6 Best Sights in La Ciutadella and Barceloneta, Barcelona

Once a fortress designed to consolidate Madrid's military occupation of Barcelona, the Ciutadella is now the city's main downtown park. The clearing dates from shortly after the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century, when Felipe V demolished almost 1,300 houses in what was then the Barri de la Ribera to build a fortress and barracks for his soldiers and a glacis (open space) between rebellious Barcelona and his artillery positions. The fortress walls were pulled down in 1869 and replaced by gardens laid out by Josep Fontserè. In 1888, the park was the site of the Universal Exposition that put Barcelona on the map as a truly European city; today it is home to the Castell dels Tres Dragons, built by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner as the restaurant for the exposition (the only building to survive that project, now a botanical research center, not open to the public), the Catalan parliament, the city zoo, and two subtropical plant houses.  Be very careful with your belongings, particularly mobile phones, inside the park; keep all bags on your person. 

This hair-raising cable-car ride over the Barcelona harbor, from Barceloneta to Montjuïc hill, is a serious adrenaline rush. Swaying 100 feet or so in the air, the windowed gondola, which holds 19 people, travels the mile-long route in about 10 minutes—every one of them packed with fabulous bird's-eye views. Cable-car access is from both ends, though most people leave from the Torre de San Sebastián (San Sebastian tower) in Barceloneta heading to the Torre de Miramar on Montjuïc. The Torre d'Alta Mar restaurant in the tower at the Barceloneta end serves up high-end dining, in every sense. 

Reached by walking down Passeig Joan de Borbó and turning left at Plaça del Mar, the adjacent beaches of Barceloneta and Sant Miquel are the easiest to get to and hence the busiest—though they're also the most fun for people-watching. Note that itinerant beach vendors can be a nuisance, and pickpocketing has become increasingly problematic in recent years. The calm waters are easy for swimming, and there are several companies that provide surfing and paddleboard rentals and lessons. Take note of Rebecca Horn's contemporary sculpture of towering, rusting cubes, L'Estel Ferit, a popular meeting spot on Sant Miquel beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; surfing (mostly in winter); swimming; walking.

One of Barcelona's most popular beaches for sports lovers, aficionados of volleyball (as well as its foot-based equivalent, footvolley) assemble nets, year-round, to play social tournaments that make great from-your-towel viewing. The wide beach sits just east of the newly rebooted Port Olímpic, and directly opposite the neighborhood built as the residential Olympic Village for Barcelona's 1992 Olympic Games. Vendors sometimes prowl about, offering everything from cold drinks to massages, albeit less intensely than at Barceloneta. Pickpocketing has been an issue here, too, so keep an eye on your belongings. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

From Pla del Palau, cross to the edge of the port, where the Moll d'Espanya, the Moll de la Fusta, and the Moll de la Barceloneta meet (moll means "docks"). Just beyond the colorful Roy Lichtenstein sculpture, the modern Port Vell complex—home to the aquarium and Maremagnum shopping mall—stretches seaward to the right. The Palau de Mar, with rows of pricey, tourist-oriented quayside terrace restaurants (B-ONE or Merendero de la Mari are okay if you must), stretches down along the Moll de la Barceloneta to the left. The rather soulless Maremagnum complex is noteworthy only for being one of very few shopping options open on Sunday.

Barcelona's zoo occupies the whole eastern end of the Ciutadella Park. There's a superb reptile house and a full assortment of African animals.