all good before going.. This time (possibly babymoon #2), the thought of having to watch and toddler and preggo and being aware of pickpockets is a little bit overwhelming for me so I am googling to find more info. Thanks for your sharing again!
After living in Spain for a year, I have to agree the food is not a favorite. Individually, the wine, olives, Manchego cheese, and serrano ham are wonderful, and we made many meals of these ingredients. But the every day meals of pork pounded so thin it’s tough and dry and tapas full of mayonnaise-y sauces weren’t my thing. Well, I guess I did love the mayonnaise-y aioli on bread, but not with a lot of other things stacked on top. I miss the fresh fish the most, those little clams and mussels and a whole fish baked in salt (read my blog for that experience!)
Barcelona was a hard place to eat with my kids too. The Anthony Bourdain restaurants are wonderful, I’m sure, but just not an experience to be had with little ones. We ate sushi the most there as it was not common in the part of Spain we lived in, and we all missed it. I cooked a lot in our small rented apartment with fresh ingredients from La Boqueria.