Barcelona Parc De Collserola

The Centro d’Informació, Carretera de l’Església, 92, has all the information you’ll need on activities in the park. Pamphlets and basic maps are available for free and the staff can advise you on various facilities and options in and around the park. (See Tibidabo; ☎932 80 35 52. www.parccollserola.net. FGC: Baixador de Vallvidrera, then follow signs to center. Open daily 9:30am-3pm.)

The information center provides numerous useful guides to trails in the park. For those who want to stay close to the entrance, there are six hikes, marked with a variety of colors, that start and end near the center itself. The red path to the Font de la Budellera (Budellera Spring), is an easy hike to the Torre de Collserola, Tibidabo, or the town of Vallvidrera. The leaflet “Walks Around,” available for free at the center, gives a detailed description of each color-coded itinerary, which range from 15min. (green path) to 2¼hr. (purple path). More detailed maps and guides (€6-18) are offered, which though they can help you navigate more extensive routes through the massive park, are almost exclusively in Catalan. Separate English guided tours can be arranged in advance (€97 per group of 25) and last about four hours. (Call ☎932 80 35 52 for more info.)

Biking

Biking in the park is limited to paths which are at least 3m wide, but there are plenty of them. The maps for sale list some bike routes (in Catalan) and most roads are marked with signs indicating whether they are bicycle-friendly. Unfortunately, there’s no bike rental shop near the park. You’ll have to rent one downtown and bring it up on an FGC train (see Bike Rentals). Most FGC stations are equipped with escalators and ramps along the stairwells. One of the most popular paths, not far into the park, is the Passeig Mirador de las Aigues, which offers bikers and hikers a view of Barcelona along an 11km trail. To get there, take the FGC from Pl. de Catalunya to the Peu del Funicular stop, catch the funicular, and press the request button to get out halfway up, at C. de Aigües.

Horseback Riding

There are six stables in the park, but most of them are far from public transportation. One exception is the Hípica Sant Cugat, Av. Corts Catalanes, s/n. Guides here lead excursions into Parc de Collserolla (€21 per hr.) and offer horseback-riding classes (€200 for 10hr.). Call ahead to reserve a space. (From Fabra i Puig catch the A4 bus to Sant Cugat; get off at the gas station and walk 3min. to the stable. ☎936 74 83 85; www.hipicasantcugat.es. Open daily 10am-2pm and 4-6pm.)