traveldk.com

The Costa Brava is emerging as one of Spain’s top golf destinations, but if you’re looking to tee off in town, your best bets are the nearby pitch-and-putt courses in Badalona and Castelldefells.

Shoot some pool at Gràcia’s lovely Cafè Salambó, where there are pool and billard tables for rent upstairs, not to mention good drinks, tasty food, a friendly ambience and a lively, arty crowd (Gràcia Cafés).

By far the best beaches within easy reach of Barcelona, just 20 km (12 miles) to the north, these two adjoining beaches lure locals with gorgeous golden sand and clear, blue waters.

One of Europe’s best rivers for white-water sports is La Noguera Pallaresa in the Pyrenees. Late spring is the best time to go, as the mountain snow thaws.

It’s easier to get tickets for this first-division football side; they play at Estadi Olímpic (Estadi Olímpic).

Hire a pair of in-line skates from Desconnecta and breeze around Barcelona. Bikes and scooters are also available for rent from here.

When work first began, Gaudí’s magical church lay on the outskirts of the city and Barcelona would have been just a shadow in the distance. A hundred years on, the church is located in the heart of the Eixample and the bell towers offer dizzying vistas of the entire city. An added bonus are the wonderful close-ups of the extraordinary Sagrada Família itself. (Sagrada Família).

These traditional Catalan dances (Sardanes), take place regularly all over the city and at most local festas. Far from being exclusive, they often involve up to 200 people and there’s no reason why you can’t be one of them. The tourist office (Sources of Information can provide information on these events.

The beautiful Reserva Natural de les Illes Medes, with its thousands of species and coral reefs, is a haven for divers. Glass-bottomed boats cater to non-divers.

On the eastern part of the border between Spain and France, the tree-covered slopes of Albera are speckled with interesting ruins.