Aeri del Port (Transbordador) ★

A view of Barcelona from the Teleférico cabel car over Port Vell
A view of Barcelona from the Teleférico cabel car over Port Vell. (Photo courtesy of Aeri del Port)

The Transbordador (Port Vell Aerial Tramway) is a cable car ride over the port of Barcelona

The Barcelona cable car over the port.
The Teléferico over Port Vell. (Photo by Asurnipal)This low-key, 1,292-meter (0.8-mile) thrill ride in a gondola over the harbor of Barcelona—Sant Sebastià tower in Barceloneta at 78.4m (257 feet) over the cruise ship port to the Jaume I tower by the circular World Trade Center building on the Moll de Barceloneta pier at 107m (351 feet) to the Miramar viewpoint halfway up Montjuïc Hill at 57m (187 feet)—offers spectacular views.

The busy waterfront is below and all around you. In one direction, all of downtown Barcelona and spreads to either side of Las Ramblas; in the other direction, the waters of the Mediterranean stretch to the horizon.

The Miramar at the top has terraces and teelscopes for enjoying the views and a cafe for overpriced snacks.

What's in a name?
The towers of the teleférico have significant names:
• Jaume I - The Catalan spelling for James I "El Conquistador," the 13th-century King of Aragon (actually born in Montpillier, Languedoc), who took the throne at age five, ruled for 62 years, and added Valencia and the Baleric Islands (Majorca, Ibiza, etc.) to the kingdom. He also wrested control of Catalonia away from the French, making him Count of Barcelona and putting the region on its future path to become part of Spain. Notably, he also championed Catalan lanuage and culture, so you can see why the proud locals still dig this medieval Franco-Spanish king.
• Sant Sebastià - The Catalan spelling for San Sebastián, a pretty coastal city up in Spain's Basque country where, in 1907, the first such aerial tram was built.Yes, it costs a lot for a 7-minute ride, but the views really can be worth it.

(Do not confuse this with the Teleférico de Montjuïc, another lovely cable car ride up on Montjuïc hill—though, sadly, the end stations of the two aerial tramways don't quite link up.)

History of a tourist attraction

This 85-year-old aerial tramway has had a checkered history.

Designed for the 1929 World's Fair, it didn't actually open until 1931—and was soon shuttered for the Spanish Civil War (1936–39), when the main Jaume I tower was fitted with machine guns and turned into a gunnery lookout.

The teleférico opened again in the 1960s, and operations sputtered along sporadically until the mid-1990s, when authorites were set to close the creaky old attraction for good.

Then the Barcelona port redevelopment plans came along and it was decided instead to rehabilitate the Aeri del Port, which was fully overhauled and refitted and finally reopened in 2000.

Tips & Links

Aeri del Port details
★

ADDRESS

Taquígrafo Garriga 97
Montjuïc end: Plaça de l'Armada (where all the various roads named "Miramar" converge)
Beceloneta end: Passeig de Joan Borbó

Tel. +34-934-304-716
www.telefericodebarcelona.com

OPEN

June 3–Sept 8: Daily 11am–8pm
Mar–June 2 & Sept 9–Oct 27: Daily 11am–7pm
Oct 28–Feb 2: Daily 11am–5:30pm

ADMISSION

€11 one-way (€16.50 round-trip)
With Barcelona Card or With Barcelona Museum Pass: Free

TRANSPORT

Metro: Barceloneta end: Barceloneta (L4), then the 17 bus; Montjuïc end: Pl. Espanya (L1, L3, L8, S4, S8, S33), then bus 150, or Paral-lel (L2, L3), then walk up the hill.
Bus: Barceloneta end: 17, 39, 64; Montjuïc end: 150.
Hop-on/Hop-off route: Both ends: South (red); Barceloneta end: East; Miramar end: West.

How long does the Aeri del Port cable car take?

Planning your day: The ride only takes about 7 minutes.

However, while sometimes you can just wait in a short line and waltz right on, in summer and whenever cruise ships are in port, the wait in the ticket line can last for up to an hour (or at least 30–40 minutes)—at which point, frankly, this is not worth it.

» Barcelona itineraries

Useful links & resources

SIGHTS

Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info

Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)

Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com

LODGING

Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.comPartner, Hotels.com

B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com

Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.comhomeaway

Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com

TRANSPORT

Airfares:



Airports: Aena.es

Trains: Raileurope.com (throughout Europe), Renfe.com (within Spain), Bahn.de (throughout Europe), Seat61.com

Public transport: Barcelona Card (free transport; sightseeing); Search all public transit: mou-te.gencat.cat; Metro/Bus: Tmb.cat; Tram: Trambcn.com; Light rail: Fgc.cat; Taxi: Taxibarcelona.cat

Car rentals: Autoeurope.com, RentalCars.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com

Barcelona tours
  • Sightseeing
  • Food & wine
  • Day-trips
  • Excursions

 

Reserve it

 

see
do
stay
eat
plan

Tours Under $995 G Adventures


Related Articles


This article was by Reid Bramblett and last updated in September 2013.
All information was accurate at the time.

about | contact | faq

Copyright © 1998–2013 by Reid Bramblett. Author: Reid Bramblett.