Travel Eye on Salou (Costa Dorada, Spain)

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Overview:

Situated on the Costa Dorada's sun drenched coast, the popular resort town of Salou is hard to beat for a fun family vacation. It is fairly spread out and merges with the neighbouring resorts of La Pineda to the east and Cambrils to the west, all of which benefit from the string of wonderful clean sandy beaches and secluded rocky coves.

A splendid choice, from wide and sandy, such as Playa de la Pineda and Poniente Beach, to small coves like Playa Capellans. On the coast road between Salou and La Pineda are dozens of small, rocky, isolated coves. Universal Mediterranea has its own section of beach, 2 mls from the theme park (a shuttle service operates from the park hotels). All beaches are kept extremely clean; some have been awarded the European blue flag.

As well as the natural attractions, Salou is also packed with entertainment for all ages, from watersports to an aqua park, go-karting and one of Europe's most thrilling theme parks, Universal's Port Aventura. Sightseers interested in museums or ancient history will find plenty to occupy them in nearby Tarragona, or on excursions into the countryside.

Salou's seafront promenade is set with beautifully landscaped gardens and parks; fountains are lit up at night when holidaymakers stroll to the restaurants, nightclubs, bars and British-style pubs.

Salou is suitable for all age groups, with a wide variety of entertainment. Most popular with middlemarket families, particularly given the resort's proximity to Universal Mediterranea theme park.

Locality:

Salou is situated in NE Spain, on the Mediterranean coast (75 mls SW of Barcelona, 7½ mls SW of Tarragona, 5 mls S of Reus and 7½ mls S of its airport). Salou is set on a SE-facing coast backed by flat terrain with distant mountains, 25 mls inland.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

There are no shortage of restaurants in Salau and its neighbouring resorts. Eating out is relatively cheap and although many places cater for British palettes, there are also plenty of good Spanish and seafood restaurants.

Daytime activities include water sports such as pedalloes and windsurfing. A big amusement park near the marina, go-karting just outside the resort, easily reached by local bus. La Pineda has one of the biggest water parks in the region, served by frequent buses from the resort centre.

Salou is large, busy and packed with pubs and bars, many (such as The Rovers Return) catering for British tourists. Compared to resorts such as Benidorm the nightlife is fairly quiet with only a couple of nightclubs, but Barcelona is under an hour away on the train and well worth a visit for an evening.

Even the most hyperactive child can be kept amused for weeks in Salou. Watersports such as banana boats and windsurfing can be arranged at the main beach and Port Aventura can provide entertainment for two days or more, while the go-kart track and the aqua park in Pineda are great fun for kids of all ages.

Port Aventura : This massive theme park, based on Busch Gardens in Florida, attracts holidaymakers from far afield to its five worlds (Far West, Mediterránia, Mexico, China and Polynesia). Visitors can be at the Great Wall of China one minute and at the ruins of Mayan Mexico the next, and meet some cowboys for a taste of the Far West before cooling off by jumping into the great lake from the summit of the Tutuki Splash volcano. Popular attractions include the Sea Odyssey underwater adventure, the Stampida roller coaster ride and the Grand Canyon Rapids water ride.

Tarragona : The Costa Dorada's main city, Tarragona, has almost doubled in size during the last few decades, its residential districts continually expanding around the medieval core. Tarragona, originally built on a rocky bluff, can trace its roots back to 218 BC, when it was founded by the ancient Romans as a legionnaires military base. Vestiges of its past still remain in the form of ruins of the Roman amphitheatre, aqueduct, forum and other buildings sited on the Paseo Arqueologico (Archaeological Avenue), which leads to some panoramic viewpoints. A wide boulevard called the Rambla Nova represents the modern main street outside the old city walls. A popular outing for visitors is to explore the old harbour, known as El Serrallo, to watch the fishing boats arrive and auction their catch. The city also sports some excellent beaches on its doorstep, including Playa Llarga, regarded as one of the biggest and best on the Catalonian coast. Among the many museums is an archaeological museum devoted to Roman antiquities; the Diocesan Museum displaying Gothic paintings, sculptures and tapestries; and a house museum detailing the life and career of renowned cellist, Pablo Casals.