Fun and cool things to do in Barcelona

Barcelona is the perfect city to plan a vacation full of fun, cool and crazy things to do. And of the most varied, as you will see in the list below, which includes the best unusual and alternative activities in the city.

Having a drink at an ice bar

The Ice Bar is a bar unlike any other, with an ice room decorated with sculptures that are entirely hand-carved by renowned international sculptors. And where you can enjoy a drink at sub-zero temperatures, in an environment where the walls and furniture are completely covered with ice. Upon arrival, you will receive warm clothes provided by the bar itself (a jacket and a pair of gloves) to make your stay pleasant at all times. You can book your ticket in advance on this website (includes a drink).

A visit to the Barcelona of the Freemasons

The Arús Public Library was inaugurated on March 24, 1895 and is still open today and can be visited free of charge. It bears the name of one of the most outstanding personalities of the Freemasonry of Barcelona, Rosendo Arús, and treasures many books in different languages to learn about the history of the most famous lodge in Europe, which is still in force, but no longer in a clandestine way, as in other times.

To complete the excursion, you can enjoy a walking tour on a route through sculptures and markings on buildings and squares that give an account of the Masonic past and permanence in Barcelona.

Cycling in the city

One of the most fun things to do in Barcelona is to cycle around it, especially the Eixample area and the coastal area, from Barceloneta to Poblenou. These are the two ideal routes to travel on two wheels and you can do them by renting a bicycle at any time of the year. In addition, the mild climate of the city helps to make such an activity feasible even in the middle of winter. You can rent bikes by the hour or for a whole day, depending on how you use them.

Here you have all the information you need to get around the city by bicycle, with routes, current regulations and other useful information.

See the city from a cable car

The best way to see Barcelona from the air is by taking a cable car. And the one in Montjuïc is perfect, because it offers the best views of the city in a route that covers 750 meters and ends at the spectacular castle located on top of a legendary mountain. From the cable car you will see the Sagrada Familia, Camp Nou or the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, all from above and at your feet.

The cost of a one-way adult ticket is €9.40 and a round-trip ticket is €14.20. Children from 4 to 12 years old pay 7,50€ one way and 10,20€ round trip.

Visiting the Tibidabo amusement park

It is an amusement park located on the highest mountain that crowns the city of Barcelona, Tibidabo. A site that has no less than 120 years of history and is a fundamental part of the fun experiences offered by the city. Roller coasters, airplanes, virtual express and many other attractions with maximum adrenaline, in addition to live shows and spectacles, varied gastronomic spaces and spectacular views of the city. An ideal experience to enjoy with the family and full of activities designed for adults and children.

Party in the discotheques of the port

If you are looking for intense fun until well into the early hours of the morning, the best option is the nightclubs located in the Olympic Port of Barcelona, an exclusive and first class nightlife experience. International and recognized names such as Pachá or Shoko added to others, local, such as Carpe Diem Lounge Club or Opium, all facing the Mediterranean coast and with live music, avant-garde cocktails and fun more than guaranteed.

Landing in luxury hotels

There is a Barcelona in the heights that few people know about and that is there to be discovered, especially in spring and summer, when the weather is nice and the nights are perfect to enjoy a gin and tonic, a craft beer or a glass of wine. The best hotel terraces can be found in the five-star hotels located on Paseo de Gracia, which you can enter from the lobby, take the elevator and reach the top floor. An important fact: admission is completely free and, if you are lucky, you can enjoy a live DJ or a piano or guitar concert.

See the work of Domènech i Muntaner

The most recognized architect of Catalan modernism is Antoni Gaudí, but there is also the work of Lluís Domènech i Muntaner, with two emblematic and really beautiful buildings in the city. One is the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, which functioned as a hospital until early 2010, and is now a real gem that is still being restored and where you can appreciate a different hospital to those you knew. Another is the Palau de la Música Catalana, one of the most outstanding venues for concerts of all kinds and worth seeing with a live show. If you can’t attend one during your stay in the city, you can also enjoy it from the bar, which is open all year round.

Getting lost in the Horta Labyrinth

The Labyrinth of Horta park contains the oldest preserved garden in the city; originally in neoclassical style with Italian influences, it is now decorated in a romantic style. This is a fun proposal to get to know one of the upper districts of the city through the playful experience of entering a labyrinth and the challenge of finding the exit. Ideal to enjoy with family or friends and compete to see who comes out first.

Visit the Flea Market

One of the most important street markets in Barcelona, located mainly in the Plaza Salvador Seguí, also known as the Plaza de la Filmoteca, in the heart of the Raval neighborhood. But it also has an itinerant character and you can find it in train stations and squares in other neighborhoods of the city.

There you can feel the heart of the local and multicultural life of the city and take some vintage jewelry among those offered by the various stalls, with hundreds of different objects for sale and also for exchange, because there is space to exchange products.

The most fun Sunday party at the Apolo

“Churros con chocolate” is the name of a party that Sala Apolo organizes one Sunday afternoon a month and proposes a fun way to spend the day. In addition, admission is free. Although it has a marked atmosphere of LGTBI vindication, it is a party open to everyone and where fun and surprises are constant.

For example, you can find Easter processions led by Raffaella Carrá impersonators, gay mariachi bands occupying the room or listen to Mojinos Escozíos after Kylie Minogue.

A drink on the terrace of the Antic Teatre

It is one of the largest, most central and unknown terraces in Barcelona. Antic Teatre was born as a theater hall that proposes plays of the independent and alternative circuit of the city. And, at the same time, it has a very large terrace, so you can enjoy the outdoors with your partner or friends over a few beers in the heart of the Gothic Quarter.