Sports and fitness

The “Magic Mountain”, as it’s often called, shows off plenty of skin in the warmer months as swimmers and sunbathers flock to the waters of its municipal pool. Built in 1929, refurbished for the 1955 Mediterranean Games and expanded for the 1992 Olympics, it attracts professional swimmers, divers and a parade of lithe bodies hoping to work on their tans. The music video for Kylie Minogue’s 2003 synth-pop hit “Slow” was filmed poolside, with the opening shot featuring a toned diver somersaulting into the still waters. It’s a popular spot so we can’t guarantee perfect calm – nor Kylie, for that matter.

The subterranean caverns of this former 17th-century warehouse once housed ancient wells. Today Aire has repurposed the storied interiors as an Arabic bathing complex that’s awash with soothing sounds and smells, and sublime treatments. Take a dip in the cool waters of the frigidarium to loosen up any initial tension, then step into the caldarium, a much hotter hammam. End your session with the age-old ritual of a relaxing argan-oil massage.

Distance: 9km
Gradient: Mainly flat
Difficulty: Moderate
Highlight: Forgetting that you’re in the city
Best time: Weekends 
Nearest metro station: Carretera de les Aigües (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat) 

Opting for a brisk run along the beach is easy. Anyone looking for a more serious slog should brave the Carretera de les Aigües (Path of the Waters) instead. This 9km route derives its name from the archaic water-distribution pipes that once cut through the Serra de Collserola national park. The feat of engineering is now a (mainly) flat running and cycling circuit set among the leafy peaks, with views of the urban sprawl below. But first you’ll have to make it up to the elevated starting point. We recommend the 15-minute train ride with the Ferrocarrils service, taking the S1 or S2 lines from Plaça de Catalunya, changing at the Peu del Funicular onto the Vallvidrera line and then disembarking at Carretera de les Aigües. It’s less complicated than it sounds – and this spectacular track is worth the trouble.