Or at least on the Balcony of the Mediterranean, at 320ft high, the best seat in this fortified city that the Romans named Tarraco. The Costa Dorada, or the Gold Coast of Catalonia is the spectacular setting.
Arrive at Gaudi’s birthplace
How to get here? Arrive by train, choose links to Tarragona from Barcelona, Valéncia, Zaragoza or Madrid. The RENFE station is situated just below the Balcó del Meditterraní. Or fly into the birthplace of Gaudi, Reus Airport is serviced by most of the budget airlines. The city of Tarragona is situated between Sitges and Tortosa, the nearest big resort being Salou. All of this lies in the region of South Catalonia, North East Spain.
It’s ruined!
Back to that Balcony: You’ll discover some of the best Roman ruins around. Look down and you will see a Roman amphitheatre, and the ruins of the 12th Century church of Santa Maria del Miracle. If that weren’t enough, a 1st Century BC Praetorium, the former home of Augustus and that well known builder of walls, Hadrian. Next door you can visit the Museu Arquelógic where you’ll discover some fairly impressive mosaics on display. No wonder it’s a UNESCO site. Why not find your own ancient (or modern!) place to stay?
Looking down from the Balcony
Party time
You cannot come to Spain without seeing a fiesta, try out the Santa Tecla Festival in September, it runs from the 15th to the 24th, which is considered to be of National Touristic interest. September is a lovely time of year to visit with average temperature highs of a comfortable 26 degrees Celsius. But don’t wait until 2016, when Tarragona is destined to be European Capital of Culture.
Thrills and spills
Treat the kids to a fun-filled day out at the famous Port Aventura, where one ride Furious Baco will take you on a stomach churning 0 – 135kms per hour in just 3 seconds…..maybe not before lunch though! Lots of rides and attractions will keep you busy here, one of the largest theme parks in Europe.
A tipple or two
After a freshly caught seafood lunch, how about an afternoon trip to Penedés? This area of Spain is famous for it’s wine production, you can discover oak aged reds, crisp whites and it’s most famous export – Cava, that sparkling Spanish champagne. The coastal hills of the Serra del Ganof surround the area and keep the perfect vine cultivation climate. Raise a glass and celebrate all that sparkles in this lovely part of Spain!
Mine's a vine
