Activities for all the family
In Spain there are always options for fun times with the family. It doesn’t matter what time of year you’re travelling, because as well as theme parks and zoos, there are plenty of other things for kids to enjoy. Children always enjoy something different and original. Here are a few:
Museums where touching is allowed
CosmoCaixa in Barcelona, the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum in Valencia, the Science Park in Granada… These big cities have highly interactive science museums that children will love. More fun options: the Wax Museum and the Railway Museum in Madrid, the Chocolate Museum in Barcelona, and toy museums, like the Toy Museum of Catalonia in Figueres, or the Dolls’ House Museum in Malaga.
Transport options
Give the children an alternative to those long sight-seeing walks. It’s always fun to ride in a cable car like the ones that go up the Teide volcano on the island of Tenerife, or at Benalmádena where they take you to the top of Monte Calamarro to see birds of prey and falconry shows, or the Montjuïc and Port lines for a bird’s eye view of Barcelona. Another option for enjoying Barcelona from the sky? There are helicopter rides that go as far as the spectacular mountain of Montserrat. It’s also becoming more common to see visitors in cities like Madrid and Málaga hiring segways, pedal karts, tuk tuks, etc. to get around certain areas.
Parks and gardens
One of Europe’s largest and most beautiful parks is El Retiro, in the centre of Madrid. There you can hire a boat or watch one of the puppet shows they put on nearly every weekend. If you prefer, less than 80 kilometres from the centre is the Enchanted Forest, the only botanical garden of its kind in Europe with over 300 plant sculptures.
In Barcelona you can choose the world-famous Park Güell, with its shapes and colours designed by Gaudí, or the Laberinto de Horta, a park which includes a hedge maze. More fun experiences? Riding in a horse-drawn carriage in María Luisa Park in Seville, or exploring the huge Cactus Garden on the island of Lanzarote.
Hooray for music and festivals!
You can take your kids to iconic musicals, like the Spanish version of the Lion King, which has been a hit on Madrid’s Gran Vía for years. Another enriching experience? Family Concerts at the Palau de la Música auditorium in Barcelona. And festivals suitable for children include some long-running successes like Titirimundi, a puppet festival in Segovia (less than 100 kilometres from Madrid) in May, which is perfect for introducing kids to the magical world of theatre.
Are you football fans?
If you like football (soccer), a real treat is going to see Real Madrid or F.C. Barcelona play a match. And what about tickets to the VIP area? For another enjoyable experience, try the guided tours of their stadiums, the Bernabéu and the Camp Nou. You can go into the changing rooms, take selfies with the trophies… and the Bernabéu also has a restaurant where you can have dinner with views over the pitch.
More great places for families
There are many more options to choose from, all just as fun and original. For example, seeing stars at the Madrid Planetarium, or a visit to the Poble Espanyol in Barcelona, with over 100 life-size buildings representing different architectural styles from all over Spain.
A day in the snow
Are you taking a winter holiday in Spain? You can visit ski resorts like Navacerrada (very close to Madrid) or Sierra Nevada (in Granada), one of the most famous in Spain, with restaurants on the slopes, a crèche, a children’s playground, etc.