Travel Kids Tell All: Barcelona Edition

Travel Kids Tell All: Barcelona, Spain

Travel Kids Tell All is an ongoing series on my blog sharing children’s perspective and thoughts on their travels. From completely nomadic families to expats to the part time traveler, these amazing children can offer ideas on things to do with kids in a destination…and sometimes it’s not what you expect! I’ve found that young travelers provide very honest feedback and can often tell you “how it really is.”

If you are interested in interviewing your kids and being featured on More than Main Street, please contact me or leave a comment below! We truly value education through kid’s world travel and love to hear what they have learned along the way!

Kid’s World Travel Perspectives

This week’s featured destination is Barcelona, Spain! Kas and his family spent 3 perfect days in Barcelona and he shares his thoughts on their trip. Family travel isn’t always easy, but it’s always worthwhile!

Hi, my name is Kas and I love Barcelona. I am a 10-year-old boy from Winnipeg, Canada. My parents and I run a travel blog called PackYourBags.Org. I have been traveling since before I was born and I’ve never stopped.

Our 3 Day Barcelona Itinerary

Day One in Barcelona:

Barcelona is all about Gaudi architecture, so make sure to visit some of these landmark buildings. Definitely start with the Sagrada Familia. This church, still unfinished more than 130 years since its construction began, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. After you visit this church, continue onto Parc Guell where you can admire more of Gaudi’s whimsical architectural designs. After lunch continue on your tour and make sure to visit Casa Mila (La Pedrera). These will easily take up most of your day but there are more Gaudi sites if you have time. If you wish to do a guided tour, you can do so as well. There are even “free tours” where you pay by donation: Runner Bean Tours. With small kids, it may be easier to do your own tour at your own pace. Later, head over to the beach. We like La Barceloneta because this is where the locals like to hang out surfing, swimming, or sunbathing.

Day Two in Barcelona:

Start with another Barcelona icon, Arc de Triomf. Here, you can just hang out. This is where Kas loves to chase after the giant soap bubbles. Then head over to Parc de la Ciutadella. The Barcelona Zoo is located inside this park. What kid doesn’t love a zoo? After lunch, head over to La Rambla, probably the most known street in Barcelona. Just walk around, take in the vibe and make sure you stop at La Boqueria market. This is where Kas found those delicious chocolate-covered strawberries. Afterwards, head over to the Barcelona Cathedral. Spend the rest of the day walking around the Gothic Quarter. We promise, your jaw will drop every time you turn the corner.

Day Three in Barcelona:

Start your day at Port Vell of Barcelona. Kas may not love it,  but no trip to Barcelona is complete without us admiring the beautiful palm trees and boats in the harbor. Afterwards, head over to Placa Reial where the vibe is very tropical in this town square with beautiful architecture and plenty of palm trees! After lunch, head to Montjuic, an amazing fortress dating back to the 17th century. If you are walking there, you can stop at other interesting places along the way like the Wax Museum, Park Mirador de Poble Sec, or the Jardin de Joan Brossa Park.

Travel Kids Tell All: Barcelona Edition

( Kas was ten at the time of this interview.)

What was your favorite thing about Barcelona?

I was seven years old when I visited Barcelona. My parents took me to all their favorite places in the city which they had backpacked through many years before I was born. I liked what they showed me, but I found my own favourite thing to do. Did you know Barcelona has the best soap bubbles?! They are everywhere and they are really big. I have never seen so many bubbles in one place before! Every time we come back to Barcelona, we look for the bubbles and I get to chase the with a bunch of other kids. My parents really like that I am obsessed about this activity because it is inexpensive and I get to run around. This is one of many reasons why I love Barcelona.

Can you share your least favorite thing about Barcelona?

Port Vell or the harbor in Barcelona is my least favorite place. My parents really like it because there are a lot of boats and palm trees and even some weird sculptures. But I don’t like it because there’s not much to do except look at things. I prefer to run around.

What was the weirdest thing about Barcelona?

The weirdest thing I saw in Barcelona was the figurine of the Caganer. At first, we did not know why we saw these figurines everywhere, but then we looked it up. A Caganer literally means “A Pooper.” Gross! Hahaha! We saw entire stores filled with them. Then we found out that everyone must have this figurine hiding somewhere in their Nativity scene at Christmas time. It is part of the Catalan Christmas tradition. This was definitely one of the weirdest things I saw there but that’s why I love Barcelona! Because it is different.

What was your favorite food we ate in Barcelona?

My favourite food in the world is chocolate. In Barcelona, I found these delicious strawberries on a stick covered in chocolate at La Boqueria market. Although, my parents prefer to eat pintxos and tapas in Barcelona. I tried them but I still prefer things covered in chocolate! The Catalan food is definitely why I love Barcelona.

Tell me one thing you learned while we were in Barcelona?

I learned some words in Catalan. I can say Hello- Hola, Bye- Adeu, Please- Si us plau, Thank you- Gracies, Soap Bubbles- Bombolles de sabo, and Chocolate- Xocolata. These are the most important words in Catalan everyone should know.

What would you recommend to other families traveling to Barcelona with kids?

Every kid should do these three things in Barcelona: you should try the chocolate covered strawberries, you should chase some soap bubbles, and finally, you should learn some words in Catalan. This way, it will be easier to make friends who live there and you will love Barcelona even more.

Would you like to go back to Barcelona?

I like coming back to Barcelona. It is always a lot of fun and I am almost never bored (except in the harbor).

Mom’s Two Cents

Our family is smitten with Barcelona. I have to say, our favourite thing about Barcelona is its joyful vibe. It is so pronounced, you feel it in your bones. People are happy and alive with energy. They are very proud of their city as they should be. For us, it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. There are other reasons why we love Barcelona. If you want to find out why we keep coming back to this city, check out this blog post from a few months ago.

Thank You!

Thank you again to Kas and Bea from Pack Your Bags for participating in my Travel Kids Tell All series. Be sure to follow them on Instagram too!

Again, if you would like to take part in my Travel Kids Tell All Series, please contact me via email Julie at morethanmainstreet dot com, or just leave a comment with your email address! I’d love to hear about your kid’s world travel experiences! Read more on what my kids thought about Paris, France.

Have you been to Barcelona, Spain? What were your favorite things to do with kids in Barcelona? Let me know what y’all think!