Costa Daurada (Costa Dorada) - "Golden Coast" - got its name not by chance: the fine sand of endless beaches shines in the waves of the Mediterranean Sea like scatterings of gold. But, indeed, the Costa Dorada was made golden by tourists. Look at the map: from winds and cyclones from the north and west, the Mediterranean coast is well protected first by the Pyrenees and then by the Catalan Mountains. They not only decorate the landscape, but also create a wonderful stable climate - just look at the local palm trees, pinias and cypresses.
Thanks to the mountains, the weather is good in the Costa Dorada from March to October, and therefore vacationers are drawn here almost all year round and it rains on the Gold Coast of dollars, euros, etc.
But the golden rain radically changed the appearance of the Gold Coast. In just twenty years since the death of dictator Franco, a quiet and cheap provincial corner with half-empty beaches has become a tourist center of European importance. This was facilitated not only by the climate, but also by the fact that the Costa Dorada can be reached from anywhere in Western Europe in one or two days.
Small, cozy coastal hotels and restaurants are increasingly absorbed by multi-storey hotels. Huge and well-maintained campsites, located near the shore, attract hordes of motorists with tents and wagons. Restaurants, discos, attractions, giant shopping malls and various water parks are able to meet any of your needs at any time of the day or night. All this led to the fact that the Costa Dorada became the center of not only mass, but also cheap tourism.
That's why, by the way, many Russian-speaking tourists come here, on average, unspoiled and poor. However, despite such an influx of vacationers, the Gold Coast, in general, is still golden, and the water is considered quite clean. This is explained only by the fact that the beaches here are endless, and water quality control is not as severe as we would like. Especially near Barcelona. As a result, many picturesque fishing villages are either simply crushed by boring boxes of multi-storey hotels and apartments, or have turned into scenery where souvenir shops and restaurants are located.
However, strangely enough, there you can find several towns that have preserved their identity with Spanish pride. First of all, it is Tarragona, a very ancient city in South Catalonia. Its history goes back centuries, and we can say: everyone visited Tarrogon - Franchians, Iberians and Celts, merchants of Ancient Greece and Carthage, Romans, Visigoths, Franks, Arabs. Tarragona received the status of a Roman colony from Julius Caesar, and the Apostle Paul converted to Christianity of the inhabitants of the city.
The most popular resort on the Costa Dorada is Salou (100 km south of Barcelona). Salou has a convenient connection to Barcelona. The geographical location of the area, beautiful landscape and excellent climate have attracted tourists since the beginning of the century - the fame of the "golden" sand of beaches has flown around the world. Today the city is delightful and amazes: giant palm trees and pines grow around the beaches, the light and music fountain, near which Mirimar and Jaime Avenues converge, attracts many tourists with its beauty. The Salou coast stretches for almost 8 km. Tourists have excellent conditions for water sports - surfing, water skiing.
Tourists who have chosen the Costa Dorada for vacation have a lot of opportunities. Classical music concerts are held in churches and monasteries. Religious processions and cheerful folk holidays will allow you to better understand the peculiarities of the character of local residents. And what wide opportunities are open here for lovers of nightclubs and youth discos...
Most tourist routes pass through Barcelona. From Terminals 1 and 2 to Costa Dorada there are comfortable Plana buses (off. website) - 15 flights a day from 8:35 to 23:50. They go through Tarragona (travel time 1 hour 15 minutes, La Pinedo (1 hour 35 minutes), Salou (1 hour 50 minutes) and Cambrils (2 hours 20 minutes). The ticket is purchased from the driver or on the carrier's website. Mon-Bus buses departing from Terminal 1 (16 flights from 6:50 to 23:50, 25 minutes) go to Sitges.
Tarragona, Salou and Cambrils can also be reached by train. First, in Terminal 2, take the train and get to Barselona-Sants station (2 times an hour from 5:40 to 23:40, on the way 19 minutes). Then change to the regional train going to the desired station (2 times an hour, from 1 hour 10 minutes).
It is convenient to get to the Costa Dorada via Reus - 8 km from Tarragona. From Moscow, the low-cost airline "Victory" (2 times a week, 4 hours 40 minutes) and charters "Royal Flight" (1 time a week) fly there. Plana buses go from the airport to the coastal resorts (trips at 2:45, 5:40, 9:25, 13:25 and 15:55, on the way from 25 minutes to 1 hour). You can go by public transport - first by bus No. 50 to the bus station or railway station in Reus, then by suburban train or bus to the desired resort. Taxis from the airport to Tarragona, Cambrils, Salou and La Pineda costs 45-60 EUR. Prices on the page are as of November 2021.
Salou is the tourist capital of the Costa Dorada, 100 km south of Barcelona. The wide beaches of this resort stretch from Cape La Pineda in the north to the resort town of Cambrils in the south. Along the 8-kilometer beaches there are beautiful walking alleys-surfaces with numerous bars, restaurants, cafes and shops. And the light and music fountain, to which Mirimar and Jaime Avenues converge, is rightly called the most beautiful on the coast.
Sitges is an ancient Catalan city and a popular seaside resort on the Costa Dorada. Old quarters, arches and narrow streets of the historical center are surprisingly beautiful and attract tourists not only with their architecture, museums, but also with cozy restaurants, bars, cafes, souvenir shops and art workshops.
Cambrils is once an ancient Spanish fishing port, and now one of the popular resorts of the coast with a 10-kilometer line of beaches, colonial and Renaissance architecture, as well as the Emerald Museum, which are mined here, and crafts from them are a favorite souvenir of tourists from all over Europe.
Tarragona is the capital of the province of the same name in South Catalonia with a centuries-old history. It is safe to say that it was visited by all the surrounding peoples of antiquity: Franchians, Iberians, Celts, merchants of Ancient Greece and Carthage, Romans, Visigoths, Franks, Arabs, leaving reminders of themselves in the local culture, architecture and customs of the locals.
La Pineda is a new lively resort center near Tarragona. The city stretches along a multi-kilometer strip of sandy beaches with rare rocky bays and cozy quiet lagoons.
On buses running along the coast of Plane, Grupo Hife, La Hispano Igualadina, Reua Transport and regional RENFE trains, you can reach any resort of the Costa Dorada and interesting places in the province of Tarragona. The most popular - Tarragona, Salou, La Pineda, Cambrils and Port Aventura, are included in one tariff zone. The cost of a single bus ticket for a trip within the zone is 2.50 EUR. Transportation costs can be reduced if you purchase a T-10 card designed for 10 trips by bus or commuter trains (valid from 6:00 to 23:00). It can pay for the fare of several people, you need to replenish the balance in special machines.
Tourist mini-trains painted in bright colors "run" through Salou, Cambrils, Calafeli, Hospitalet del Infante and other resort cities. Their routes pass through historical centers, past the main attractions and along the embankments. Ticket price 3-5 EUR. The cost of a taxi ride is 3.50 EUR per boarding and 1.5 EUR for each km from 22:00 to 6:00 on weekdays and 2 EUR for weekends. A surcharge for luggage is possible - 5 EUR for each seat.
You can rent a bicycle at most local hotels, some bicycle shops or Drag Beach. Its rental offices are in Cambrils, Salou and Vilafortuni. The rental price is 15/30/35/50 EUR for 1/3/5/7 days, the amount of mandatory deposit is 100 EUR.
The beauty of the Costa Dorada is most convenient to get acquainted while driving a car. It is necessary to book in advance - despite the abundance of rental companies, at the peak of the season there is a shortage of cheap cars. Salou, Tarragona and Reus have offices of Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Enterprise, and the local company Tim Auto is ready to deliver the car to any hotel on the coast free of charge.
The Costa Dorada road network is in perfect condition, traffic jams are rare, and the AP-7 toll route along the coast allows you to quickly get to the right place. Green street parking markings mean that it is intended for residents, white - you can stand for free, blue - prepare a trifle for a parking meter. "Pockets" for parking are quite small, and there is a high probability of scratching the bumper - locals usually park "on the knock". Therefore, full damage insurance (from 5 EUR/day) will not be superfluous.
Cellular communication on the coast is represented by leading Spanish operators - Movistar, Yoigo, Orange and Vodafone, offering convenient tariff plans for tourists. SIM cards are sold in shopping centers and operators' offices. You must present your passport to purchase. The cost of the "sim" is from 10 EUR, which are credited to the account. The balance can be replenished at the points of sale of SIM cards, on the operator's website or with a mobile payment card, which can be bought at newspaper and tobacco kiosks.
The most favorable prices for telephone communication with Russia from the operator Lebara - only 0.11/0.04 EUR per minute for a call to a mobile/stationary phone plus 0.36 EUR per connection. Additionally, you can buy a mobile Internet package - 1/2/4/6 GB of traffic costs 7.50/9/14/19 EUR.
Free Wi-Fi is included in the standard list of services of almost all hotels in the Costa Dorada. It is available in many cafes, bars, shopping centers, on embankments, beaches and other places of congestion of tourists.
With TarraGO! na Card you can visit more than 20 museums and historical sites free of charge, as well as not pay for excursions organized by the Municipal Tourism Council. In addition, it allows you to travel free public transport and get discounts of 10-20% in more than a hundred shops, restaurants, spas, entertainment centers and even for taxi rides.
TarraGO cards! na Card is sold in tourist information offices, hotels, travel agencies and shopping centers of Tarragona. 3 types of cards valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours are issued. To TarraGO! na Card is accompanied by a brochure with a list of free museums and a list of places that provide discounts to its owners.
Beaches with golden sand, gentle access to the sea and clean water are perhaps the main attraction of the Costa Dorada. Add to this beauty free toilets and showers, beach equipment rental, outdoor activities, a variety of cafes, bars, mobile diners on wheels - and it will become clear why the coast is so popular. The only drawback is that in August most beaches look like anthills.
The largest of Salou's 8 beaches is Levant with green palm trees on a beautiful promenade, chic hotels, expensive restaurants and democratic eateries. The beaches of Tarragona, not as crowded as in Salou, stretch 15 km east of the city. El Mirakle, from the city center can be reached on foot, the rest are easily accessible by public transport. The wide beaches of Cambrils are better suited for holidays with children. First of all, it is Llosa, it can only compete with the beach of La Pineda in the youngest and most modern resort on the coast. Calafel Beach, 34 km east of Tarragona, is a place for freesbee fans who arrange competitions on it. The westernmost beach of Costa Dorada, Riumar in the El Garksal Nature Reserve, attracts with beautiful sand dunes.
There are also nudist beaches on the coast, such as La Marquez in Deltebra, Torn near Vendélos, Savinosa in Tarragona. However, most of them are deprived of any beach service.
Acquaintance with the underwater world and wrecks is a great way to diversify your vacation on the Costa Dorada. The most interesting dive site is the Tarragona Underwater Park, where the 65-meter Dragonera ship, which enjoys special attention of divers, was sunk. There is also an artificial reef formed by several small vessels at once and densely populated by Dorada, barracudas, moray eels, squid and king prawns. Other popular dive sites include the large merchant ship Correo, sunk in the 1936-1939 Civil War near the Hospitalalet del Infante, World War II bombers opposite Cambrils, as well as the submarine caves of Calafato Bay connected by passages. According to local legend, they hide stone statues of dolphins, which have been unsuccessfully looking for several generations of divers.
The best dive centers in Costa Dorada are Big Blue in Tarragona and Glups in Cambrils. Here you can rent equipment (from 60 EUR), learn the basics of diving (trial diving with an instructor 55 EUR) or get a PADI Open Water Diver certificate, which entitles you to independent dives (350 EUR).
The permanent leaders of Spanish grocery shopping are wine, cheese and ham. The most famous wines in the region are white sparkling "Penedos" and red "Priorat" with a fruity aroma. A good choice is the vermouths "Isagirr" and "Falset", the secret of which will not be revealed here even under torture. Connoisseurs will appreciate the soft goat cheese "garrocha", dessert "drap" and black crust "bone Negro".
Among the original Catalan souvenirs are figurines of folklore heroes, all sorts of things in the style of Gaudí or Miro, handmade glass products. In any souvenir shop you can buy a T-shirt of the legendary Lionel Messi and other paraphernalia of the Barcelona football club.
The routes of all shopaholics of the coast converge in the multi-brand shopping center Tarragona Parc Central with the famous brands Zara, Desigual, Mango, Stradivarius, Massimo Dutti. Just 200 meters from it is another flagship of Spanish shopping - El Corte Ingles chain. A good selection of clothes and shoes in Reus, where shops are located compactly in the Old Town. The main trading artery of Salou is Rambla Nova Boulevard.
The main gastronomic motif of the Costa Dorada is Mediterranean cuisine in the Catalan version. The famous Spanish paella is cooked here with fish and seafood. Among the soups, a special place is occupied by the "sopa de candi" from the sea line with molluscs and saffron and "suquet" from different types of fish, shrimps, langoustines, musels and vegetables, which can replace a full lunch.
Those who prefer meat can order goat stewed with onions and almonds, which Lleida is famous for, or veal from Gironde with tomato and red pepper sauce.
Cafes and restaurants in Costa Dorada are largely tourist-oriented. It is better to look for authentic cuisine in Reus and Tarragona, and decent fish taverns are in Cambrils opposite the port, where dozens of similar establishments are concentrated, including the Michelin-starred Can Bosch restaurant with a sea menu and a tasting set. A set lunch in an inexpensive cafe costs 10-20 EUR per person, lunch in a medium-priced restaurant - 20-55 EUR, dinner with wine in an expensive restaurant - 40-75 EUR.
The main city of the coast is Tarragona, in antiquity it was the center of the Roman province of Near Spain. In the amphitheater arena at the foot of the coastal hill, where gladiatorial battles took place, the first bishop of Tarragona, St. Fluctuoso, was burned. Since Roman times, a 27 m high aqueduct has been preserved in the vicinity, and in the city itself - the remains of the governor's palace and a 4-kilometer section of the fortress wall, which was stormed by the Visigoths. The confused streets of Tarragona rise from the sea to the Cathedral of St. Fekla with a huge Gothic rose window on the facade and a revered statue of the Black Madonna inside. Some of its bells, cast in the early 14th century, are among the oldest in Europe.
The most important center of Catalan statehood is Poblet Abbey, 47 km from Tarragona, the largest of the monasteries of the famous Cistercian triangle. Surrounded by vineyards and a double ring of walls, Pablet served as a tomb for centuries for the kings of Aragon, as well as another Cistercian monastery of the "triangle" - Santes Creus. Quiet Reus is the birthplace of Spanish vermouth and the great Gaudí. Museums are dedicated to both in the city.
A place of complete unity with nature is the National Park in the Ebro River Delta, where pink flamingos and dozens of other species of birds live. Its canals and ducts are teeming with fish, which can literally be caught with your hands. Everything caught is sold at a fish auction daily at 4:00.
Cheerful woodpecker Woody, the hero of the animated series Walter Lanz, meets every guest of the Port of Aventura, the most visited amusement park in Europe. It is divided into 6 thematic zones representing various world civilizations. The coolest roller coaster is in China, the highest attractions are in Mexico. On the "Wild West" you can make a dizzying journey through the Grand Canyon and arrange races on trolleys. And in "Polynesia" - to see a show with Tahitian dancers.
In April 2017, a new entertainment park "Ferrari Land" was opened next to Port Aventura - a world of high speeds and Formula 1 cars.
Port Aventura is combined with the Costa Caribe water park with the highest water toboggan in Europe, the descent speed at which reaches 6 m/s. For the little ones, there are children's pools, play areas and a pirate galleon with the characters of the television educational program "Sesame Street". Aquapolis Water Amusement Park in La Pineda is good even for the little ones - there is a special swimming pool with small slides and funny fountains. In between swimmings, you can watch a show of trained dolphins and sea lions.
Thanks to the mountains, the Costa Dorada coast is warmer than most surrounding resorts: from the north and west it is well protected from winds and cyclones, first by the Pyrenees and then by the Catalan Mountains. It is good to relax with children at local resorts: it is usually a little warmer, there are more sunny days at the beginning and end of the season, and coastal waters are shallow and warm up faster.