The El Prat plane-spotting viewpoint

We’d been meaning to visit the El Prat plane-spotting viewpoint for ages, but for one reason or another we’d never made it.

Yesterday, at last, we got to watch planes landing up close from the Barcelona airport viewpoint, and it was…

Absolutely amazing!

You can see the planes’ bellies surprisingly close up. Now a Vueling, now an Emirates, now an easyJet, now a private jet, now a light aircraft… of every size and colour.

There’s a small area set up with several stone benches where you can settle down to watch the show. My kids climbed up on them to get higher and see the planes a few centimetres closer. The best bit was trying to touch them with a stick.

It’s an outing I’d highly recommend for everyone, but especially for children, as you see the planes go by so close that it feels as if you could almost stroke them.

For the more sensitive, we’d recommend bringing ear defenders. The noise is bearable, but if we can avoid it, our ears will thank us.

Access to the viewpoint is completely open and parking is free.

The Llobregat Delta park

The outing lasts as long as the kids enjoy watching planes land one after another, about 5 minutes apart.

But if they get bored, there are paths for bikes, scooters, skates or whatever takes your fancy to enjoy the area, as the viewpoint is in a small nature reserve, the Llobregat Delta Natural Park.

This protected area is equipped with hides and lookout points for watching the local wildlife, such as the Delta’s native birds.

Parking for the El Prat viewpoint

You can get to the El Prat viewpoint by car. There’s a designated car park, which is the funeral parlour’s car park. If you’re going with little ones, it’s best to park right at the far end, as that’s closest to the viewpoint.

There are other ways to get there, such as by metro or bus, but the most convenient, and the one that gets you closest to the viewpoint, is by car.

How long does it take from the car park to the viewpoint?

From the car park it’s a walk of a few minutes (depending on how fast the little ones go) along a small path, about 400 metres, to reach the spot.

On the way you can already see the control tower and the planes landing just a few metres away. The first impressions are already mind-blowing.

And without further ado, here’s the location of the El Prat airport viewpoint and the funeral parlour car park.

Location of the El Prat airport viewpoint