For the best views of the city, a ride on Barcelona’s Port Cable Car is a must. Rising over a hundred metres above Barcelona, the cable car goes between Montjuic Hill and the beach in Barceloneta.

Flying high on Barcelona’s Port Cable Car

Barcelona’s Port Cable Car (Teleferico del Puerto) takes passengers across Port Vell on a flight in bright red cabins between Montjuic Hill (home of the 1992 Olympic games) and Barceloneta beach. The journey spans 1300 metres and reaches heights of over a hundred metres. In total, the ride takes about 10 minutes from one end to the other. In terms of transport, this is actually the quickest way to reach the beach from Montjuic Hill (and vice versa). But Barcelona’s Port Cable Car is a fantastic attraction in its own right.

You can see right across the city to the surrounding hills and mountains behind it. Indeed, it’s only by seeing Barcelona from up high that you can begin to comprehend just how vast it is as well as what makes it such a brilliant city. After all, not all great cities can boast having miles and miles of golden sandy beach with the Mediterranean sea lapping at its shores.

The Port Cable Car is actually one of two cable car networks in Barcelona. The other is the Montjuic Cable Car, which takes passengers the 750 metres between Montjuic Park station and Montjuic Castle on the top of the hill.

Views from up high

City views include some of Barcelona’s most iconic sights including the Sagrada Familia, the Torre Glòries, Arc de Triomf and the Columbus Monument. You’ll also take in the vast port where you might spot fishermen unloading their catch as well as the marina with its hundreds of expensive yachts.

Here are a few of the snapshots we took on our flight…

View of the city and marina.

Rambla del Mar, a floating boardwalk by the marina. It leads to Aquarium Barcelona as well as Maremagnum, a mall with lots of shops and restaurants.

Beachside in Barcelona

Nearly flying over the beach

A bit of history

The cable car network had been due to open in time for Barcelona’s Grand Exposition in 1929. Unfortunately, the Exposition had to do without it as money for the project wasn’t raised in time. It finally opened in 1931 with passengers able to travel on cables across the network’s three stations: Torre de Sant Sebastia in Barceloneta, Torre de Jaume I in Port Vell and Miramar on the slopes of Montjuic Hill. However, you can’t actually get on or off the cable car at the middle station (Torre de Jamie I). The cable car flies steadily between the first and last station and just passes through Torre de Jaume I.

During the civil war, the cables between the stations were removed and the towers were used for defense. It wasn’t until the 1960s before the cable car network was reopened to the public.

Today, the cable car is as popular as ever with thousands of people doing the flight every day. Both Torre de Sant Sebastia and Torre de Jaume I have also been designated as part of Barcelona’s historic and artistic heritage.

Eating and drinking

View of Restaurant Miramar on Montjuic Hill

There is a restaurant at either end of the flight. At Miramar on Montjuic Hill, you’ll find Miramar Cafe and Restaurant. And literally on top of the station (Torre de Sant Sebastia) on the port side, there is Torre d’Alta Mar, a fab fine dining restaurant. For something a little more low key, however, you could pick up something lovely for lunch from Barcelona’s fantastic La Boqueria Market and have a picnic either on the beach or on Montjuic Hill.

All aboard Barcelona’s Port Cable Car

Each of the Port Cable Car’s red cabins take 20 people. There are no seats and people tend to move around a little to take pictures as well as allow fellow passengers to take pictures. You can board the cable car either at Torre de Sant Sebastia by the beach in Barceloneta or Miramar on Montjuic Hill. At the former, you’ll need to take a lift up to the cable car pick up point. And you can start enjoying fantastic views from the stations themselves.

In the map below, we’ve highlighted the two stations you can board or get off the cable car.

Cost of a flight

The cost of a round trip on Barcelona’s Port Cable Car is €16.50 and a one-way ride is €11. For more information, visit: telefericodebarcelona.com.

Opening hours

It’s open everyday of the year except Christmas Day. Here’s the opening hours…

• 30 October to 28 February: 11.00am to 5.30pm
• 1 March to 31 May: 10.30am to 7.00pm
• 1 June to 10 September: 10.30am to 8.00pm
• 11 September to 29 October: 10.30am to 8.00pm