Tarragona province travel information and video

Tarragona Province

The province of Tarragona is one of the four provinces that make up the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.

Situated on the beautiful Costa Dorada the province boasts a coastline of beautiful golden sand beaches, shallow waters and historical towns and cities.

History
In the Roman age, the town of Tarragona was called Tarraco and was the provincial capital of Hispania Tarraconensis, which at the time encompassed much of the Mediterranean coast.

Towns and villages of Tarragona
Tarragona is located on the Costa Dorada and, 60 miles southwest of Barcelona, and is the capital of the province of Tarragona. The city is the smallest of the four province capitals of the region, yet it has the historical and cultural appeal of a larger city.

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 area attracts visitors for its golden, sandy beaches, the abundance of fabulous seafood restaurants and its close proximity to the Universal Studios Port Aventura theme park.

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.

The town of Torredembarra boasts a beautiful stretch of fine, sandy beach, mixed with a culturally exciting environment. 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.

Beaches
The beaches in the province of Tarragona are located on the beautiful Costa Dorada and include
blue flag winners such as Playa La Mora, Playa La Pineda,
Playa La Savinosa, Coma-Ruga Playa, Playa Cunit, Playa Frances
El Vendrell.

Leisure & recreation
Port Aventura, Spain's largest theme park, is on the doorstep in Salou; plus there are several water parks and a zoo.

The beaches offer excellent facilities for water-sports and light pleasure craft can be hired. Inflatable fun such as banana boats add to the
entertainment. Sea fishing is popular and boats with or without skipper can be hired.

There is horse riding nearby at the Club de Polo i Hípica Tarraco in La Secuita, approximately 25 minutes drive from the centre of town.

Tennis and paddle are available at numerous clubs and locations in and around Tarragona.

Athletes can go to the track at Les Pistes Municipals de Camp Clar and train with the local club between 19:00 and 21:00 weekday evenings.

Golf
Try the Costa Dorada Tarragona Golf Club with its magnificent sea views from the elevated tees. Visitors are welcome, however booking is recommended.

Natural surroundings
The El Ebre National Park has World heritage status. It consists of 320 square kilometres of Mediterranean marshland, making it the second largest marsh in Europe.

There are both fresh water and salt water lakes, rice fields, salt mines and forests. It has an ideal ecosystem for flowers and plants. There are over 300 types of birds and beautiful natural beaches.



Montanyes de Prades is a mountain range consisting of ravines and pine and oak and forests. The Francolí, Brugent, Ciurana, Glorieta rivers start from here; its an outstanding natural area.



Montsant mountainrange park is within the area known as el Priorat. The range is 20km long. The beautiful and peaceful area is great for alpine pursuits. Bungee jumping is also an option.

Cuisine
A coastal province, Tarragona favours seafood in its local gastronomy. A speciality which one finds in most dishes from Tarragonna is Romesco Sauce, which is made with olive oil, hazlenuts, almonds sweet peppers, onions, garlic and
tomatoes; its mainly served with fish, but is also delicious accompanying meat dishes.

Other specialities of the region include Arrs Negre – rice boiled in cuttlefish ink, Rossejat – a rice or noodle dish made with fish broth and calamars
amb xocolata, or chocolate squid. Tarragona is renowned for its white wine production; look out for the Tarragona wine denomination when selecting a wine to accompany your meal.

Climate
Tarragona enjoys mild winters with some rainfall, warm blossom filled springs long hot summers and autumns of golden sunlight and rich sweet plums.