A vacation to Malgrat de Mar with kids is always a good idea! This resort in Catalonia has a nice climate in the summer months and also several family-friendly beaches to visit. There’s plenty to do in the center of Malgrat de Mar and you can have a great time with the family! There is also plenty to do in the region for families with kids. In this blog we list the best children’s activities in Malgrat de Mar.
Best travel time Malgrat de Mar with kids
The best times to visit Malgrat de Mar with kids is from May to October. During these months the temperature can exceed 20 degrees and you have the best chance of sunshine!
If you want to make sure that you can enjoy the beach in Malgrat de Mar with the family, the months of July and August are recommended. In these 2 months the temperature is between 20 and 30 degrees and you have a great chance of sunny weather.
In the months of May, June, September and October you do have to be a little luckier with the weather. However, one advantage of these months is that the Spanish coast is a lot less crowded and prices for accommodations are a lot lower than in the months of July and August.
Transportation to and in Malgrat de Mar
Most families with kids come to Malgrat de Mar by car. This resort is easily accessible by car and it is also the best way to explore the region with kids. Of course there are also buses and cabs in this region, but having your own car always gives a lot of freedom, especially with kids.
It is also possibly possible to travel to Malgrat de Mar by train. From Barcelona it will take you just over 1.5 hours to reach Malgrat de Mar. In the center of Malgrat de Mar you can walk with kids. The center is quite compact.
You can easily fly to Barcelona or Girona and then rent a car at the airport. From Girona airport you can drive to Malgrat de Mar in just over half an hour and from Barcelona airport you can drive to Malgrat de Mar in an hour. At both airports you can easily rent a car through the organization Sunny Cars.
We always rent a car in Spain through Sunny Cars and every time it has been great. They have a comprehensive package of insurance and fine conditions included in the price and therefore you can hit the road in this region with peace of mind. So be sure to check online to rent a car at Girona airport or rent a car at Barcelona airport.
Children’s activities Malgrat de Mar
#1 Platja de Malgrat
Most families with kids visit Malgrat de Mar for its nice climate and beautiful sandy beaches. You can go to several family-friendly beaches in Malgrat de Mar. The most famous beach is Platja de Malgrat (Central Beach), which is located against the center of the city. This beach is very family-friendly as there are plenty of facilities on the beach.
You can rent sunbeds with an umbrella here, there are clean toilets, you have lifeguards on the beach in the summer months and you have plenty of catering establishments where you can go for a snack and a drink. Just keep in mind that this beach can get crowded in the summer months.
Another beach to visit in Malgrat de Mar with kids is Platja de l’Astillero. This is the most popular and busiest beach in Malgrat de Mar. There are plenty of facilities for families with kids here as well. Another beach you can visit is Tordera Mouth Beach, but this beach does consist of pebbles, which is not so comfortable. It is then best to rent a beach bed at this beach. In addition, it is then recommended to put on water shoes on this beach.
#2 Marineland Catalunya
A fun park to go to in Malgrat de Mar with kids is Marineland Catalunya. This is a combination of a water park and an animal park. The water park has several spectacular slides that you can go down with the kids. Keep in mind that most slides allow kids from a certain height (many slides from 115 cm tall).
Besides the several fast slides, they also have two pools aimed at kids smaller than 115 cm. Here you also have several small slides and play equipment by the pool. In addition, there are regular pools and there is a pool with artificial waves.
Besides this water park, you can also go here to watch different shows with animals. For example, there is a show with dolphins, sea lions, birds of prey and seals. There is also a butterfly garden that you can visit. You can have a great time here for a whole day in Malgrat de Mar with kids. For the different slides, entrance tickets and opening hours, take a look at Marineland Catalunya‘s website.
#3 Francesc Macià Park
In the surroundings of Malgrat de Mar you can visit several more parks that are worthwhile. Francesc Macià Park is a large play park that you can visit for free in Malgrat de Mar with kids. From the promenade of Santa Susanna you can take with kids the tourist train that stops at this park.
Besides the many playground equipment, you have clean toilets here and a restaurant where you can eat something. This park is very fairytale-like and immensely well maintained, making it really recommended to visit with young kids.
Another park you can visit is Parc del Castell. You reach this park with a free cable car and in the park you can walk with kids and have a nice view of the surroundings of Malgrat de Mar. This is another budget getaway in Malgrat de Mar.
#4 Lloret de Mar
Another well-known seaside resort located near Malgrat de Mar is Lloret de Mar. You can drive there by car in just over 20 minutes. Of course, Lloret de Mar is also a popular resort with family-friendly beaches and you can have a bite to eat and a drink with the kids in the center of Lloret de Mar. Still, there are some fun activities in this resort that are really for kids.
For example, Lloret de Mar has a water park that you can visit with different pools and slides. There is plenty to do at this water park for both young kids and older kids and you can easily spend a whole day here entertaining yourself at this water park. We always enjoy visiting water parks with our daughter during the hot summer months in Spain. For more information about the slides, entrance tickets and opening hours, check out Water World Lloret de Mar’s website .
If you visit Malgrat de Mar with kids who are still young, you can also go to Gnomo Park in Lloret de Mar. In this park there is all kinds of things for kids to do. Kids here can cool off in a swimming pool, play on the air cushions located on the grounds and climb in the climbing park. You can also play a game of miniature golf with the family here.
If you want to know what else you can do in Lorret de Mar, read the blog Lloret de Mar with kids.
#5 Barcelona
If you have a somewhat longer vacation in Malgrat de Mar with kids, you should definitely also take a day trip to Barcelona. We have visited the city several times now and it is always fun! There is also a lot to see in this metropolis in that respect, and therefore there is something fun for every member of the family to do!
If you are visiting Barcelona for a day and still want to see a lot of the city, we recommend either booking the hop on hop off bus or taking a bike tour of the city. With both, you can see a lot of the city in a short time. When we took our first day trip to Barcelona, we also took these buses and were able to see several sights of the city in a short time.
You obviously have some world-famous sights in Barcelona such as the Sagrada Familia, the Ramblas and parc Güell. But you also have several nice city parks and family-friendly museums in the city that are worth visiting. And of course, if your kids love soccer, a tour of Barcelona’s stadium is great fun.
If you want to know more about what to do in this metropolis, read our blog Barcelona with kids.
Family-friendly restaurant Malgrat de Mar
Malgrat de Mar has plenty of nice restaurants where you can eat with the family. Of course, also in Malgrat de Mar there are many restaurants where you can eat tapas with kids. This way you can let kids taste all kinds of small bites and there is usually always something the kids like.
If you want to eat something other than Spanish tapas for once, we have listed below a number of family-friendly restaurants in Malgrat de Mar, where you can eat and drink delicious food.
Shaan E India: if you are looking for a family-friendly restaurant in Malgrat de Mar where they also have a lot of vegetarian options, then this restaurant is a good choice. This Indian restaurant is not super big, but has a great price-quality ratio. Do ask the waiter not to make the food too spicy for the kids if they don’t like it.
Restaurante La Maduixa: at this Italian restaurant you can go for different pizzas and pastas and they also have different tapas you can eat here. With kids, be sure to go here for a nice ice cream, because that’s what this restaurant is known for.
Fast food restaurants: of course you also have several fast food chains in this seaside resort where you can go to eat. There are branches of McDonald’s and Burger King in Malgrat de Mar where you can go for a quick bite. We always like it when we can occasionally go to these fast food chains with our daughter during our vacation.
Family-friendly hotel Malgrat de Mar
Malgrat de Mar is a seaside resort where you have plenty of great family-friendly accommodations for families with kids. We list the best rated accommodations you can book in Malgrat de Mar with kids. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Hotel Cartago Nova by ALEGRIA
Mid-range accommodation: Hotel Europa Splash & Spa
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Sorra Daurada Splash
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Malgrat de Mar.
