Something that people tend to worry about when they go on holiday is “how am I going to keep active?!” You might think that among all the cocktails and beach days and late nights, that doing anything active is simply out of the question, but we’re here to tell you that being on holiday doesn’t have to mean total standstill! There are definitely ways to keep fit even whilst on holiday, and you won’t feel guilty once you’re back home.
Gym and indoor activities in Barcelona
Lots of gyms in Barcelona offer one day passes for those just visiting the city. DuetFit is one of the chains around the city and you’ll be able to use any of these for €8 a session.
There is also an app called GymForLess which can find you the gyms with the lowest rates in the city, including day passes.
Another fun indoor activity to do in Barcelona is rock climbing, with about 10 different centre across the city. The best one (albeit probably the most expensive) is the new, state of the art Sharma Climbing BCN. The normal daily rate is €12 or €8.50 for students. Read more about the various indoor climbing centres in Barcelona here.
Meetup is a free app that connect people in cities with shared interests. It’s especially great if you’re visiting a city for a short period and want to keep your hobbies up but aren’t familiar with the place or don’t know anyone. In terms of sport meetups in Barcelona there are a ton. You’ll find yoga classes, running groups, hiking meetups, free salsa lessons, fitness on the beach and much more. Just search the sport or activity that interests you.
Outdoor sport in Barcelona
Running in Barcelona
Barcelona is a fantastic city for running, with many scenic routes of varying levels. One of the most popular places to run is along beach promenade stretching just over 5km all the way from Poble Nou to the W Hotel at Barceloneta. The best time to go is early morning or in the evening after sunset because it gets very busy during the day. As summer approaches, you definitely don’t want to be running while the sun is beating down anyway, unless running in oven temperatures is your thing.
A more challenging route for runners is Montjuic Hill, with the castle situated 173m above sea level. You can start in Barceloneta and make your way towards Montjuic hill -the most direct way up to to the castle is via Carretera de Montjuic, but there are longer routes up that take you all over Montjuic hill.
Open-air gyms in Barcelona
The city also has various open-air gyms, mainly by the beaches. One of the more recently remodelled outdoors gyms is located at the Espigo de Gas, along Barceloneta beach fairly near all the main beach clubs like Pacha and Opium. It’s a well equipped space with lots of apparatus. Lots of fitness classes are run here also through the Meetup app.
Beach volleyball in Barcelona
Barcelona has perfect conditions for playing volleyball, with the sun shining over 300 days of the year. Volleyball courts are everywhere along Barcelona’s beaches and you can find them being used almost every day of the year until after dark. Now that summer is arriving the courts are more popular then ever, doubling as the perfect route to a tan. Some of the main ones are at Barceloneta Beach and Nova Icaria Beach, and then further along the beachfront at Espigo de Mar Bella and Bogatell. They are all located along the yellow line on the metro, either at the Barceloneta stop or Ciutadella X Vila Olímpica. What are your favourite ways to keep fit whilst on holiday? Let us know on twitter at @FusterApartment.