An adrenaline rush

But who are we to dare to suggest anything to you? We are Sara and JAAC, an Italian and a guy from Madrid who are in love with the province of Barcelona and authors of the travel blog Salta Conmigo, where you will find articles about the province as well as the rest of the world.

From jet skis to sailing in Santa Susanna

We are going to visit the Santa Susanna nautical station on the Maresme coast. The first thing that comes to mind is beaches and family tourism. You have got that right: The bouncy castles on the sand and the large hotels are proof of that. However, you will also find adrenaline and adventure in the form of jet skis, catamaran sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, paddle surfing and so forth. They do both things so well that they embody a distinctive feature as a family tourism destination as well as a sports tourism destination. For those who want to get away from the sand, water and salt, there are even hiking trails and a mountain bike centre. No one in the family will be left without something they like.

Nature next to the Montseny Nature Park

From the most classic activities in a nature park, such as hiking trails, to the challenges of the legendary TV show Takeshi's Castle, as well as cycling, horse riding and even 4x4 Segway routes. You have it all right next to the Montseny Nature Park and Biosphere Reserve. If you are wondering what Takeshi's Castle is, you must be very young. We are talking about skill tests such as fighting with sticks on a spinning cylinder, walking along a moving walkway, while dodging balls thrown by the rest of the group, or jumping against doors to make your way through an almost American-style obstacle course. We are sure you will want to try them all, as well as more “simple” activities, such as archery.

Via ferrata in Vallcebre

In the Berguedà region, specifically in Vallcebre, people will literally climb the walls. We did not quite make it to rock climbing, but we did dare to try the via ferrata option. What are via ferratas? They are climbing routes equipped with a safety cable and aids, such as steps carved into the rock, so that anyone can feel like a bit of a mountaineer. Do not panic; the safety equipment includes a helmet, a harness and two ropes that are permanently secured along the path, and you do the whole route with two guides. If you have ever seen a treetop adventure park, this is similar, albeit on rock. When you reach the top of the via ferrata, you get the bonus of enjoying the views of the Pyrenees, which will take your breath away again.

The Olympic Cable Park in Castelldefels

We had never heard of wakeboarding. We confess that we are old-timers – knowing what Takeshi’s Castle was gives you a clue. We had tried water skiing, though. If you do not know what wakeboarding is either, we are talking about a kind of water skiing, but with a board where the handle – the grip with its rope – is attached to a ski cable. Too many strange terms, right? The ski cable is a system that moves the handles along a rectangular course on the water with a motor. In short, there’s no boat pulling the rope. So, we went to the Olympic Cable Park de Castelldefels. What could go wrong? Well, everything and nothing. Everything, because no matter how hard we tried, we could not handle the pull of the cable, let alone stand up on the board. And nothing, because that did not take away any of the fun, plus we enjoyed watching the acrobatics of those who really knew what they were doing.

Speed, adventure, strength, precision and adrenaline. How about a little adventure in the province of Barcelona?