Las Golondrinas reviews: prices, routes and whether it is worth it
Verdict: the cheapest way to see Barcelona from the water (€9–13), run by a company that has sailed the port since 1888; pick the 60-minute coast trip and don't expect a live guide — 7/10.
ⓘ Note: we are not Las Golondrinas We are not Las Golondrinas or its official website. This is an independent review based on public sources; some links are affiliate links (GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Headout).Tickets and tours to book
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Verdict: 7 out of 10
Las Golondrinas are Barcelona's classic harbour pleasure boats. They leave from the Moll de les Drassanes, right below the Columbus monument, and the company behind them, Sirenas, S.A., says it has been taking visitors round the port since the 1888 Universal Exposition. Nothing else in the city gets you onto a boat for less: €13 for an hour along the coast, €9 for a 40-minute loop of the inner harbour. The platforms charge exactly what the kiosk charges, so there is no hidden mark-up. What you also don't get is a guide: the commentary lives in a paid app, and that is by far the most common complaint.
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price and transparency | 8/10 | €9–13, the same on its own site and on the platforms; the audio guide is an extra €3. |
| Flexibility | 6/10 | No refund policy published on its site; Tiqets lets you cancel, Headout does not. |
| Public reputation | 6/10 | 3.4 on Tripadvisor against 4.3 on Google and 4.1–4.4 on the platforms, across thousands of reviews. |
| Experience | 6/10 | Good coastal views on the 60-minute trip; no live guide, and the 40-minute loop is mostly cranes. |
| Reliability | 9/10 | Named company with tax ID and registry details, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, well over a century in business. |
| Overall | 7/10 | Mean of the five criteria, rounded to the nearest 0.5. |
Good fit for
- Families: €6 child fare on the one-hour trip, and free with the local Super3 kids' card.
- Anyone who wants a cheap sit-down at the bottom of La Rambla without booking days ahead.
- Ship-spotters: cruise liners, the Porta d'Europa drawbridge and the harbour mouth up close.
- Visitors with reduced mobility, on the 60-minute trip (that boat is adapted).
Not for
- Anyone expecting a guided tour: there is no guide on board, only a paid app.
- Anyone after sails, music or drinks included: that's what the neighbouring catamarans (Orsom and This is Med) are for.
- Weekday visitors who want the short trip: the 40-minute loop only runs at weekends.
Fact file
| Company | SIRENAS, S.A. (tax ID A-08055642), Barcelona Mercantile Register. Registered brand Las Golondrinas® |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1888, timed with the Barcelona Universal Exposition, according to the company |
| Base | Boarding at Moll de les Drassanes s/n, opposite the Columbus monument (08039 Barcelona) |
| Catalan tourism registration | Not published (it is a maritime operator; it does publish its tax ID and registry details) |
| What it sells | 60-minute (port and coast) and 40-minute (port) trips, combos with museums and restaurants, school programmes and group rates |
| Official price | Adult €13 (60 min) and €9 (40 min); children 5–10, €6 and €4 |
| Where to book | lasgolondrinas.com, the quayside kiosk, GetYourGuide, Tiqets and Headout |
| Public ratings | 3.4/5 on Tripadvisor (603 reviews) · 4.3/5 on Google Maps (2,314) · 4.1/5 on GetYourGuide (2,882) · 4.4/5 on Tiqets (767, 60-minute trip) · 4.4/5 on Headout (2,025) |
Ratings read on the review date. Fleet, per the company's site: two wooden boats from 1953 (Encarnación and Mª del Carmen, 150 passengers each) and three modern vessels carrying 146 to 196.
What it sells and what it costs
The one to book is the 60-minute Port and Coast trip. It heads out through the commercial port, under the Porta d'Europa drawbridge, through the northern harbour mouth and up the coast past Barceloneta and Port Olímpic, with the W hotel, the Sagrada Família and Torre Agbar on the skyline. It sails daily at 11:30, 13:00, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00 and 19:30. The 40-minute Barcelona Port trip never leaves the harbour: it loops the inner port (Maremagnum, the clock tower, Montjuïc, the cruise docks) and, on the current timetable, sails at weekends only.
| Product | Official site | GetYourGuide | Tiqets | Headout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port and Coast, 60 min | €13 · reduced €11 · child €6 | from €9 (one listing, both durations) | €13 | from €9 |
| Port, 40 min (weekends) | €9 · reduced €8 · child €4 | €9 | ||
| 60 min + L'Aquàrium | €35 | each platform builds its own combos; compare the total | ||
| 60 min + MOCO Museum | €27.50 | — | ||
| 60 min + Maritime Museum | €19 | — | ||
| 60 min + lunch or dinner at El Nou Ramonet | €42 | — | ||
The honest maths: a single ticket costs the same everywhere. What changes is the small print. Tiqets lets you cancel the 60-minute trip until the end of the day before and the 40-minute trip up to departure; Headout sells it as non-refundable (you only get a new date or your money back if weather cancels the sailing). If your plans might move, Tiqets gives you the most flexibility for the same money.
The official site also sells combos with the Wax Museum (€27.50), Poble Espanyol (€25), the 40-minute trip plus the Maritime Museum (€16) and a menu at Fran López (€27). The middle fare is marked only with student and senior icons, and the page doesn't spell out who qualifies, so ask at the kiosk. Holders of the Super3 children's card ride free (up to four children per adult), and there is a 2-for-1 with Club Natació Barcelona and La Vanguardia cards.
The audio guide is a phone app costing €3, in nine languages, with no headphones supplied and a text version for hearing-impaired users. On the one-hour trip it's worth it: without it you won't know what you're looking at.
Official prices from lasgolondrinas.com; platform prices are "from" prices read on the review date. Platforms change their prices often.
The best and the worst
Recurring patterns across Tripadvisor, Google and the booking platforms, not one-off stories.
The best
- Unbeatable price for an hour on the water with skyline views.
- A calm break after a morning in the Gothic Quarter, with a bar on board.
- Friendly staff, mentioned again and again.
- No planning needed: several sailings a day and the kiosk is on the quay.
The worst
- No commentary: the single most repeated phrase in critical reviews.
- The 40-minute trip gets the harshest scores: containers, cranes and cruise ships rather than beaches.
- Boat swaps: some travellers booked one vessel and were put on a bigger one.
- A ratings gap: 3.4 on Tripadvisor, well below its Google and reseller scores.
The small print
- Cancellation: the official site does not publish a customer refund policy on the pages we checked. On Tiqets, until 23:59 the day before (60 min) or up to departure (40 min). On Headout, no cancellations or changes.
- Weather: the company warns the service may change because of weather. Headout says a weather cancellation gets you a new date or a full refund.
- Children: the child fare covers ages 5 to 10. Ask when booking what under-5s pay.
- Accessibility: the 60-minute boat is adapted for reduced mobility; the 40-minute boat is not.
- Languages: no live guide; the €3 app covers Catalan, Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese.
- Groups and schools: separate rates and school programmes, including departures from Port Olímpic and Port Fòrum.
Traps and how to avoid them
How to book for less
- Best if you want flexibility: Tiqets, 60-minute trip at €13, cancellable until the day before. At weekends, the 40-minute trip at €9.
- GetYourGuide sells both durations in one listing from €9: handy if the rest of your trip is already there. Check the listing's cancellation terms before you pay.
- Headout sells it from €9, but non-refundable: only if your date is certain.
- Official site and kiosk: lasgolondrinas.com has the museum and restaurant combos plus the Super3 and 2-for-1 discounts that the platforms don't apply.
- Combo with the Aquarium? Only if you were going anyway: read our Barcelona Aquarium guide and compare with a standalone ticket first.
- To compare every boat trip in the city, see our Barcelona boat tours guide.
Alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Is Las Golondrinas legit?
Yes. It's run by Sirenas, S.A., which publishes its tax ID and registry details, holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification and has been running harbour trips since 1888. Complaints are about the lack of a guide, not about tickets.
Which is better, the 40 or the 60-minute trip?
The 60-minute trip: it goes out to open sea and along the coast to Port Olímpic, sails daily and uses an adapted boat. The 40-minute trip stays inside the harbour and only runs at weekends.
Las Golondrinas or a catamaran?
Las Golondrinas costs €9–13 and is a simple trip without a guide. A catamaran such as Orsom or This is Med costs more and adds music, a bar and, with Orsom, real sails. For families on a budget, Las Golondrinas.
Can I cancel?
It depends where you buy. On Tiqets, until the day before (60 min) or up to departure (40 min). On Headout, no. The official site does not publish a refund policy, so ask before paying.
Is there a guide or commentary on board?
There is no live guide. The company sells a €3 audio-guide app in nine languages; bring your own headphones.
Where do the boats leave from?
From the Moll de les Drassanes, right opposite the Columbus monument at the bottom of La Rambla. Two other boat kiosks sit next to it, so make sure you head for the Las Golondrinas one.
An hour at sea for €13
The 60-minute coast trip is the one worth doing. On Tiqets it costs the same as at the kiosk and you can cancel until the day before.
See the 60-minute trip