Sometimes, to disconnect from the noise of Barcelona, you don’t have to go very far, you just have to go up a little. At the foot of Tibidabo, where the air seems cleaner and the asphalt gives way to gardens, lies Club Bonasport, a space that is much more than just a place to work up a sweat. With 16,000 square meters of facilities, this center has established itself as the social epicenter of the “Upper Diagonal,” a place where bumping into a Netflix actor or elite soccer player while lifting weights is the most normal thing in the world.
What makes this club special is not only its size, but also its history. The main building is an old stately tower from the early 20th century, a vestige of the Catalan bourgeoisie that gives it a stately air that large chains of modern gyms would love to have for themselves. Here, contrast is the norm: you enter through a reception area that looks like the living room of a period mansion and end up training with state-of-the-art equipment that monitors your every move.
A social club with rackets and infinity pools
Training at Bonasport is the closest thing to being on vacation without leaving the city. The club is designed to make you forget that the Ronda de Dalt is just a few minutes away. Its racquet facilities are probably among the best in the city, with seven clay tennis courts that are maintained with almost surgical precision and eleven paddle tennis courts located on terraced levels. Playing a game up here, with all of Barcelona at your feet, is an experience that alone justifies the climb.
But if anything attracts attention (and celebrities), it’s the water features . The outdoor pool, surrounded by a solarium that looks like something out of a Côte d’Azur resort, is the place to see and be seen when the heat is on. For the winter months, the heated indoor pool maintains the standard of a luxury spa, complemented by a beauty center offering everything from physiotherapy to beauty rituals. You literally walk in to work out and walk out ready for the red carpet.
Maintaining this level of exclusivity naturally comes at a price. Not only is there a monthly fee of around €300, but the club also maintains the tradition of non-refundable entrance fees, meaning you pay a high fee that is not returned, something like a toll. It is the ultimate filter to ensure that the atmosphere remains that of a closed and select community, where privacy is paramount.
In a world where everything is shared on social media, Bonasport remains a refuge where celebrities can train in peace . Figures such as Shakira, Gerard Piqué, and Marc Clotet have been regulars at its facilities, seeking that blend of anonymity and comfort that can only be found in the upper echelons. In the end, the club’s restaurant, with its panoramic terrace, ends up being the place where more business deals are closed than in many offices on Paseo de Gracia, proving that in Barcelona, sometimes the best networking is done in sportswear.