Barcelona Outdoor Activities

Barcelona is one of the most important cities in Spain with a wide range of outdoor activities. So there's always an answer to what to see and do in Barcelona when it comes to being outdoors. You can tour the city by segway or bicycle, take a boat trip, visit the Camp Nou, visit the traditional markets, join a literary or ghost tour, or revel in the artistic magic of Park Güell.

Your visit to Barcelona should include one of the tours of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter and Old Town, as these are distinctive parts of the city and represent one of the most enjoyable outdoor activities.

The idea of this type of tour is to get to know old Barcelona while you see the traces of the medieval and Roman times as you wander through the narrow streets of the Born district.

You'll see places steeped in history in the Ciutat Vella, to get an idea of what daily life was like in the city as you visit avenues, markets and other bustling spaces centuries ago. You'll also see the popular Plaza Real and Barcelona Cathedral, with its Gothic and neo-Gothic architecture.

Don't miss Las Ramblas, a traditional boulevard full of movement and leisure spaces, with street art displays , restaurants and shops. And when it comes to local produce, be sure to explore La Boqueria market, where you'll find a variety of Catalan gastronomy and fresh produce.

Useful information

• Price: a guided tour costs approximately €20 per person.
• Duration: Generally, the stipulated time for this type of tour is two and a half hours.

Montjuic is a neighbourhood in Barcelona that shares its name with the hill on which it stands. Its elevation of 177 metres above sea level makes it an ideal outdoor destination when visiting the city, not only for the breathtaking views it offers, but also for its emblematic sites. So, the idea is that you can explore this environment on board a Segway, which will make it easier for you to get around.

In this type of experience you'll usually get to know several of the things to do in Montjuic in a fun way and with the guidance of a professional. After receiving basic instructions on how to use the segway, people will be able to explore the neighbourhood and, among the attractions, there are:

• Montjuic Castle, a fortress dating back to the 12th century and offering beautiful views of the harbour and the city.
• The Poble Espanyol, a sort of open-air museum where you'll find samples of Spanish culture, architecture and craftsmanship.
• The Olympic Ring, the sports complex built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, consisting of the Olympic Stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi and the Collserola Tower.
• The Montjuic Gardens, a set of botanical and Japanese-style gardens where you can relax and appreciate nature.

Useful information

• Price: the experience usually costs around 69€ per person.
• Duration: the visit can take between two and three hours.

Another way to enjoy the great outdoors while you visit the capital of Catalonia is to take a boat trip around Barcelona. In this case, you could join a sailing trip at sunset, to enjoy the fresh sea breeze mixed with the colours of the sunset.

This is an intimate experience in which you generally sail along part of the city's coastline in a boat, together with family or friends. At the start, visitors can receive a drink and, along the way, enjoy the scenery with the boat's music in the background.

As you go along the route, you can see the sun disappearing into the horizon of the Mediterranean, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. You can also see some of the city's most emblematic places (such as the Olympic Port, the W Hotel and the Barceloneta beach) bathed in this particular light.

Useful information

• Price: the tour costs approximately €53 per person.
• Duration: the activity lasts an average of two hours.

Lovers of open-air sports such as football will find plenty to do in Barcelona. One option is to visit the Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona or join the Camp Nou Experience. In either case, it is an exciting activity to learn about the history of FC Barcelona.

In this tour of one of the most important temples of football in the world, you usually have access to public and private areas of the stadium, such as the football field, the stands, the tunnel entrance to the field, the locker rooms and even the presidential box, with luck.

However, perhaps the biggest protagonist in this visit is the FC Barcelona museum, where you can learn all about the history of the team and its current moment. This experience is usually accompanied by a professional guide and sometimes a private tour is available for small groups.

As you walk through the museum, you will see countless items related to the team, such as the trophies won over the years, the various jerseys that represent the club, the boots worn by legendary players and much more.

Useful information

• Price: this private tour can cost around 163€ per person.
• Duration: The tour experience can be extended for an hour and a half.

Barcelona has various options for discovering Catalan gastronomy and one of the proposals is to discover some of its flavours and aromas in the open air on a tour of the city' s main markets, which stands out among the best gastronomic tours in Barcelona.

For this experience, it is common to have the company of a professional guide, who explains the importance of the places visited and provides information about the dishes and snacks that are tasted. Generally, this tour covers

La Boqueria market

This is Barcelona's largest and most famous market, with fresh produce such as seasonal fruit and vegetables, meat, sausages, seafood and fish. If you go to Barcelona in autumn, you'll find the mushroom stalls, while in spring the asparagus will be the attraction. There are also typical Catalan nuts and sweets as well as gourmet items, such as preserves, chocolates, olive oils and artisan cheeses.

Santa Caterina Market

This is a place of commercial activity with a great architectural attraction: its roof is full of colourful mosaics that give the place a unique atmosphere. In addition to the fresh and organic products that can be purchased here, it is also possible to try various regional dishes such as paellas, salads, fideuás, and sandwiches.

Local tapas bar

The last stop on the tour is usually a local tapas bar. In this type of establishment you can try the most typical tapas such as patatas bravas, croquetas or gambas al ajillo and, at the same time, taste some signature tapas. In addition, some Spanish wines are often on offer .

Useful information

• Price: this type of experience costs approximately €40 per person.
• Duration: it is estimated that this activity lasts about 4 hours.

If you're planning to spend the summer in Barcelona, there's nothing like taking advantage of the good weather to stroll through its streets. That's why I suggest you get to know some of the city's most emblematic places while you ride a segway, which will save you time and energy to continue your adventure.

This plan is also ideal if you' re visiting Barcelona in 2 days or less and have a short itinerary. The idea is that for about two or three hours you take a tour of some areas of tourist interest, such as:

• The Arc de Triomphe, the striking structure dating from the late 19th century with a neo-Mudejar architectural style and 30 metres high, designed by the architect Josep Vilaseca.
• The Olympic Port, a sports area where you will see various boats, beaches and leisure areas.
• The Plaza de los voluntarios, a tribute to the more than 30,000 volunteers who took part in the organisation of the 1992 Games, which houses two imposing sculptures and a spectacular fountain.
• The Montjuïc district , at the other end of the city, where you can see attractions such as the cable car, the castle, the gardens and the fountain.

Useful information

• Price: can vary depending on the duration, for example, if you choose a 2-hour tour, the approximate cost is €97 per person, while a 3-hour tour costs around €137.
• Duration: between two and three hours, depending on your choice.

Art appreciation , reading and outdoor recreation combine in this activity, a literary tour dedicated to The Shadow of the Wind, the novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafón that has the city of Barcelona as the setting for the events.

Whether you've read the book or not, you can join an expert guide and a small group to discover the main settings of the novel. This tour usually includes a walk along La Rambla, starting from Plaça Catalunya, which is the place where Daniel Sempere and his father begin their quest in the novel. Also, Calle Santa Ana, where the Sempere e Hijos bookshop is located , the home of the main character Daniel Sempere.

You can also see Plaza del Ángel, where Daniel meets Beatriz; the Domènech Palace, headquarters of the Cabestany publishing house; the Basilica of Santa María del Mar, where the main characters meet again; the Gothic Quarter and the Parc de la Ciutadella, where the final scenes of the novel take place.

You can also visit Els Quatre Gats, where Daniel meets the bookseller Julián Carax, a place that has hosted great figures such as Pablo Picasso. If, in addition to literature, you are also interested in dance, at the end of this type of tour, participants usually attend one of the Flamenco shows in Barcelona, another of the city's cultural attractions.

Useful information

• Price: the tour costs approximately €18 per person.
• Duration: the estimated time for this activity is usually two and a half hours.

If you intend to spend the month of August in Barcelona, you should know that the good weather during this time of year is perfect for joining a bike ride around the corners of the city. The best thing is that you have several options for this, as you can go on your own, on an electric bike or on a customised tour for your group.

Whichever option you choose, on this tour you'll explore the city in a different and fun way under the open sky. You'll be able to better appreciate the colours of each neighbourhood and discover its streets and points of interest.

The departure point for this type of tour is usually in the centre of Barcelona. Generally, the first thing to do is to receive some instructions from the guide. Then you set off to see buildings with unique architecture while you listen to interesting facts about each area.

Depending on the route you choose, you will pass by Barceloneta Beach, Plaza del Rey, Paseo del Born, La Sagrada Familia, Plaza de Toros and much more.

Useful information

• Price: the general tour costs around €36 per person, while for small groups the price is around €43.
• Duration: depending on the route, the tour lasts three and a half hours.

Another great way to enjoy a day out in Barcelona is to join a tour of Park Güell to appreciate the Catalan modernist style captured in each of its spaces by the great Antonio Gaudí.

For this tour, all you have to do is buy tickets for Barcelona's Park Güell and immerse yourself in this 19-hectare complex that flaunts Gaudí's Catalan modernista style in every detail, mixing biodiversity with art and culture.

Pay attention to the Dragon staircase at the entrance and the three rooms that make up a kind of temple. During the walk, you will understand how the duct system designed to store rainwater works and which allows the structure to function as a fountain.

Don't forget to enter the Plaza de la naturaleza or Greek Theatre, a space designed for the presentation of shows, so that they can be appreciated from the terraces that make up the complex. You should also pass through the Austrian garden and appreciate the variety of plants that make it up. You will also see the Gaudí House Museum, where the artist lived.

Useful information

• Price: you will have to pay an approximate cost of 26€ per person.
• Duration: the visit can be completed in approximately one hour.

When we think of outdoor activities, the idea of a sunny day always comes to mind, but the truth is that Barcelona's open-air nightlife holds many wonders and one of them is the experience of listening to ghost stories as you explore the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter.

This activity is one of Barcelona' s favourite ghost tours for visitors, precisely because it combines a walk in open spaces with a night-time adventure. Because of its important role as a city developed during the Middle Ages, Barcelona holds an endless number of stories and legends full of horror and mystery.

Coincidentally, most of them come from its oldest district: the Gothic Quarter. So on this adventure you can join a guide and a group of tourists to listen to the most striking tales and stories as you walk through the narrow streets.

You'll hear stories such as the Ghost of Canales, tales of the satanic masses held in the Convent of Santa Catalina and the tale of the crime of Carrer Bisbe, where the assassination of Archbishop Izurrita is said to have taken place during the Civil War.

Useful information

• Price: the tour costs approximately €19 per person.
• Duration: The estimated duration of this type of tour is one and a half hours.