Dinopolis and the land of the dinosaurs (Teruel)

Land of Dinosaurs

More than 128 Millions of years ago the region of Teruel was the mouth of a large tropical river, where lived large dinosaurs, who fed on the vegetation that grew in the swamps. 

This is known because of the fossilized dinosaur tracks found in the area (thanks to a tsunami,  that fortunately buried them until today). 

Dinópolis

Dinópolis is a theme park that combines education with fun. A full visit will take you almost all the day, it's opened from 10h to 19h or 20h depending on the date. Here is the calendar with the opening times.

Dinopolis is part of a net of six parks called Territorio Dinopolis and it is possible to buy single or combined tickets.

Main activities  

• Time travel: mounted on a wagon train we'll learn about the period from the Big Bang to the extinction of the dinosaurs. 
• T-Rex: recreation theatrical with a robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex.
• Terra colossus: live the adventure to escape the attack of dinosaurs in a 4D simulator (3D movie + moving armchairs).
• White Tyron: a 3D movie about a dinosaur baby.
• Theater: different educational shows are played along the day, check schedules not to miss them. 
• Paleosenda and Sauriopark: playing areas of different ages.

• Last  minute: a boat tip through the last 65 million years.    

• Paleontological museum: where you can see real size reconstructions of dinosaurs and other original bones of Riodevensis Turiasaurus, the largest dinosaur in Europe and one of the world.

What to visit in Teruel 

Teruel is a nice city to visit with kids, it's the smallest province capital in Spain, with only 36.000 inhabitants, so it's easy to walk around. 

Children will enjoy the legend of Teruel Lovers,  they can play to see who finds the Torico before (it is a very small statue of a bull on the top of a tall column above the fountain in the main Square), and they will sure be  happy to climb the mudéjar bell tower of San Pedro.

Where is Dinópolis - Teruel?

Artigas Gardens, Gaudí hidden legacy

When Gaudí was visiting the location of the coal mine engineer's house he was commissioned to design for Eusebi Güell in Catllaràs (Lillet Valley), he stayed in the house of Artigas family, friends of Güell family in the textile business. 

As a gratitude to his lodging, Gaudí designed Artigas Gardens, in a wild environment around the river and the factory, which became the only humid gardens he projected.

The aim of the architect was to integrate the gardens in the environment, in absolute respect for nature, so stone is the most used material and the gardens are full of stairs to follow the natural shape of the valley.

A wide explanation about Modernism and Artigas Gardens is available here. It is possible to book a guided tour at the Tourist Office (938 236 146).

Taking again The Ciment Train, in the next (and last) stop, you can visit Asland Cement Museum. 

How to get there

A nice way to reach Artigas Gardens, specially travelling with kids, is taking The Cement Train, the line to the cement factory owned by Eusebi Güell, which was supplied with the extracted coal of Catllaras mines mentioned above.

This is now a touristic train, working from April to October, in a 3,5 km route with four station: La Pobla de Lillet (parking) - La Pobla (center village) - Artigas Gardens - Cement Museum in Castellar de n'Hug (and parking).

It is also possible to reach the gardens by car or walking, following the railway from La Pobla de Lillet.
Information about travelling from Barcelona by public transport is available in this site.

It is not advisable to bring baby carriages because there are many stairs in the tour.

View FGC Tren del Ciment in a larger map

The surroundings

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In Castellar de n'Hug is worth a visit the source of Llobregat river, which flows to Barcelona, and all the long of its course is it possible to visit the textile past heritage of Llobregat valley.    

Pedraforca mountain will offer you a spectacular landscape if you drive to Gosol and Saldes.

Olot, learning about volcanoes

The capital of the region named La Garrotxa is Olot, a city with almost 35.000 inhabitants located at 50km from Girona.

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It is recommended to visit first the Museum of Volcanoes, in the middle of Parc Nou, where you can spend a good time in the botanical gardens.

The tour takes less than two hours and it allows visitors to locate every point of interest in the surroundings, besides remembering or deepen in the geological concepts involved in the formation of volcanoes.

The volcanic region of La Garrotxa was declared Natural Park in 1982, as a political response to public and scientific demands to safeguard the quarantine of volcanic cones and more than twenty basaltic lava flows. 

In the surroundings there are many paths, cycling and walking trails, for example the volcanoes' circuit, a round trip walk that takes 3 hours and begins just on the Museum location or La Ruta del Carrilet, a cyclist path on an old railway.

For more info, volcanoes have their own facebook page (in catalan), or contact us.

Another unforgettable visit in the area is La Fageda d'en Jordà, a beech forest born above a lava flow of Croscat Volcano, always spectacular, especially in autumn,where you can have a fun time walking through the cracks opened on the floor.

Naturlandia (Andorra)

In the middle of the Pyrenees, between France and Spain, three hours from Barcelona by car, there is Andorra, a small country where you can go hiking, skiing or shopping.  

Near the Spanish border you will find Naturlandia, a fun park with adventures for children and parents.

The youngest ones have ponies rides, driving electric cars, skating and jumping in trampolines or inflatables.

Kids up 120 cm high can also drive buggies, practice archery, sky trail 13 meters high in the Airtrek or go down to the tobotronc, a mountain coaster 5 km long. 

And everything in a fantastic natural surrounding, at 2.050 meters high, where you can find so big mushrooms in a short walk.

The Bus #1 takes you to the park from Andorra la Vella. By car, there are two parking areas, the one at the low park (the arrival of Tobotronk) is often full and it is usual to find cars parked on the road. The higher park (quads, nature expo, trekking and beginning of Tobotronc) is more quiet, but you have to get there with your ticket.

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A rainy day in Donostia

When we arrived at San Sebastián (Donostia in basque language), the first place we visited was La Playa de la Concha, the most known beach of the city, 

But Cantabrian Coast weather in april is often rainy and we had to find indoor alternatives for our tour, so we walked to the eastern edge of the bay to the Aquarium, beside to the fishing port.

The visit to the Aquarium took us about two hours, we could learn about whales hunting and see how little sharks move in their eggs.

After having lunch in a tapa's bar in the Juan de Bilbao street, we spent the afternoon in the science museum, named  Eureka!.

How to get there

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