It's a hot summer day and the body is asking for action, you and the whole family. Do not stay like lizards in the sand of a beach: the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast) offers refreshing fun for all ages. Attention, you are about to fall on top of a cascade of activities in the main theme park of the country! Welcome to PortAventura!
Costa Caribe Aquatic Park is the world that you will look for first on the map of PortAventura. You will glide past the famous King Khajuna - Europe's longest free-fall water slide -, you will jump through the crazy water spouts of Cookie Key, and sail through the raging waters of the Crazy River like a pirate. It is a huge water park next to the most spectacular attractions in Europe. Of course you can enjoy one of the classics of PortAventura, like the Tutuki Splash, where water wars are a tradition!
In addition, the Cirque de Soleil returns to deploy this summer its tent in PortAventura with an exclusive show. It is 'Amaluna', the story of a mysterious island ruled by goddesses and guided by the lunar cycles. It is a great love story.
The summer closes in PortAventura with the White Flower Power Night, a party less suitable for families with small children. The park and all the attractions open until 4 in the morning and there are music and DJ sessions to brighten an evening party of great proportions.
Calafell is a good place to spend a quiet holiday or even a rest period in your life. This was already clear to the people of these lands a few millennia ago. Here was one of the main Iberian settlements of the peninsula around 500 b.C. They belonged to the tribe of the cosetanos, today honored every summer in the festival Ibercalafell, the Festival of the Iberian Land. It discloses the world of the Iberians between children and adults and is celebrated during the first half of August.
One of the activities of the festival proposes to look for in the forest any element that can be turned into painting to design your own Iberian dress. In the old center, representations of the time are made while in the Iberian Citadel, on the outskirts of the town, most of the workshops are done: bread making, coin minting, the oldest trades of these lands, informative talks ... The festival closes with a night of fire, an everyday element of the Iberians and at the same time an omnipresent element in the rituals of this civilization.
The convent of Bellpuig, the monasteries of Poblet, Santes Creus, or Vallbona de les Monges converted into a musical stage of exception. Can you imagine? It has been a reality for years thanks to the cycle of concerts on the Cistercian Route, which take place on summer nights in these spaces full of history.
The program usually mixes several musical styles: jazz, pop, gospel or classical music. A string quartet playing within the walls of the monastery of Santes Creus does not sound the same as in a concert hall. The experience of the Cistercian concerts - they are every Saturday night - is also suitable for children and if they are under 7 years old, admission is free. You can reserve the tickets and consult the schedule of this cycle of concerts of the Costa Daurada (Goledn Coast) on their website.
The `caminos de ronda´, unique routes covering much of the coastal geography of Catalonia, were formerly coastal surveillance routes and roads used by fishermen. Nowadays they have become a treasure to discover the hidden corners of the Catalan coast and more and more `caminos de ronda´ have been incorporating new routes with well prepared trails. This is the case of the camino de ronda de Salou, a recently rehabilitated trail that offers you a pleasant walk through the less trampled natural surroundings of the municipality.
The trail is 2.4 kilometers long and runs along the coast from the Pilons area, in the middle of the hustle and bustle, to Replanells, at Cape Salou. From there you can see the southern part of the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast), with its vast Gulf of Sant Jordi, and enjoy the tranquility of feeling the impact of the sea against the rocks while displaying different species of seabirds. On the way, you will pass by the Capellans beach and its old lazareto - popularly known as "Salou castle" -. This construction in three stone towers was to serve in the 19th century to keep quarantine people and goods from areas of the world with epidemics. It seems that it never came into operation.
Walking you will arrive at Llenguadets cove, where the bunkers built during the Spanish Civil War are conserved. The last stretch is the Llarga beach to Cape Salou, the furthest from the noise of tourism and with more natural appeal. Except for some stretches with small difficulties, most of the way is practicable for everybody, on foot, in skates, or in mountain biking.
This TripIdea begins below sea level, between 4 and 16 meters deep on the coast of El Vendrell. We propose you to dive into one of the country's richest marine reserves, Masía Blanca, on a snorkeling trip. Get ready to immerse yourself today!
The sandy beach next to the la riera (dry creek bed) of the Masía Blanca is already a good attraction, with its dunes created by the action of the wind. But if you put on the flippers, glasses and the tube and you throw yourself into the water you will discover a new world. The marine reserve is made up of coral communities’ perpendicular to the coast and large meadows of oceanic posidonia (an alga endemic to the Mediterranean).
A great biological diversity is hidden: species of invertebrates like octopuses, sepia, or vertebrates like groupers, gilt-head beam…
When you float with these views of the bottom of the sea you immediately realize how little we know the marine half of our planet. In the Tourism Office of El Vendrell they organize an auquatic classroom that will serve as an introduction to the reserve and will guide you to the most spectacular part with all the snorkel equipment included. Children are welcome if they are accompanied and can swim.
One single municipality and so many things to do ... It seems that the secret of Mont-roig del Camp, one of the essential destinations of the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast), begins to be known by the public. And this is for good reasons! In this TripIdea we settle in this village of the Baix Camp region and put at your fingertips an overdose of attractions.
In the case of the municipality of Mont-roig the offer can be summarized in data: 12 kilometers of coast with 4 beaches, 9 coves, and with the possibility of practicing 15 nautical sports. In Miami Platja you can do 'parasailing' - touring the coast on a parachute dragged by a motorboat - or take a jet skiing tour - a powerful watercraft - or enjoy a quiet walk along the coast on board of a kayak. In summer it is recommended to book the activities in advance so as not to have surprises.
The Roman Empire has not yet fallen. Its bastion in the 21st century is Tarragona and gives the impression that the emperor Augustus still rules. The Amphitheater, the Circus, the walls, the Praetorium, the Aqueduct, the Forum and the town hall live the excitement of the most glorious days of Tarraco. Welcome to the Tarragona Historia Viva of the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast), a summer proposal of historical recreation that transports you with the whole family to the life of more than 2000 years in these lands
It is especially on weekends, from mid-July to September, when Tarragona revives its Roman splendor in the ruins that are scattered throughout the city as a stage. You will become a legionnaire, you have to manage to discover the Roman enigmas hidden in the monuments, you will attend the murder of Caesar and the representation of the marionettes of Marco Antonio and Cleopatra, you will taste the best Roman recipes ... All this in a complete program to learn with the family or friends as life was in the second most important city of the Roman Empire, Tarraco.
"Reus, Paris, London”, proudly exclaim the locals to place their town at the same level as the major European capitals. This popular witty saying refers to the three marketplaces on the continent where, in former times, the price of liquor was set, and it says a lot about the optimistic spirit of the inhabitants of Reus, who bring out their love for celebrations on major occasions. Come and join a good celebration on the Costa Daurada with this TripIdea!
The festivities in honour, of Sant Pere de Reus at the end of June have more than 400 years of history. The image – or rather, the sound – that most captures both newcomers and locals is undoubtedly the tronada. (thunderstorm). There is no room for a pin on the Market Square to see and listen to the terrifying noise marking the beginning of the festivity on the Costa Daurada. It has nothing to envy the “chupinazo” of the Sanfermines Fiesta in Pamplona; in Reus, the thunder and the noise of mortars reverberating on the ground awaken the emotion kept restrained throughout the year.
La tronada (thunderstorm) of noise is repeated four times during the celebration. On the days when the city patron is honoured, the focus is on the procession with the effigy of Saint Peter and the walk of the mule, the dragon, the eagle and giants in the streets... Every day you will find a traditional and popular party, with “castellers” – human towers – included. Come and join the celebration. To experience the festivity to the full, take the local drink, vermouth, with dozens of varieties served in the bars all over town.
In Torredembarra was born one of the Catalans who most succeeded ikn `doing the Americas´ in the 19th century. Joan Güell was the pioneer of the Catalonian industrialization and was one of the most famous and controversial `indianos´ in Catalonia. (Indiano is the name given to those who immigrated to America and returned wealthy.) He founded the Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima - the great Catalan company of the Industrial Revolution - and his heirs were the faithful patrons of Antoni Gaudí, the architect. Güell left his footprint on Cuba and throughout Catalonia. And in this TripIdea we want to invite you to follow the trail that he and the rest of indianos have left in this town of the Costa Daurada (Goledn Coast).
The third weekend of September, Torredembarra celebrates the Feria de los Indianos, in which the streets of the old town return to the era of the economic adventurers of the Americas. Habaneras, rum, salsa dancing, Caribbean dresses ... You will feel like javing landed in Cuba of the early 20th century without moving from the Costa Daurada. This is a good opportunity to enter the Tower of the Vila – the origin of the city - and discover its Indian reminiscences. When you get tired of spinning around, a good Cuban coffee will take you to the Caribbean coffee plantations. And do not forget to go fashionable by covering yourself with the classic Panama hat
Few cities in the country are as prepared as Cambrils to welcome bicycle enthusiasts. Many hotels have bicycle parking facilities, there are cleaning areas and bike shops and special menus for sportsmen. If you are a big fan or simply a two-wheeler, pedal and remember that you are on the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast)!
At the Tourist Office of Cambrils, you will be given a map with all the bike lanes and roads of the municipality. It is a perfect tool to get to know the most rural part of the town by pedaling with the family: cultivated fields, streams, rivers, trails ... They have a network of roads that allows you to reach Montbrió and Mont-roig del Camp in alternative routes to the main roads.
Near the sea, the most peaceful excursión you can make by bicycle is on the Passeig Marítim, the Promenade, in the direction of Salou. In total, 9 kilometers of bike lane with services like bars and restaurants very close. In summer, it is worth avoiding the hours of maximum sun if you do not want to fall plunged from so much heat. Of course, if you wear the swimsuit, you can always make a stop with a bath included!
