Barcelona Mum

Pineda de Mar

Midway between Barcelona and Girona, in the very heart of the Maresme, lies Pineda de Mar, a pleasant and welcoming place, with green squares, lines of trees, fountains, flowers and play areas for children, which make it a favourite holiday destination for families.
Its wide, sandy 2-mile beach, which boasts a Blue Flag award, is perfect for children. It provides all the services you could possibly need: from showers, bicycle racks and ramps for disabled access to monitored children's play areas, child safety guides and readily available tourist information throughout the town.
Its wealth of bars, terraces and shopping centres complement varied accommodation, including hotels, campsites and apartments that cater for children's needs, such as babysitters who speak several languages and child buffets or children's areas in restaurantsPineda mixes sun and sand with excellent services and a wide choice of cultural, sporting and leisure activities. Water sport enthusiasts will be happy to find the area well equipped for aquatic activities. At the same time you may be surprised at the possibilities there are of hiking and mountain biking with the whole family in a backdrop of outstanding beauty, thanks to the proximity of the Montnegre natural reserve.

Culturally Pineda holds more surprises
The chance to admire the genius of Miró and Tàpies, or the artistic talent of Brossa, Guinovart, Clavé, Ponç, Fontseré and Subirachs is a unique privilege and one that has been made possible thanks to the Tharrats Graphic Arts Foundation, which houses one of the best collections of this style.
It's also well worth delving into the 2,000-year history of Pineda de Mar by checking out some of the numerous Iberian and Roman relics on display.
 

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Malgrat de Mar

An oasis of serenity, Malgrat de Mar lies on the very edge of the Costa Brava. Its extraordinary 3-mile long beach of coarse-grain sand is divided into three zones: Astillero Beach, where we find a boisterous children's club, the superb Malgrat Beach, which has been awarded the Blue Flag and Pomareda Beach, with its protected dune area. Each beach is ideal for children and provides security services, showers, toilets, access for disabled people, beach bars, crèches and fully monitored play areas.
The serenity and charm of this lengthy beach links two great areas of natural beauty: the Parc del Castell, with its breathtaking panoramic view and all sorts of games for children, botanical trails, parties, concerts, open-air dances and much more, and the Parque de Francesc Macia, a 40,000m2 leisure park featuring picnic and play areas for all ages, as well as endless fun activities which are bound to be loved by the tiniest tourists.

Malgrat de Mar also invites you to stroll along its festive pedestrian zones, visit its 10 squares complete with play areas or sit back outside its ice-cream parlours and bars. Culture is high on the agenda in Malgrat, with special focus on theatre, cinema, music, painting and local heritage. You will find art for all ages and tastes.
The choice of comfortable accommodation is wide and varied. Hotels, campsites, apartments and restaurants offer all the services that families with children need: organised children's activities with monitors, babysitters who speak several languages, children's areas in restaurants, identity bracelets, hazard warnings and more.
The cuisine here is excellent. As well as being family-friendly, they serve exquisite dishes such as Fesol del Ganxet (a bean-based speciality).
The sixteenth century Sant Nicolau's Church, the municipal Cooperativa library, sixteenth century facades and modernist architecture are some of the other attractions that shouldn't be missed.

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Santa Susanna

A magnificent beach, sun and astonishing wildlife in the very heart of the Maresme, right on the edge of the Montnegre nature reserve. And what's more, it can be experienced from safe, modern buildings and a generous offer of hotels, campsites and cottages. Santa Susanna is both easily accessible and perfectly situated very close to one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Barcelona.

Lying half way up the Costa del Maresme, Santa Susanna's charm and serenity, the long walks through irresistible squares and avenues, complement a wide range of enjoyable cultural and sporting activities.

There is an enormous choice of children's fun on offer, such as the children's club on the beach, a play centre which operates free of charge for all children. There are also parks, play areas, child safety guides and readily available tourist information throughout the town, as well as workshops or activity programmes for children. All this has been conceived to give children the time of their life while they're on holiday.

Santa Susanna offers a wealth of options when it comes to eating or accommodation, with child areas in restaurants, child buffets, babysitters who speak several languages, supervised play zones, identity bracelets and hazard warnings, to guarantee safety for toddlers and peace of mind for their parents.
More active families can ride along breathtaking mountain bike trails (a new MTB centre has recently opened), take part in aquatic activities or enjoy the enormous variety of street shows for children. Details of children's activities are always available.

There are continual festivities in Santa Susanna, and in particular, the spectacular Shakespeare Festival, the Magic Fair and the Santa Susanna International Magic Fair are ones you won’t want to miss. They thrill children and adults alike.

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Calella

With its endless beaches, sun, wildlife, pleasant atmosphere and distinct family feel, Calella is a lively cosmopolitan town which without a doubt offers the best of Mediterranean culture.
Set in a natural landscape of great beauty right on the Costa del Maresme, not far from the Montnegre nature reserve and Barcelona, the town is at the forefront of family holidaying on the Catalan coast.

Calella also stands out on account of its fully refurbished hotel facilities and infrastructure, boasting a large number of hotel rooms, abundant restaurant seating and thriving shops.
Fun and entertainment is also to be had thanks to a comprehensive tourist activity plan. This includes parties and cultural and sporting activities for the whole family, completely free of charge. In Summer there is the Mini Club, clowns, puppets and concerts which small children love; and throughout the rest of the year there are programmed children's activities such as Divertijoc (literally Fun Game), the Nesquik Caravan and the War of Colours.

For those who love the water, Calella lies along 2½ miles of beach where visitors of all ages can enjoy a range of water sports. There are further aquatic attractions, with the Marineland aquatic park and the Water World water park lying close by.

There are many corners of Calella waiting to be discovered, such as the tiny coves of Las Rocas and Les Torretes and spots like the Parque Dalmau and the Paseo Marítimo de Manuel Puigvert, a magnificent 80,000m2 garden, which are perfect for a relaxing walk. The Montnegre nature reserve provides further excellent opportunities for hiking and walking and the Parc de les Aus aviary, not far from Calella, offers a chance to discover birds in their natural habitat

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