Barcelona Outdoor Activities

Barcelona is one of the most important cities in Spain with a wide range of outdoor activities. Therefore, there will always be an answer on 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 ride, 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 they are distinctive places in the city and represent one of the most enjoyable activities to do outdoors.

The idea of this type of tour is to get to know the old Barcelona while observing the traces of the medieval and Roman times, going into the narrow streets of the Born district.

You will be able to observe places full of history in the Ciutat Vella, to get an idea of what daily life was like in the city by visiting avenues, markets and other spaces of high activity centuries ago. You will also see the popular Plaza Real and the Cathedral of Barcelona, with its Gothic and neo-Gothic architecture.

You can't miss Las Ramblas, a traditional boulevard full of movement and leisure spaces, with street art displays , restaurants and stores. Also, when talking about local products, be sure to explore La Boqueria market, where you will find various samples 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 neighborhood in Barcelona that shares its name with the hill on which it is erected. For its elevation of 177 meters above sea level, it is an ideal outdoor destination to visit in the city, not only for the breathtaking views it offers, but for its emblematic places. So, the idea is that you travel through this environment aboard a segway, which will facilitate your displacement.

In this type of experience usually know several of the things to do in Montjuic in a fun way and with the guidance of a professional. After receiving instructions on the basic use of the segway, people can go into the neighborhood and, among the attractions, are:

• Montjuic Castle, a fortress that dates back to the 12th century and offers beautiful views of the port and the city.
• The Poble Espanyol, a sort of open-air museum where you will find samples of Spanish culture, as well as architecture and craftsmanship.
• The Olympic Ring, the sports complex built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, 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.

Information of interest

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

Another proposal to enjoy the outdoors while visiting the capital of Catalonia are the boat rides in Barcelona. In this case, you could join a sailboat tour at sunset, to enjoy the cool sea breeze mixed with the colors of the sunset.

This is an intimate experience in which you usually travel along part of the coast of the city in a boat, along with family or friends. At the beginning, visitors can receive a drink and, along the ride, enjoy the scenery with the music of the boat in the background.

As the tour progresses, the sun can be seen getting lost in the horizon of the Mediterranean, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. You can also see some of the most emblematic places of the city (such as the Olympic Port, the W Hotel and the Barceloneta Beach), bathed in this particular light.

Information of interest

• Price: the tour has an approximate cost of 53€ per person.
• Duration: the activity has an average duration of two hours.

Lovers of open-air sports such as soccer find plenty to do in Barcelona. One of the options 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 soccer worldwide, you usually have access to public and private spaces of the stadium, such is the case of the soccer 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 enter the museum, you will see the exhibition of countless items related to the team, such as the trophies won over the years, the various representative jerseys of the club, the boots worn by legendary players and much more.

Information of interest

• 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 several options to know the Catalan gastronomy and one of the proposals is to discover part of its flavors and aromas outdoors in a tour of the main markets of the city, 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 includes:

La Boqueria Market

This is the largest and most famous market in Barcelona, with fresh produce such as seasonal fruits and vegetables, meats, sausages, seafood and fish. If you go to Barcelona in autumn, you will find the mushroom stalls, while in spring 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 artisanal cheeses.

Santa Caterina Market

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

Local tapas bar

The last stop on the tour is usually at a local tapas bar. In this type of establishments you can taste the most typical tapas such as patatas bravas, croquettes or garlic prawns and, at the same time, taste some signature tapas. In addition, some Spanish wines are often offered .

Information of interest

• Price: this type of experience has an approximate value of 40€ per person.
• Duration: it is estimated that this activity lasts about 4 hours.

If you plan to spend the summer in Barcelona, nothing like taking advantage of the good weather to stroll through its streets. Therefore, I propose you to know some of the most emblematic places of the city while you move on a segway, which will save you time and energy to continue your adventure.

This plan is also ideal if you visit Barcelona in 2 days or less and you 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 nineteenth century with a neo-Mudejar architectural style and 30 meters high, designed by architect Josep Vilaseca.
• The Olympic Port, a sports area where you will see various boats, beaches and recreational areas.
• The Plaza de los voluntarios, a tribute to the more than 30,000 volunteers who participated in the organization 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 appreciate attractions such as the cable car, the castle, the gardens and the fountain.

Information of interest

• 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 or 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 have read the book or not, you can join an expert guide and a small group to get to know the main scenarios where the novel takes place. This tour usually includes a walk along La Rambla, starting from Plaza Cataluña, which is the place where Daniel Sempere and his father begin their quest in the novel. Also, Santa Ana Street, where the Sempere and Sons Bookstore is located , home of the protagonist Daniel Sempere.

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

In addition, you can visit Els Quatre Gats, where Daniel meets the bookseller Julian Carax, this place has received great characters 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 cultural attraction in the city.

Information of interest

• Price: the tour has an approximate cost of 18€ per person.
• Duration: usually, the estimated time for this activity is two and a half hours.

If you intend to spend the month of August in Barcelona, you should know that the good weather that is usually at this time is suitable to join a bike ride through 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 customized tour for your group.

In any of the options you choose, in this tour you will explore the city in a different and fun way under the open sky. You will be able to better appreciate the colors of each neighborhood and discover its streets and points of interest.

The departure point for this type of tour is usually in the center of Barcelona. Generally, the first thing to do is to receive some instructions from the guide. Afterwards, set off to appreciate buildings of unique architecture while listening to curiosities about each space.

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.

Information of interest

• Price: the general tour has a value of about 36€ per person, while for small groups the value ranges between 43€.
• Duration: depending on the route, the tour lasts three and a half hours.

Another excellent way to enjoy an open sky day 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 purchase tickets for Barcelona's Park Güell and immerse yourself in this 19-hectare complex that flaunts the Catalan modernism proposed by Gaudí in every detail, and where biodiversity is mixed 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 allows the structure to function as a fountain.

Do not forget to enter the Plaza of Nature or Greek Theater, 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 compose it. You will also see the Gaudí House Museum, where the artist lived.

Information of interest

• Price: you will have to pay an approximate cost of 26€ per person.
• Duration: the visit can be completed in about an 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 night holds many wonders and one of them is the experience of listening to ghost stories while exploring the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter.

This activity is one of Barcelona' s favorite ghost tours for visitors, precisely because it combines a walk in open spaces with a nighttime 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 performed in the Convent of Santa Catalina and the tale of the crime of Bisbe Street, where the assassination of Archbishop Izurrita is said to have occurred during the Civil War.

Information of interest

• Price: the tour has a cost of 19€ per person, approximately.
• Duration: it is estimated to last an hour and a half for this type of tour.