Costa Dorada travel information and video

Holiday information, facts, photos and video about Costa Dorada

The Costa Dorada

The Costa Dorada has a total of 216km of coastline. The name means the Golden Coast and the beautiful region suits its name well, with its long stretches of golden beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters.

The lowlands between the coast and the mountains enjoy an expansive natural landscape with peaceful villages and farms surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, almonds, and market gardens.

The Costa Dorada receives an average of 3.5 million visitors a year. The main airports for the Costa Dorada are Reus (located just outside Tarragona and Barcelona airport. Reus Airport is almost exclusively served by one low cost airline offering a wide variety of European destinations. Barcelona is a world hub airport with many airlines and worldwide connections.

Many of the towns on the Costa Dorada are built around a castle or fortress. Most towns and villages are small and traditional, not having been overdeveloped with tourism. Yet they are friendly and well equipped with excellent amenities for holidaymakers.


Towns and villages of the Costa Dorada
The town of L’Ampolla conjures up a mix of Mediterranean essences. The town alternates between flat alluvial land and craggy coast depict the terrain; between mud and rocks; olive trees and rice fields; marl rocky banks and lagoons.

Cambrils is located in the Spanish on the Costa Dorada (Golden Coast) in the region of Catalonia. A seafaring village, the local life mainly revolves
around the harbour.

The town of Salou is a favourite destination with British tourists. It is the most visited of the holiday resorts on the Costa Dorada, with a clean, sandy coastline, which stretches far into the horizon. Salou is just 20 minutes from Reus Airport.


El Perello is a charming agricultural village, famed for its honey. The well-maintained centre is alive with local life with its bustling market and town square. Just outside of town there are caves with prehistoric cave paintings.

Torredembarra with its beautiful stretch of fine, sandy beach, mixed with a cultural and exciting town. Torredembarra combines an ultramodern harbour and excellent shopping, with a medieval influence in its architecture and a long maritime history.

The little fishing village of Altafulla is fast becoming a preferred tourist destination for many tourists. Situated on the banks of the river Gaia, the town has retained its ancient character, combined with excellent amenities and many cultural attractions.

The wonderful beaches of Calafell, entice thousands of tourists every year. It’s also a good zone for golfers and families, as there are many attractions and golf courses in the area.

The town of Sant Carlos de la Rapita is both a major fishing port and a gastronomical paradise. The town is filled with excellent seafood restaurants. Water sports are also popular in the
area.


Excursions
Inland from the Costa Dorada, the interior is both fertile and dramatic, with many places of great historical and natural interest.

The cities of Reus, Valls, Montblanc, Tortosa and the beautiful medieval monasteries of Poble, Santes Creus and Scala Dei are all worth visiting.

The picturesque landscapes at Prades and Siurana, the rugged mountains at Tivissa, Cardo and Ports de Tortosa, and the delta of the river Ebro with its labyrinth of lakes and opportunities for hunting.

All of these make up some of the exciting outings that can be enjoyed away from the beautiful beaches and coastal resorts.

Beaches


There are many fine beach areas on the Costa Dorada; the area north of Mont-Roig Cunit has wide beaches. Whereas Vandellos, L'Ametlla de Mar and L'Ampolla, have relatively narrow beaches, hemmed in by nearby mountains.

The Ebro delta has long, wide beaches and fine sand. Between the Ebro and Les Cases d'Alcanar, there are a number of very long, very clean, sandy beaches.

Cuisine
The gastronomy of the Costa Brava is rich and
varied. Principally it is the typical Mediterranean diet of fish and seafood with fresh vegetables, olives and olive oil rice and pasta.

We recommend that visitors try some traditional
Catalan dishes whilst on holiday, especially delicious are 

Escudella I Carn D'olla, vegetable broth with pork, veal and chicken. Pa Amb Tomàquet, 

simply rustic bread, can be toasted, rubbed with tomato pulp and dressed with oil and
salt; these delcious breakfast can also be served with ham, sausage or tortilla.

Coca is a very thin dough baked with onions,
peppers and other vegetables served with and meats, or fish (especially sardines).

Climate
The climate is temperate, with mild temperatures and moderate rainfall throughout the year. In the highlands the winters are cold with lots of snow, making them ideal ski-resorts.

On the coast hot summer temperatures are tempered by cooling sea breezes. Winters are exceptionally mild with some rain.