Parc Exalto

It’s perhaps a bit generous to call this site a «park,» since it’s very contained and situated on one of the rather bleak concrete plazas that surround the Olympic Stadium. More properly, it’s really a series of ropes courses with a snack bar, some loungers and hammocks, and some additional activities nearby. For just under $ 20, anyone who meets the height requirements can enjoy unlimited time at the ropes course available to them: an intermediate and advanced course (including zip lines) for older kids and adults, and a couple of low ropes combos for the 2−6-year-olds. We took our three-​year-​old for the latter, and she got a good 60 – 70 minutes’ worth out of it. I’m guessing that’s probably how much time anyone would spend there, unless perhaps you brought a picnic to enjoy in their shaded eating area while casting your eyes over the faded glory of the famous goosenecked Olympic Stadium in the background. Parents of kids restricted to the low ropes area may be irritated to learn that apparently they must also pay just to supervise their kids (full disclosure, though: for some unknown reason, the clerk let my kid use the course for free and didn’t charge me either — I didn’t question her decision). For an additional fee you can also have a turn on the bungee trampoline, and there’s a few obstacle-​littered putting greens labelled «mini-​golf». It’s a really cool idea and the high ropes courses look really fun, but I’m not sure it’s worth the $ 15 – 20 per person, when all is said and done, and I’m glad we didn’t actually have to pay that. A decent way to kill a couple of hours doing something a bit different and active within the city, and fun especially for kids with monkey tendencies, like mine.