Barcelona’s weather is great during most of the year, unfortunately the city do not have as many green areas to enjoy a picnic. Even though there are still some places to enjoy peace and quietness… so grab your picnic meal at Art i Sa, a towel or “pareo” and let’s go outside!
We selected 5 of the best places to go for a picnic while visiting Barcelona, all them are on the way or near the must-see places in the city and they are all reachable by public transport.
“El Mirador del Migdia” in Montjuïc: in this place, located just behind the Castle of Montjuïc, there are some tables and benches set on the ground for anyone who wants to sit down to eat their own food. You would feel that you are in the countryside, even within a few meters of the city, you can amaze yourself with spectacular views of Barcelona. You can get to it by bus or with the Monjuic Funicular. Next to this place there is a bar where to have a beer after the picnic.
Another must see place in Barcelona is the Park Güell. One of the most clever ways to get to Park Güell with public transport is going by metro up to El Coll/La Teixonera to avoid climbing from down the hill, especially during sunny days. From here you start the visit to Park Güell from the “Mirador del Virolai” with the best views of the city and walk all the way down to the main entrance and visiting area (only in this small area fee payment is needed, rest of the park is free of entrance). On this way there are two beautiful places for picnic when doing this visit:
“Creueta Park Coll”, just after getting out from the metro at “El Coll” you will find this beautiful and secluded Park, much less crowded than picnic areas at Park Güell. The star of this beautiful Park is a sculpture called “Elogi de l’Aguia” which is actually a water mirror that locals use as a swimming pool during the summer. There are numerous tables and benches along its esplanade that allows you to enjoy your picnic in comfort. In fact, these features are what make this park the ideal place for a picnic.
“Park Güell” goes beyond its modernist icons. Once inside the Park entering from the Mirador del Virolai to your right you will find this outdoor space. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, sometimes is overrun with people and you might not find a free picnic table in sight, but with a little luck, you’ll be able to say that you had a picnic at a UNESCO’s World Heritages site.
When in downtown (Born) do not miss “Parc de la Ciutadella”. This iconic park in Barcelona, located just below the Arch of Triumph, constitutes one of the largest green spaces in the city. It is very common to see groups of friends or families enjoying a picnic sitting on the grass of the park, and sharing the place with people who play musical instruments or that do exercises. Along with a zoo you’ll also find here a boating lake and other amenities to keep everyone amused whilst you are setting up the picnic for them to enjoy. Certainly for those who love birds and fauna this is the perfect place to visit, it’s become the best place to try to spot the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottus), a type of bird that mocks other bird songs, made popular thanks to the ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy.
If you think of visiting the Tibidabo Mountain or Pedralbes Monestir, the “Jardins de Can Sentmenat” is one of the nicest and best-kept secrets in Barcelona city. This park was created by the Catalan high society in the late eighteen century in a French style. The main building, now a school, was the former house of Sentmenat Marquis. These gardens well worth a visit to enjoy its beauty, tranquility and great views. Bus number 66 will take you from Catalunya square in downtown and drop you almost at the park main entrance. Later you can continue to Tibidabo taking the Vallvidrera Funicular or walk down for 10 minutes to visit Pedralbes Monastir.
