10 Best Activities for the Perfect Summer in Barcelona!
March 23, 2023
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Barcelona’s hot summers, with an average of 15.12 hours of daylight per day, make it one of the most visited cities in the world during these dates.
In addition to the weather, the city offers a wide range of activities and spaces: culture, traditions, festivals, beaches, municipal swimming pools, points of interest, and much more!
The summer season is when more travelers visit the city, and the plans to do in Barcelona in summer are doubled. In this article, I bring ideas of original plans to add to your list so you do not leave without experiencing the city to the fullest.
If you haven’t read this article, don’t wait any longer! You’ll find the best tips & tricks before planning your trip!
Table of Contents ▼ ▶
1. Dinner under the stars at the Observatori Fabra 🌃
📍Camí de l’Observatori, s/n, 08035 Barcelona
During the nights of the summer months, the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, which has one of Europe’s largest and oldest telescopes since 1904, organizes a unique experience, a dinner illuminated by the light of the stars and planets.
It is a mix of gastronomy, astronomical observation, and scientific dissemination. You can attend this event every year from the beginning of June to the last week of September.
First, you will have an outdoor dinner in one of the most privileged viewpoints of Barcelona. The menu is inspired by astronomy.
After the dinner, there is a participatory conference of only 30 minutes. In addition to discussing topics such as the Big Bang, supernovae, or the possibility of looking for a new Earth, you will have the opportunity to solve all your doubts thanks to influential people who will be there.
The visit concludes in the museum, where you and the room of the great dome while observing the stars, constellations, and much of the solar system.
🎟️ The average cost is about 70 € including everything (dinner + conference + visit).
If I were you, I wouldn’t think twice and go. It is worth it, and you can have a fantastic time!
2. Go to the best beaches and coves in Barcelona
Barcelona has some great beaches; they are all well-communicated, well-maintained, and equipped with all services.
Along the Barcelona coastline, a promenade runs along all the beaches, from Llevant in the north to Sant Sebastià in the south, where the famous W Hotel is located. (Read more)
By proximity, the most popular beaches are Barceloneta, Sant Miquel, and Sant Sebastià.
Barceloneta beach ⛱️
It is one of Barcelona’s largest and oldest beaches. Due to its excellent location and easy public transport access, it is the choice of many tourists and locals who want to practice water sports.
Sant Miquel Beach 🌊
It is one of the oldest beaches in Barcelona, constructed in 1755. It is named Sant Miquel Beach because of the nearby Church of Sant Miquel del Port. Despite its small size, it is a central and lively beach that is one of the busiest spots on the city’s coastline.
Sant Sebastià beach 🏄🏽
This is one of the most recommended beaches in Barcelona to relax away from the crowds. Sant Sebastià is home to some of Barcelona’s most important sports clubs.
3. Spend the day at Tibidabo Amusement Park
📍Pl. del Tibidabo, 3, 4, 08035 Barcelona
Many people believe the perfect plan doesn’t exist. If you are one of those, you’ll change your mind after discovering the Tibidabo Amusement Park, a magical and symbolic place in the city where you can enjoy a family or friends’ day.
It is a centennial park, one of the oldest in the world. They have been evolving over the past years to the point that it combines aged facilities of their first era and other advanced technology incorporated following the latest trends.
In this Amusement Park, you will have the opportunity to see the whole of Barcelona, stretching from the mountain to the sea.
It has been located in a privileged place on the highest peak of Barcelona for more than a century, in the district of Sarrià Sant Gervasi, about 512 meters above sea level.
🎢 The main attractions highlight the Ferris wheel, the Plane, the Krüeger hotel, and the Talaia.
🎟️ General admission costs €28.50 and is free for children under 0.90 meters tall.
4. Welcome the summer with the night of Sant Joan 🎇
If you are traveling through the city of Barcelona on the night of June 23rd to 24th, you will experience one of the most important nights for Catalan culture, the night of Sant Joan.
It is said that it is the shortest night of the year and one of the most magical.
Bonfires are lit in the towns’ squares and beaches to celebrate summer’s arrival, with workshops, festivals, and different activities to celebrate the shortest night of the year throughout all neighborhoods.
The subway will be open all night for the festival.
The origins of the festival of Sant Joan are unclear. Still, we know they go back at least three centuries in pagan rites before Christianity.
Some of the most popular bonfires are in the Eixample and Sant Martí, Plaza de la Virreina, and Civic Center Casa Orlandai in Sarrià. In Arc de Triomf will be the bonfire of Revetllassu.
During this event, family and friends gather to contemplate the extraordinary spectacle of fireworks and music that invades the skies on this beautiful night.
5. Enjoy the Brunch Electronic Music Festival
If you are in Barcelona from June to September, the gardens of Montjüic come alive in a particular way.
Every Sunday afternoon, the festival Brunch is held. It is an outdoor electronic music festival for those who want to do a different plan in the city.
This is not only a plan you can do with your friends but also with your family as there is an especially space prepared for picnics.
You can set up your picnic with the little ones while enjoying the best music, workshops, and fun activities.
🎟️ If you want to go, buy tickets online through the festival’s official website.
👉🏻 Remember to do it sometime in advance because spaces are limited. Prices range from 20€ and up.
6. Make a tour through Barcelona’s best terraces
On your visit to Barcelona, you can’t miss going to one of their incredible terraces around the city. These are my four favorite terraces you should add to your bucket list:
Terrace 83.3
This terrace has become one of the trendiest places in Barcelona. It is located in the Hotel Royal Passeig de Gràcia.
This terrace is a privileged place to enjoy the skyline of Barcelona. Looking to the right, you will be fascinated by the sunset over Montjuïc. If you look to your left, you will see the Sagrada Familia. And if you look to the front, you will see the Mediterranean Sea. Anything better?
The terrace is covered by a glass roof and is fully air-conditioned, making it an ideal place.
Its cocktail menu is spectacular and for all tastes. In addition, they have cold tapas so you can have a snack while you taste the chosen refreshment.
Wet Deck
Wet Deck is a terrace in the pool of the Hotel W. Right on the beach! The views are spectacular.
Also, the terrace hosts live DJ sessions every summer Sunday and prepare daring and different cocktails.
La Caseta del Migdia
This is an exceptional terrace as the excellent atmosphere reigns and a wonderful place to watch the sunset, a symbolic and unique place located in the viewpoint of the castle of Montjüic.
If I were you, I would accompany this incredible experience with a good Moritz beer.
Terraza del Sercotel Rosellón
It is an iconic terrace in front of the Sagrada Familia with 360º views of Barcelona. You have to book online, and access is free, but there is a mandatory drink per person.
To see other rooftops in Barcelona, visit this article:
The 11 Best Rooftops in Barcelona: Drinks and Stunning Views!
7. Eat the best Ice Creams in the city
You are in the middle of sightseeing, feeling the sun rays and the heat in your body, and the golden question arrives: is there a good ice cream place near you?
As we all know, summertime screams for ice cream to keep walking the beautiful streets of Barcelona.
In my opinion, DeLaCrem🍦 is undoubtedly number one. They don’t use any flavorings or preservatives. Every day there are new flavors as they use seasonal products. Try the pistachio and hazelnut ice cream. It is definitely the best out there!
Here is my list of the best ice cream shops around the city. So you don’t have to worry about it.
8. Spend a fun afternoon in an Open-air Cinema
Every summer in Barcelona, we can find several places where spectators can go and enjoy the best outdoor cinemas in Barcelona.
They usually open them between June and August. There are two main places where tourists and locals like to go:
Sala Montjüic
It takes place in the castle of Montjuic, a magnificent location. It is the perfect place to enjoy the best outdoor cinema in Barcelona. There, classic films and blockbusters are screened in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. If I were you, I would already be checking the program to choose the day you like the most.
Cinema Lliure a la Platja
Movies start every night around 21:00h. Here you can enjoy some of the best films on the beaches of Barcelona.
Admission is free, and the movie is in the original version. Isn’t this great? But the best thing is not the movie you can see. Still, the incredible experience with the beautiful views as the screenings are held on the beach of Sant Sebastià, in Badalona, El Prat de Llobregat, and Mataró.
9. Have a drink in Gaudí’s masterpiece, Casa Batlló.
Is there a better way than to finish your day by having a drink in an iconic building done by Antoni Gaudí, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO?
Casa Batlló opens its doors on summer nights to inaugurate its Magical Nights.
Every night, from June to November approximately, you will have the opportunity to do a tour which consists of a cultural visit with its augmented reality devices, and then enjoy unique open-air concerts while enjoying a good drink and a most intimate and romantic atmosphere.
The live music takes place on the modernist terrace. There is a series of carefully selected musical performances proposal with 16 artists ranging from flamenco and Catalan rumba to rock n’ roll, soul, and blues.
It’s an original plan for summer nights that will also allow you to know one of the heritages of Barcelona.
I 100% recommend it!
To learn about other important museums in Barcelona, read the following article:
10. Attend the most incredible theater festival: El Grec.
Another great idea you can do while visiting Barcelona is going to the Grec Festival.
It consists of a theater, music, dance, and circus festival in the summer months at the Teatre Grec de Montjuïc.
The place is inspired by the ancient Roman theaters of the time, which were built in 1929.
Throughout the summer, there are up to 83 different shows of the most varied outdoors.
🎫Prices vary depending on the show you want to see. In addition, on the premises, you will find restaurants and other establishments to complete your evening.
This is a perfect plan to do with your family. I’m sure your kids will love it.
And these are just a few! To see other awesome activities to add to your bucket list, visit the following article. It has fun plans and different activities to make your trip 10 times better.
Let me know in the comments which activities you look forward to this summer!
