Barcelona Weekend Break

Port Vell area

The Port Vell district is an area that you reach if you walk to the end of las Ramblas, past the statue of Christopher Columbus and continue to the waters edge – the Rambla de Mar.

Once you reach this point there is a cleverly designed steel swing bridge that was built for the 1992 Olympic Games and if you cross this foot bridge you reach the "Moll de Espana" complex.

The Moll de Espana sits part way in to the harbour and has an aquarium (Europe's largest - holding over five million litres of water) and an IMAX cinema, the former of which is definitely worth seeing. Both are next to the Maremagnum building which holds a number of shops, restaurant and bars, making this “island like” area a mini centre of tourist and local activity.

The port Vell district has benefited from recent investment and a walk around the harbour, particularly at night, is one of Barcelona's big pluses.

This area usually has a cooling breeze and the views of the city and marina are great distractions as you walk around.

Tourist information

If you want to explore the coast of Barcelona a little bit more, you can saunter down to the original part of the harbour where you can take a mini cruise on a sightseeing boat called las Golondrinas.

These Golondrinas leave at regular intervals and make a great break from the city on a hot day in summer.