The Reina Sofia modern art museum has pieces by Picasso, Dali, Joan Miro etc.. Entry is free after 7pm (after 2.30pm on Sundays).
San Gines serves up the most famous churros in Madrid. You might have to queue, but service is quick. Order a glass of water to wash is down with, it's sweet and rich!
For the best calamari sandwich, eat at El Brillante café, opposite Atocha station.
If you're into football, do a self-guided tour of the Real Madrid Stadium where you will see the dressing rooms and the press room,walk down the players’ tunnel and out on to the pitch, visit the Presidential Box, and have a look at the trophies up close. On match days, tours are only available until five hours before kick off. It is advisable to buy tickets online, but you can also get them from ticket office 10, which is by Gate seven at the entrance to Tower B on the Paseo de la Castellana.
Don’t miss the chance to spend time on one of Barcelona’s beautiful beaches. If you get hungry, pop into the cute fisherman’s neighborhood of Barceloneta for a bite to eat. In the main square you’ll find a bike rental place, a playground, and the Barceloneta market, which is open til 2pm each day if you want to grab fruit and snacks. Despite the surfer hideout look, most of the bars and restaurants in Barceloneta are family friendly.
We took the Hop on Hop off tour and found it excellent. While we didn’t see anything in depth, we were able to get a good sense of the city structure.
La Nena is a sweet and cosy café in Gracia that has games for older kids and adults plus a small play area with blocks, books, and puzzles. Their hot chocolate is out of this world!
Barcelona’s parks are fantastic for kids and Parc Guell is a definite must see. It’s at the top of a steep hill. The bus leaves you at the bottom and the best way is to take your time and possibly consider then bribe of an ice cream: there is a shop just mid-way between the bus stop and the park!
Ciutadella Park is another great place to take kids for a run around. There are huge fountains, a playground and plenty of green space. Rent a rowing boat but be warned that there were no life jackets available when we visited, which made me a wee nervous while paddling about with a wriggling toddler. The zoo is in the park.
The aquarium is top-notch. It’s huge, pretty new, and right along the waterfront. it also has an interactive play area. The highlight of the visit for ours was without a doubt the shark feeding time, followed by the walk under the aquarium underwater tunnel!
The Montjuïc Fountain is worth seeing and is a mix of lights, music and water.
Tibidabo Amusement Park is a fun half-day out and getting there by the tram and funicular is an experience in itself. There's a decent selection of rides which cater for everyone.
The chocolate museum is also worth a short visit. We saw a chocolate bull fighting scene, Mickey Mouse made of chocolate, and my DS's favourite, Nemo!
Walk through (and possibly buy a picnic) from Santa Caterina Food Market. Their eyes will be on stalks.