I am hoping you can help me with some ideas for things to do on a trip in March with a group of high schoolers (about 30 kids ). We will be in Barcelona 4 nights. We have day trips to Tarragona, and Figueras planned for two of the days. We are also planning on the Parque Guell and the Sagrada Familia, as well as the Gothic quarter and cathedral.
The last time I was in Barcelona it was 1989...so long ago! I would love to know some fun places to take them in the evening. I wonder if there is a flamenco show that is any good in Barcelona for them to experience flamenco? If anyone has any suggestions, please share them with me.

Does anyone have any suggestions for places between Tarragona and Figueras on the coast that we should not miss? Remember I will be leading 30 teenagers around (with other chaperones!! thankfully)
Thanks so much!!

Two side trips for a 4-night stay in Barcelona... I find it a bit excessive, I would do just one of them.

Anyway, I think that your students would enjoy a visit to the Olympic area in Montjuic, the Olympic Stadium, Sant Jordi Arena,... For some shopping, a good place is Maremagnum, a mall located in the Old Port, accessable via a wooden drawbridge from Colon statue. Well, the structure of the bridge is metallic, but it has a wooden floor.

I would not take them to a flamenco show in Barcelona. I am sure there must be venues where good flamenco is played there, but it would be like going to a rodeo in New York city. Flamenco is a cultural heritage from the Sothernmost part of Spain and it is kinda foreign in Barcelona (apart of rumba catalana, and that is not what an American expects as a "flamenco show"). If you have the chance to be on a Sunday in Barcelona, take your students to the square in front of the Cathedral in the morning-noon. There, ordinary people belonging to folkloric dance groups called "esbarts", dance the traditional Catalan sardana. It is a brotherhood dance, maybe not too spectacular in terms of show, but very genuine, and the music is just beautiful.

You could spend the day in Barcelona and head to Figueras for an evening visit to the Dali museum...it is really neat to go at night. Check first if it's available- I went during the summer months so perhaps it's a seasonal thing.

I just checked; it's only in the summer- sorry.

There is (or was) a huge table football table on La Rambla, i'm sure that 30 people can play on it at once. It's worth spending an evening parading up and down La Rambla, as there is always plenty to see there.

I know that seeing Flamenco in Barcelona is ridiculous...But, I thought "you never know" and that maybe there would be a venue worth checking out.

As for the Ramblas...Yes, I was thinking of that too! And unfortunately we will not be in Barcelona on a Sunday, so that idea of the cathedral plaza won't work this time.

thanks for the ideas so far...any more?

Teenagers + Barcelona? There's only one choice in my mind: Camp Nou where the league-leading FC Barcelona football (soccer) team plays. To counteract that, I would take them to the lovely portside church Santa Maria del Mar, where Columbus and his crew prayed before leaving for the new world and then I would have them walk up to the steps of the Palace in the center of the old city where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand stood to greet Columbus upon his return.

30 teenagers is a lot, and the best way for them to walk through Plaza Catalunya or down the Rambla would be in groups of 4 or 5, with chaperone, otherwise you will spend your few days in that lovely city up at the consulate on Reina Elisenda, trying to get duplicate passports. The most important thing is that your teenagers not wear "sneakers" or any clothing with LLBean or Patagonia type logos. Simple colors of black and brown are best. No light khaki pants. Just don't want your teenagers to be easy targets for the very artistic ways pickpockets make off with wallets. If you do walk down the Rambla, make sure you take them into the Boqueria to enjoy the sights and smells of all the produce and food in that amazing market.

And, please, as previous posters suggested, you really do not want to search out a flamenco show for them. That is not Barcelona, but is available only for tourists. And rather than ordering paella, for which one must really be in Valencia or further south, have them order fideu, which are thin, short noodles in fish broth and is very Catalan.

You will have a wonderful time!

Check out the Capitol Theater on La Rambla. If you get lucky there could be a great show. When we were there a few years ago we lucked into an amazing tap dance and drumming show, performed by local professionals. But, really, with only 4 nights, it sounds like you won't even have time for what you've already got planned. And teenagers LOVE to shop, so head for Zara. As for pickpockets--when we travel, we don't bring wallets at all, just the money belt inside the pants. When I led a group of teenagers, I didn't allow them to bring wallets.

I would suggest going up to Montjuic , and from there you can take a cable car ride out over the city to the harbor. There's an aquarium down at the harbor.

Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Mila... Gaudi's anything. Some teenagers would really enjoy climbing one of the towers in Sagrada Familia.

The amazing Science Museum Coxmocaixa where visitors are invited to interact with many of the scientific experiments.

Located in the trendy Born district at Carrer Commerc, 36, is the Museu de la Xocolata which has exhibits on chocolate through the ages. They even have chocolate sculptors and 3-D versions of some of Gaudi?s masterpieces.

Another great thing: as soon as the weather gets nice, there's like a kind of hippie gathering in the Parc de la Ciutadella on Sunday afternoon.

Other route could be the beach.

There's also a cable railway that goes up the hill to MontJuic. If you go up on that end and go down the hill toward the Plaza de España, you'll pass Poble Español, a tourist trap that has several Spanish Monumentos Naciónales re-created in smaller scale. It might be worth a stop; but 30 high schoolers - that's a lot!

There's a replica of the Santa Maria: the ship Columbus sailed on his first Voyage of Discovery to the New World.

Barcelona might not be a place famous for its Flamenco, per sé but some great Bailaoras have achieved their fame in Barcelona.

Where are you going to be 19 Mar (San José)??

Welcome back, Esperanza!

I'm sure Barcelona has several Academias de Baile. They may not stress bailes gitanos but I'm sure they teach Jotas and other Spanish dances. As a Maestra from NYC, maybe you can contact one and ask if your students could watch a practice session. Sweeten your request with some cash, and what could they say? No??

So, Esperanza, what did you finally decide to do with the students? I know it's been a year since you posted this, but I will be in Barcelona soon ( see my Figueres post ) and it will be for three nights only with one side trip. We are pretty scheduled during the day, but I am curious about ideas for the evening. I'm not sure where our hotel will be.

Oh, and our group is larger: about 45 of us total.