Tibidabo: the theme park in the sky

There is something breathtakingly exciting about visiting a theme park on top of a mountain. Disneyland may have Mickey Mouse but does it have these views?

When it comes to thrills-and-spills, Barcelona’s only amusement park may not be able to compete with the top theme parks that you find elsewhere in Europe. However, it is certainly one of the most visually-stunning parks on the continent.

You can spot Tibidabo from miles away, identified by a grandiose church – The Church of the Sacred Heart – that was built in the early 20th Century. A smattering of traditional fairground rides – a ferris wheel, a merry-go-round and a couple of others – cluster around the church.

From afar, the church seems to be calling out to the traveler, inviting them up to the mountain. It is a call that is difficult to ignore, and most visitors eventually ask themselves the question, “What is that building – and how do I get there?”

The name ‘Tibidabo’ actually comes from the Latin ‘I will give you’. According to the Bible, these were the words that the Devil said to Jesus as they looked down from an exceedingly high mountain upon the kingdoms of the world.

The Tibidabo mountain is the highest peak of the Collserola national park. From here you can enjoy spectacular views over the whole of Barcelona, spread out before you like an inviting Persian rug stretching all the way to the sea.

The panoramic area has completely free access, and so you can enjoy these amazing views even if you don’t want to enter the park.

The amusement park itself is spread across five floors, with most of the rides being located outdoors. The uppermost floor, which sports half a dozen rides, is open most of the time, while the other floors are usually only open at weekends and during school holidays.

There are a total of 32 rides and activities in the park. Children who are taller than 120 centimetres will be allowed on most of the dies, although there are some that restrict unaccompanied access for children shorter than 130 or 140 centimetres.

Tibidabo is relatively easy to get to and you can reach the park with a single metro ticket from the centre of Barcelona.

How much does it cost?

Standard entrance price is €35 per person. This includes access to all rides and activities apart from the fairground games where you can win prices. Children who are between 90 and 120 centimetres enjoy a reduced price of €14. Those who are shorter than €90 can enter for free.

If you just want to enjoy the handful of rides that are in the upper part of the park, you can buy a ticket for €19 – or pay €4 per go. It is not possible to pay per-ride on the other floors of the park.

If you live in Barcelona, you might want to consider buying an annual membership pass for the park. Since an annual membership pass costs €60, plus registration fee, you only have to visit the park with the annual pass to save money.

However, there are a few things you should think about before buying the annual pass:

1. The whole of the park is usually only open at weekends, during the peak summer season and during school holidays. Outside of these periods, only the handful of rides on the upper floor will be running. So the pass will not allow you to escape the queues by visiting the park during off-peak times.
2. The park is fairly small with a limited variety of rides, so visiting regularly can get a little repettitive.
3. You are entitled to a 30% discount when buying tickets for guests (limited to six tickets per year). At certain periods, such as the summer months, the park even gives away free guest tickets for those that have the annual pass.

 

How to get to the park

The simplest and cheapest way to get the park by public is to take the S1 or S2 trains that run northwards from Place Catalunya. Look for the sign that says 'FGC'. Get off at Peu de Funicular, and then change on to the funicular railway that takes you up to Vallvidrera, which is the last stop. Exit the funicular and take Bus 111 from just outside all the way until the last stop. The bus ride will take around 10 minutes.

The theme park also has its own private funicular (called Funicular del Tibidabo. This is red in colour and has a more modern design than the funicular mentioned above. This funicular isn't as convenient, however, both in terms of cost and access. This funicular runs from Plaça Doctor Andreu; you will need to take bus from the metro station Avenida Tibidabo or TibiBus T2C from Plaça Kennedy. The Tibidabo funicular runs from 10.15 am until the amusement park closes. It only runs on on days when the Tibidabo is open.