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A day with the kids at a local Barcelona beach

Ann Marie Brannigan 5 Comments

Hi every one. This is Ann-Marie and I am the guide that leads all of you on the Runner Bean Kids and Family Walking Tours. One thing that strikes me about this city is the huge amount of activities available for families. Of course, all the guide books list the main museums and attractions, but on this post I thought I would offer an insider’s view on alternative itineraries that would offer a more local perspective. So follow me for some beach, tapas and ice cream.

One big bonus about visiting Barcelona with the little ones is the sand and the sea. Barceloneta is the nearest beach to the centre but it can get quite crowded with sight-seers and, as a result, not as pleasant. A more local beach is Bogatell that belongs to the neighbourhood of Poble Nou (metro stop Poble Nou – Line 4, the yellow one). To get there, you can use public transport, hire bikes (15 minute cycle from the centre) or take a pleasant 25 minute stroll from Barceloneta Beach. It is a lot cleaner than the central beaches and has fewer people, making it more pleasant to while away an hour or two with the kids. Please remember never to leave your valuables unattended.

La Tertulia tapas restaurant
La Tertulia tapas restaurant

Once the hunger sets in, it is time to head for the very pleasant Rambla of Poble Nou. If visiting during a sunny weekend, you will quickly notice that this is where a lot of Barcelonian families come on a Sunday rather than the overpriced La Rambla. Sometimes for a stroll or perhaps for a bite to eat. It is a pedestrian avenue that boasts a mix of modern as well as beautiful old sgraffito houses. Treat the kids to simple home made tapas on the outside terrace of La Tertulia. Being a local, I know this is one of the best spots for big portions of great tapas at reasonable prices. It never fails to impress families that I bring here! “Calamares a la Andaluza” (in the photo) is one of my favourite dishes.

El Tio Che, Barcelona ice-cream parlour
El Tio Che

However, don’t forget to leave room for the next course, which is the next block up away from the sea. On the corner of La Rambla of Poble Nou and Joncar Street you will find the classic El Tio Che. This is the best place for an ice cream or a refreshing orxata. It is an traditional parlour, still run by the same family, that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012 and is an institution in Barcelona. Aside from its beautiful decorative facade, they still continue to make their own mouth watering ice cream. I have friends from neighbourhoods 12 kms away that come all the way here just to buy their cartons of this creamy delicacy. Although flavours are displayed in Catalan, friendly staff give a good stab at translating them into English for the occasional tourist. You should also try one of their famous orxatas which is a milky non alcholic drink made from tigernuts. Nutty and sweet at the same time, tiger nuts are a healthy food with lots of positive benefits but I’m sure the kids will just love the flavour anyway!

Dragon of Poblenou
Dragon of Poblenou

Once the deliciously cooling dessert has been gobbled up, round off with a fun cultural activity. Turn right at Joncar Street and follow the same block. After 3 minutes you will arrive to the chimney square with the local library on the left. Here you can view the Giants of Poble Nou. If the doors are open, go inside and have a look. If they are closed, you can still spy kings, queens, dragons and other beasts. During the big festivals, a strong person slips inside and carries the whole structure around on their shoulders. Sometimes these large figures can weigh up to 60 kilos. They swirl and dance among the crowds and are pretty impressive to see in action.

I hope you enjoyed your time in my local barrio. You can finish off the tour by taking in more of the Rambla. If you see me on the street, give me a wave and maybe we can all sit down for that wonderful orxata :-).

  • Kids Family Walking Tour Barcelona

If you are thinking of visiting Barcelona with your children, don’t miss our special post: Gaudí for kids: a family guide for Barcelona, the best way of making the most of Gaudí while having fun all the way. Also, you won’t run out of ideas with our post on Things to do with Kids in Barcelona.

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Filed Under: Barcelona for kids

MOST RECENT REVIEWS OF RUNNER BEAN TOURS BARCELONA

RUNNER BEAN TOURS - Barcelona Private Tours & Free Walking Tours
RUNNER BEAN TOURS - Barcelona Private Tours & Free Walking Tours
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Maria Fonseca
Maria Fonseca
21:04 31 Dec 20
Was a pleasant experience to have Lisa as tour guide. Full of details her explanation and very focus on what she was saying. A touch of british humour was very much appreciated ;) Thank you
Brigitte Gneissl
Brigitte Gneissl
12:47 09 Dec 20
I booked the group tour for the Gothic quarter but obviously due to the current circumstances I was the only one on the tour. Hence, my fantastic tour guide Lisa gave me a private tour and it was super interesting. I... really learned a lot and it's a great way of discovering Barcelona. Highly recommended for anyone who comes to BCN! It's so important to also learn about the history and culture. A fantastic tour. Greetings to Lisa.read more
Satyajeet Sarang
Satyajeet Sarang
15:56 17 Oct 20
We did the Gothic Quarter tour with Miguel. We were lucky that the other party on the tour had cancelled so we had a private tour!! Miguel was extremely knowledgable and gave us lot of detail and information on each... place and also bits and pieces of the in-between that tied the places together into a whole story! Miguel spent a good amount of time with us and also gave us good local tips for food, shops and such. We would highly recommend Runner Bean Tours!!read more
Lisa Gill
Lisa Gill
11:17 14 Oct 20
We had a fantastic tour led by Lisa and due to COVID it was just the three of us. We've been to Barcelona many times and so it was wonderful to learn more about the history of the city and the buildings we love so much.... Lisa was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommended!read more
rhonda caplan
rhonda caplan
03:03 13 Oct 20
We were so impressed with our tour. It was fun, and extremely informative. They go by donation and they are worth every penny .My friend and I have been on tours in a lot of cities and this tour ranked amongst our... favorite. We were encouraged to ask questions, and if I ever have an opportunity I would take as many tours from them as they offer. Thank you 😊 💙read more
Aoife Leddy
Aoife Leddy
13:56 12 Oct 20
We had a very short time in Barcelona so to make the most of the time we had, we decided to do a walking tour. I'm so glad we chose Runner Bean Tours. We did the Antoni Gaudí tour with Lisa and thoroughly enjoyed it.... Even our children were engaged throughout thanks to Lisa's gift for storytelling and bringing you on a journey with her tour. Given the current climate in Spain with few foreign tourists visiting, we were in a unique position to enjoy an almost private tour in a very quiet city...an experience we will probably never have the opportunity to have ever again. We enjoyed the Gaudí tour so much that we booked the Gothic tour the very next day and were lucky enough to have Lisa as a guide once more. Again, a wonderful tour delivered in an engaging and really entertaining way. Lisa's knowledge of the history of Barcelona shines through and her passion for this wonderful city is absolutely contagious. Highly recommended for the whole family ♥️👌read more
Sophie Nadal
Sophie Nadal
13:46 08 Sep 20
I really appreciated the visit with Ali, who payed attention to us, asking if we add any questions regularly. She loved introducing the city to us and we can feel it, it was a real pleasure. I recommend it !
Elizabeth Skelton
Elizabeth Skelton
14:14 03 Sep 20
We had an awesome time on the Barcelona gothic quarter tour with Miguel! Miguel was an amazing guide. He was full of interesting information, and his passion and love for the city and his job made the tour extra... enjoyable. He also gave us lots of recommendations for places to eat and drink in the city, and even helped us mark them on google maps. He also took some great pictures for us. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend runner bean tours. Thank you Miguel for giving us such an insightful experience!read more
Katie Mckitting
Katie Mckitting
17:06 01 Sep 20
We have done a lot of walking tours all over the world and this was by far our favourite. Miguel was very knowledgeable and funny and made this an enjoyable experience. It is clear that Miguel loves what he does and... made sure that we had fun too. There were only 2 others on the tour with us and he made sure we were safe and distanced and everyone wore their masks to make sure we all felt safe and comfortable. I 100% recommend doing this tour - especially if with Miguel if possible! Gracias for a lovely few hours in Barca!! :)read more
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Comments

  1. Aisling says

    April 11, 2013 at 5:21 pm

    Ann-Marie, I couldn’t wait to read your blog because I know that yourself and Gorka know Barcelona inside out! Everyone wants to know Barcelona’s hidden secrets and you’re making me hungry just talking about that calamare…

    Reply
    • Ann-Marie Brannigan says

      April 14, 2013 at 7:11 am

      Hi Aisling. There are many ways to cook calamari in Barcelona. This just happens to be my favourite but I am sure you will also love the griddled ones served with olive oil, garlic and parsley 🙂

      Reply
  2. Gigis_mum says

    June 2, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    Hola Anne-Marie! Loved your article and photos. Next time I’m in Barcelona, I will definitely visit Poble Nou. Maybe you can organize an occasional tour of this area too. {^_^}

    Reply
    • Ann-Marie Brannigan says

      June 4, 2013 at 4:30 pm

      Sure. A private one with some food, just for you 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Family friendly restaurants in Barcelona - Barcelona Travel Blog says:
    February 13, 2016 at 9:12 pm

    […] of outdoor eating. They will generally choose child friendly restaurants next to playgrounds, the fun Barcelona beaches or enclosed terraces so a close eye can be kept on their wards while relaxing at the table. […]

    Reply

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