Free outdoor sports in Barcelona

Outdoor gyms (calisthenics bars)

Dozens of pull-up bars, dip bars, monkey ladders and wall bars are scattered along the beachfront and across the parks, mostly painted orange and black. Here are six well-known ones. Quieter setups also exist in Gràcia, Nou Barris and Sant Andreu.

• Barceloneta beachfront workout park

  Barceloneta, Passeig Marítim

  The best-known outdoor gym in the city, near the W Hotel end of the seafront. High and low pull-up bars, parallel bars, a monkey ladder, wall bars and a snake bar, a few steps from the sand. Open round the clock, with showers nearby.

  Find it on Google Maps

• Parc de Calistènia de Mar Bella

  Poblenou, Mar Bella

  Professional-grade equipment with sea views and a calmer, more local crowd than Barceloneta. A gentler place to start if the beachfront feels intimidating on a busy Saturday.

  Getting there: Metro L4: Poblenou or Selva de Mar

  Find it on Google Maps

• Parc de l'Espanya Industrial

  Sants

  A park overlooking a boating lake, handy if you arrive by train at Sants Estació.

  Find it on Google Maps

• Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies

  Paral·lel

  An urban setup woven into the local skate and street-art scene.

  Find it on Google Maps

• Parc de Calistènia Fort Pienc

  Eixample, Fort Pienc

  Shaded by trees, so it stays usable on hot afternoons.

  Find it on Google Maps

• Parc del Turó del Putxet

  Sarrià-Sant Gervasi

  Train with a view towards Tibidabo and the Sagrada Familia.

  Find it on Google Maps

New to the bars? Bring a resistance band (looped over a bar it takes enough weight off to make a first pull-up possible), start with assisted pull-ups, dips, push-ups and hangs, and go on a weekday morning or early evening for a calmer crowd. Our full guide is The Free Bars of Barcelona.

Free ping pong tables

The city council maintains concrete tables with fixed metal nets in parks and squares across Barcelona, and they are free to use. You only need bats and a few balls. Two to start with:

• Parc de la Ciutadella tables

  Ciutadella, between the Born and Barceloneta

  A cluster of concrete tables with fixed metal nets in the north-east corner of the park, behind the La Cascada fountain near Passeig de Pujades. The park is free to enter and open late into the evening.

  Find it on Google Maps

• Carrer de les Floristes de la Rambla

  Vallcarca and Penitents

  A small square that locals have used for casual games for years.

  Find it on Google Maps

Bring more than one ball, because outdoor tables sit near trees and hedges. Spring and autumn are ideal, and in high summer aim for the early evening. Our regular Thursday session plays on public tables in Sants, see Ping Pong, and there is more in Barcelona's Free Concrete Ping Pong Tables Are Everywhere.

Beach volleyball courts

Public volleyball courts on the beaches are generally free and first come, first served. We have a page for each beach.

• Nova IcariaThe best known volleyball beach in the city, next to Port Olimpic.
• BogatellA wide, relaxed beach with proper sports facilities behind the sand.
• SomorrostroA short stretch of sand with a history, between Barceloneta and Nova Icaria.
• Mar BellaA sporty beach near the municipal watersports base. We do not run games here.
• BarcelonetaThe famous one. Busy, central, and not where our games are held.