The Best of Kid-friendly Spain Tour: City & Beach

Barcelona's streets are centered on broad plazas, city squares that exude the chatter of families until well into the evening. Spanish lifestyle is about the outdoors, about giving children freedom and sharing long hours in indelible settings. You're greeted at Barcelona Airport and transferred to a hotel in a quiet city suburb, one that's filled with these welcoming terraces and pedestrianized squares. Your hotel is away from the bustle and crowds of central Barcelona yet close enough to quickly reach the main attractions. Enjoy a welcome dinner at Papas & the Mamas, a restaurant that serves exquisite Catalonian food in a setting where parents can relax. A broad open-planned play area allows you to focus on the food while the kids let off some steam after the long flight.

Spirals and twists fill Europe's most original park, Parc Guell. Gaudi's masterpiece stands like a sentinel above the city of Barcelona. Ingenious swirls and strange bridges take you through the park, every inch an ode to its creator's unique vision. While the Parc Guell is an eternal work of art, few visitors realize that it's also a very functional park for the whole family. This is where locals take their children, the quiet benches and open spaces combining with Gaudi's fabulous style.

Pudding is another surrealist world, its fairytale design somewhere between Mary Poppins and an animated Disney playground. Enjoy lunch here, savoring a sandwich as a series of games and chalkboards occupy the children. The six floors of CosmoCaixo, Europe's largest science museum, are today's final interactive stop. The museum's scope allows every visit to be tailored to one’s personal interests. Wander through a reproduction of the Amazon, explore installations that teach science through games, and play around with the sound telescope that stands outside. Throughout the day and this whole itinerary, private transfers take you between attractions minimizing travel time and the stress of deciphering the metro system.

A cute wooden tram slowly ascends into the Catalan mountains, the historic carriages gently pulling you to glorious panoramas over the city. It's a journey from a bygone era, an entertaining funicular that's been transporting families since 1901. Disembark at Tibadabo Amusement Park and take the Sky Walk to more sublime views over the city below, Gaudi's Sagrada Families dominating the skyline as Barcelona rolls into the Mediterranean. This isn't a white-knuckle theme park - its mix of rides and wheels are excellent for the younger generations. Return by funicular and there is a choice of afternoon activities. Choose a tour of Camp Nou, an almost 100,000 capacity soccer stadium that's home to European champions FC Barcelona. Or wander through the walkways of the city's aquarium, L'Aquarium de Barcelona, watching sharks and manta rays soar above your head.

Faces are smeared and teeth are briefly stained as your family takes a chocolate making workshop at Museu de la Xocolata, Catalonia's unique chocolate museum. While the museum tells a detailed tale of chocolate's origins, the visit is made special by playing with the cacao and creating your own unusual pieces of chocolate. A lot of sugar inevitably means overexcited children. So set off on a treasure hunt through Poble Espanyol, a village of buildings that recreates the architectural styles found across Spain. Find the hidden clues in the village's lost corners, piece them together beneath glorious odes to the past, then take a well-earned rest at Poble Espanyol's quaint cafe. From late afternoon you are at leisure and the driver is at your disposal should you wish to visit other attractions in Barcelona.

Whitewashed streets curve and twist through Sitges, the seductive signs cascading from 19th century churches to broad beaches. Unlike some Spanish beach destinations, Sitges remains a low-key village atmosphere, its original architecture exuding a Mediterranean charm. Long lazy hours are spent on the beach, the sapphire water devoid of currents and shallow enough for young swimmers. Beachside cafes line the sand, reveling in their Catalonian atmosphere and ideal for an early evening dinner of paella. This isn't a deserted beach escape, nor is it an overcrowded resort town. Sitges finds an iconic middle ground, emanating the country's unique culture as it combines beach with quaint town.

Sitges is less than an hour from Barcelona by private transfer and your hotel is situated in the old part of town, just a few steps from the beach. Spend the days getting lost on quiet streets before savoring tranquil strips of sand. For a closer look at Sitges history enter the regal houses that have been converted into art galleries and cultural museums. These are the seductive old homes of Spain's new-world explorers, built with plundered wealth and excelling in the ornate. While some Spanish beach resort towns rose out of small fishing villages, Sitges has been an upmarket family getaway since the early 20th century, meaning it hasn’t lost any of the original charm. This is where the Spanish choose to go for a tranquil break and it maintains Spain's authentic spell.

Seville's mesmerizing heart is plucked on the strings of a Spanish guitar, the improvised tune reflecting the passion and warmth of the city. Flamenco's dancers swirl in colorful dresses as a male voice poetically narrates, singing a tale of Andalusian history and family adventure. Flamenco hails from Andalusia and you're welcomed to the region by trying to dance the fandango at the Museo de Baile Flamenco. This private dance class can also include dressing the part while musical youngsters have the chance to receive a lesson on playing Spanish guitar.

After the direct flight from Barcelona Airport, this afternoon's family flamenco offers a great introduction to both a city and its culture. As always, private transfers are included and your hotel has an enviable position, within a traditional suburb but away from the hustle of the city center. As a guitar gently plays you all try to dance, the girls swirling in frilly flamenco dresses and the boys settling into the timeless musical style. After the lesson there's time to explore the museum's multi-media center that molds the history of flamenco into an audio-visual experience of performances from all over the world. Then it's time for the real thing as you enjoy a live flamenco performance on the museum's patio.

Seville is a city for exploring. Al fresco terraces stand beneath seductive townhouses from the 16th century. Cathedral spires rise above squares of street performers. Loud colors dominate street corners and ice cream stalls keep everyone refueled. The city is liberally sprinkled with odes to the past and glimpses at its Roman, medieval, and Moorish history. But touring historic buildings doesn't always appeal to children. Past View offers an alternative jump into the city's history by using interactive 3-D films to transport people back in time. You're not watching a screen. You're standing in the film set, surrounded by Roman recreations and the sounds of what the city really used to look like. Essential days in Seville's history are recreated, from meeting Moorish locals to exploring the dodgy harbor from the 17th century. Complete your visit at the Metrosol Parasol, a strange collection of architectural mushrooms that allow you to gaze down upon what Roman Seville looked like.

In the afternoon, an easy hour-long walking route continues the evocative tales of the past. Start in the Gothic Cathedral and the crypt of Christopher Columbus (more about him tomorrow), and then explore the vast gardens of the Alcazar. Continue through Maria Luisa Park to the Plaza de Espana where revival Renaissance buildings hang above a wide choice of cafes and restaurants. With live music filling wide pedestrianized areas, Seville makes for an exquisite afternoon of lounging amongst the traditions of Spain.

Back in 1492 it was all about pirates and galleons as Columbus set off on his travels. The discoverer of the Americas hailed from Seville and Pabellon de Navegacion relives the explorer's adventures on the high seas. Climb aboard model sailing ships and explore what life was like; including wonderfully gruesome medical instruments and a chance to experience what the sailors smelled like. In the back of the museum, a series of interactive games allow the children to relive parts of the voyages, including steering Columbus's ship and trying to hoist up the main sail. Animated films complete the audio-visual narration of famous missionaries, merchants, and characters that hailed from Seville. The afternoon is at your leisure.

After 11 nights of adventure you take a lifetime of memories away from Spain, a domestic flight rising above Andalusia as it takes you to an international connection in Barcelona. You're transferred to the airport after breakfast, the whole family waves goodbye to a country of color and enthusiasm.