From sports stadiums, amusement parks, chocolate making classes and bike rides, just a few options from an extensive list for traveling with children. Learn and play, bespoke Journeys for all ages.
The Güell Park may be the most extraordinary of the many works which Eusebi Güell entrusted to Gaudí. In 1984, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. The Güell Park was created with the idea of being a residential town. Located in the upper part of Barcelona and, among other important innovations, represents the beginning of the use of ‘trencadís’ or multicolored pieces of tiles as covering. It is a great place for kids to run around while learning about art.
Visit Casa Mila, built between 1906 and 1910, for the Milà family. The façade is an impressive wave-like mass of rough-shipped stone. The windows and doors seem to be dug out of this stone mass and are trimmed in exquisitely crafted wrought iron work with vegetal forms on the balconies and astonishing grilles on the two street-doors. On the stepped terrace, coming as an elegant surprise, are the huge stair exits of sculptured spirals covered with broken ceramic and marble. The chimneys bring to mind knights wearing visors. All of this makes up a fantastic and futurist space. Casa Milà was classified as World Heritage Site in the1984 UNESCO Catalogue.
Finish the tour at Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is a work on a grand scale which was begun in 1882 from a project by architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. At the end of 1883, Gaudí was commissioned to carry on the works, a task which he did not abandon until his death in 1926. Since then, different architects have continued the work after his original idea. The building is in the centre of Barcelona, and over the years has become one of the most universal signs of identity of the city and the country. It is visited by millions of people every year and many more study its architectural and religious content.
Would would turn down a visit to the Chocolate Museum? A dynamic facility promoted by the Barcelona Provincial Confectionery Guild and located in the former Sant Agustí monastery. It provides a journey through the origins of chocolate, its arrival in Europe and its spread as an element between myth and reality, its medicinal properties and nutritional value, relating tradition with the future and forming part of our collective imagination. The Chocolate Museum is located in a historic building that has enjoyed a relationship with chocolate since the 18th century.
Finish up with a private Lollipop Workshop, where the children make lollipops of white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate using a very common confectionery tool:the forcing bag. Decorate with spices, fruit and nuts, creating original and fun lollipops.
Barcelona by bike Tour – This is a fun and active tour to discover by bike the diversity of Barcelona’s seaside neighborhoods. You will stop at the key places to learn about the most interesting features of the waterfront. Some of the sites: Old Port: In 1995, the old port of Barcelona was reconverted into a recreational area in the heart of the city, including Maremagnum and several sailing clubs among other things.
Olympic Port Stop: Flanked by two of the highest buildings in the city, the Arts Hotel and the Mapfre Tower, the port is a good example of modern architecture. Here you can see the copper sculpture Fish by Frank Gehry.
Olympic Village: This whole area was reconverted from old factories to new apartments and housed the 13,000 athletes and 2,000 assistants who came to the 1992 Olympic Games.
Barceloneta: This neighborhood dates from the second half of the 18th century and was where the fishermen and sailors lived right on the waterfront. The area exudes charm.
Ciutadella Park: When the military garrison was demolished the grounds provided an excellent place to hold the 1888 Universal Exhibition. Arc de Triomf: The monumental gate marked the entrance to the exhibition.
Columbus Monument: At the foot of the Rambla by the sea and next to the Drassanes, the medieval shipyards that now house the Maritime Museum; this column was erected in memory of Columbus who was received in Barcelona by the kings of Spain, Isabel and Ferran, on his return from America.
End of day return to hotel, all enjoy a siesta before parents head out for tapas and flamenco!
Making their journey south, completing a 12,000-mile migration by late December and staying until late April when they repeat their journey northward. Idyllic weather, shallow waters, salinity and abundant marine life in the bays and lagoons north of Los Cabos provide a perfect place for whales to birth and rear their young.
An afternoon spent on the sea generally yields an up close look at these majestic creatures; one never tires of their majesty. Baby whales seemingly relishing and frolicking in tail smacking or lobtailing antics, although it appears this practice is for sheer delight, it will eventually aid them in stunning or scaring prey.
From the serenity of your casita, reclined in your beach hammock or bobbing on the sea on a yacht or power raft, whale watching is forever thrilling.
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