Barcelona has doubled its public water play areas, adding nine new locations across the city and bringing the total to 18. The sites will open daily from 10am to 8pm, without midday breaks, from June to September, city officials said.
The expansion is part of the city’s Climate Plan, which aims to help Barcelona cope with high temperatures and support outdoor play. The new areas are spread across several districts, giving families more places to cool off during the summer months.
The nine new water play areas are in Ciutat Vella, at Plaça de Carme Simó, L’Eixample, at Avenida de Mistral, Sants-Montjuïc, at Plaça de Joan Pelegrí and Jardins de Justa Freire, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, at Parc de Joan Reventós, Horta-Guinardó, at Jardins del Baix Guinardó, Sant Andreu, at Parc de Antoni Santiburcio, and Sant Martí, at Plaça de Lolita Torrentó and Plaça de Harry Walker.
They join nine existing water play areas that will also open in the coming days. These are in Nou Barris, at Canyelles, Horta-Guinardó, at Parc de les Rieres d’Horta, Sant Andreu, at Bon Pastor, Canòdrom Meridiana and Antiga Casa de l’Aigua, Sant Martí, at Plaça del Maresme and Parc de les Glòries, Les Corts, at Jardins de Sant Joan de Déu in L’Illa Diagonal, and Ciutat Vella, at Plaça de les Caramelles.
The city plans to open five more cooling spaces by 2027, two in Sant Martí, two in Ciutat Vella and one in Nou Barris. This work sits within the wider Heat Plan, under the Climate Plan, and is intended to make the city more resilient to current climate pressures and protect vulnerable people.
Officials said these water play areas are the only designated public spaces for cooling down. They are recommended for children aged five and over, who must wear shoes when using them. Accessing or bathing in ornamental fountains is prohibited. The spaces are also part of Barcelona’s Network of Climate Refuges.
