Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

Discover some of the most magical natural environments the city has to offer.

If you’re one of those people who need to connect with nature to be happy, you’re in the right city. Barcelona has a wide array of parks and gardens where you can enjoy nature within easy reach of your home, whichever way you like and with whoever you like.

This article introduces five of these spaces, where you can meet up with people close to you, take a stroll, spend time outdoors, generate a space for leisure or simply relax.

Parc de Cervantes

Located on land where the Estela stream once ran, this park offers abundant leafy vegetation and is highly appealing. The site combines different tree species (Nerium, Siberian elms, rosewood, lime trees and pines), which add to its charm. The Parc de Cervantes is mainly known for its collection of roses. With over ten thousand different roses species or varieties, the rose garden offers all its visitors a journey through Asia, the Middle East, Europe and America. The fragrance of these flowers embraces the visitor from the moment they arrive.

Architecture also has a place in the park. The space brings features two monoliths (a stone dedicated to the writer and diplomat Àngel Ganivet, and the other in homage to Concha Espina), two sculptures (Rombes bessons and Serenitat), and a granite sand area with children’s games, ping-pong tables and a spring.

Turó Park

Turó Park is a cocktail of simplicity and elegance which makes people who spend time there want to go back. The park hosts its visitors with a rich and seductive array of species and large mature bushes, ranging from holm oak to magnolia, pepper trees, Himalayan cedar, plane trees, palm trees and Judas trees.

Created at the beginning of the 20^th century, the site represents a series of shaded areas with small wooded sections, ivy, winding paths and beautiful landscaped spots. A pond at the main entrance and another full of water lilies, a large children’s play area and a large grass area are some of the features which add to the park.

One of the most important elements in Turó Park are its sculptures. These include one devoted to Pau Casals and another to Francesc Viñas, an Oiseau or the bronze figure La ben plantada in honour of Eugeni d’Ors. The icing on the cake is a poetic route typical of the park and affording us a visit through artists such as García Lorca, Sylvia Plath, Salvador Espriu and Alfonsina Storni.

Jardins de Ca n’Altimira

If you’re looking for an intimate and romantic spot, the Jardins de Ca n’Altimira are undoubtedly the best option. The thick evergreen vegetation generates a mystical atmosphere with lights and shadows which allow the visitor to enjoy the park peacefully.

Endowed with century-old trees such as white pine and Australian pine, these gardens ate located on a higher ground than the rest of the terrain. This allows for two different zones, connected with a pair of bridges (one wooden and the other from wood and steel). The park also features a hypostyle chamber, with arches sustained by 36 Roman sandstone columns. Naturally, there is a children’s play area too.

Parc de Carles I 

This space is part of the large coastal parc. Located in a vertex of the Parc de la Ciutadella, this space has six large sections which include ample lawns, a long water channel, rows of tall trees such as cypress and planes, along with paving.

Its large dimensions enable it to fulfil very different expectations: from acting as the ideal place for sports to taking time out in the rest and relaxation areas. The trees fit in perfectly with the rolling landscape in the large square, between them giving the space its personality.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Parc de Carles I features El Cul, a sculpture by Eduardo Úrculo which stands six metres tall in homage to Santiago Roldán. There is also a dog area. Without a doubt, this is a park for all tastes.

Jardí Botànic

Although this garden was traditionally classed as a space for the collection of exotic plants and rare botanical species in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the Jardí Botànic has evolved in recent years and is geared more towards science. The site currently follows sustainability criteria, with an architectural route which highlights the various species of vegetation.

The garden uses marker posts to set out eight chapters, presenting the botanical diversity of the Mediterranean climate. The eight scenarios for vegetation invite visitors to travel to Australia, California, Chile, South Africa, North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

The way the spaces are organised around the park take advantage of the slopes and the combination of triangular plots around the whole route. These take advantage of the different possibilities in terms of orientation towards the sun and the light, taking into account the specific needs of each species.

Remember that to avoid the spread of Covid-19, access to parks and the use of children’s play areas is temporarily prohibited from 8 pm to 7 am.