Коста-Дорада
Costa Dorada is a resort area of the Spanish Mediterranean in the Catalan province of Tarragona, stretching 150 kilometers north of the Ebro delta. Gentle beaches with fine sand shining in the sunlight, low mountains protecting the coast from the wind, theme parks with trendy attractions, Roman ruins and medieval castles – this is how tourists see the Gold Coast. Dozens of beaches awarded the Blue Flag – the favorite place of rest of the Spaniards who buy on the Costa Dorada summer houses, and foreigners who appreciate comfort and high level of service.
- Weather
- Geographical location of Costa Dorada
- Natural attractions of the region
History of Costa Dorada - Beaches of Costa Dorada
- Amusement Parks of the Gold Coast
Architectural sights of Costa Dorada - Museums of the region
- Active vacations on the Gold Coast
Costa Dorada holidays - Costa Dorada restaurants and stores
- Where to stay
- How to get there
Weather
The peak tourist season on the Costa Dorada is during the hot summer months, although thanks to the mild winters it is possible to vacation on the coast all year round with 300 days of sunshine. Water temperature in summer is around +26 ° C, in winter does not fall below +10 ° C, the bathing season lasts from May to October. The most active night life is noted in Salou, for quiet family rest Altafulla, Torredembarra and Calafel are optimal.
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Geographical location of Costa Dorada
The southern border of the Costa Dorada is considered to be the town of Alcanar, the northern border is considered to be Cunit, located just 60 kilometers from Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. From the central part of the peninsula the coast is closed by low ridges of the Catalan mountains. Near Alcanar it is the 14.5 km long and up to 764 m high Monsia range, reminiscent of a sleeping dragon, with the largest peak La Torreta. The Sierra de Monsan system with its namesake natural park is located to the west of Tarragona. In short, no more than an hour’s drive from any seaside location, you can find excellent conditions for active recreation in the mountains.
.The fullest river of the country, the Ebro, flows into the sea at the southern borders of the Costa Dorada – this explains the abundance of coastal marshes with special fauna and the peculiarities of the cuisine of the region, including dishes not only from sea, but also from freshwater fish.
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Natural attractions of the region
In the marine reserve “Masia Blanca” at the mouth of the river of the same name, tourists can observe the aquatic flora and fauna of three zones at once – coastal algae meadows, bare sandy bottom with crabs and reefs full of fish. A three-hour tour of it, including snorkeling, will cost only 20 euros.
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In addition to picturesque beaches, the Costa Dorada offers spectacular mountain scenery. A trip along the trails of the Sierra de Monsan Park with the opportunity to climb cliffs or visit wineries costs €8 per day. The Llaberia mountain range is known for its intricate trails for mountain bikers and equestrian and hiking enthusiasts. The Tivissa and Vandielos mountains are linked by a 13-kilometer hiking trail, along which rock art can be found. Among the dozens of hiking trails, the longest is in the Prades Mountains through the Röva Valley. To cover 70 km, you will have to stop overnight in local villages..
History of Costa Dorada
The region began to be actively built up in Roman times. The oldest surviving buildings date back to the I-II centuries A.D. True, for aliens from the Apennines, the Golden Coast was not so much a place of rest as a supplier of food. The fame of producing excellent wines, olive oil, citrus fruits Costa Dorada has been preserved up to our time. In the Middle Ages, Tarragona was valued as an important Mediterranean port, later, during the Renaissance, this fact was realized and pirates, who threatened the city and the surrounding area raids and turned the neighboring Salou as their residence.
.At the end of the XIX century, the transportation infrastructure of the province was improved, but the tourist heyday of the region began only in the second half of the twentieth century. Before that, Spain, shaken by civil conflicts, was not much of a vacation destination. The memory of the Civil War left bunkers on the Costa Dorada. In peacetime, the Golden Coast was quickly mastered by residents of the central provinces, dreaming of a clean sea and a quiet family vacation. With the construction of new hotels, theme parks, reconstruction of picturesque fishing villages and foreigners pulled up after them.
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Beaches of Costa Dorada
The main, but not the only advantage of the Costa Dorada are the beaches, many of which have been awarded the Blue Flag, a sign of perfect cleanliness and quality service. Developed industry with harmful emissions in the region has never been, in the ports, the Spaniards manage to maintain order, so sources of pollution of water and coastal areas on the Costa Dorada simply absent. The main differences between the beaches lie in the types of active recreation that will offer tourists. Passage to all seaside areas is free, paid only for the rental of deck chairs and umbrellas – an average of 10 euros per day. The fee is not compulsory, if necessary, you can lie on a mat brought with you.
.Popular use 7 km of beaches El Vendrel, kilometer Playa Larga near the promenade Rode de Bary. In the locality of Cunit, there are 2.5 km of sandy beaches protected from erosion by a semicircular spit and four embankment beach islands. Salou, the unofficial tourist capital of the Costa Dorada, holds the record for the number of beaches separated by rocky coves. Many of them are located next to a promenade with restaurants and sports fields. The town of Calafell has three beaches, one of which, Segura, offers boat and catamaran rentals. In Cambrils it is convenient to ride along the sea along the equipped paths on bicycles and rollerblades, which are rented here. The nudist beach of El Torne, surrounded by forest, is located near Ospitalet del Infante.
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Gold Coast Amusement Parks
The Costa Dorada region has three amusement parks open to tourists – PortAventura, Aquopolis and Aqualeon. If the first enjoys European fame as the largest year-round park on the continent with hotels and campsites, restaurants, water and land rides, concert programs, the others prefer a narrow specialization and work only in high season.
.Aquopolis in La Pineda is a popular European chain of water parks and dolphinariums. Open from May to October, the park has 19 slides, and you can swim with sea lions after a show in the dolphinarium. A complex ticket costs about 30 euros, attending a performance – 8 euros. “Aqualeon” in Albignan for 10-12 euros offers guests a water park with 8 attractions and safari on a double-decker bus, along the route of which lions, tigers, elephants, jaguars, rhinos and bears roam freely.”
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PortAventura Park
PortAventura amusement park is located in Salou on the Costa Dorada and is the 6th most popular theme park in Europe. The complex was conceived as a park with 42 attractions, representing different regions of the world – the Mediterranean, Polynesia, China, Mexico, the Wild West and fairy-tale Sesame. Each zone has its own attractions, performances, souvenir shops and cafes with national cuisine. In the Mediterranean at the height of the season there are night parades and fireworks. During the day in Polynesia, Hawaiian costumed performers in a hot dance appeal to the island gods. A Chinese magician masterfully handles giant soap bubbles, a saloon in the Wild West dances the cancan, and in Mexico archaeologists explore an ancient temple with fiery surprises. Popular attractions include a catapult, an active volcano, a Mayan maze, and a terrifying roller coaster. For guests who prefer a less extreme vacation, there are water rides on Chinese boats and a ride on an American steam train. For the youngest visitors are equipped with safe children’s play areas.
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In the water park “Caribe” guests are waiting for 17 water attractions for every taste: a pool with waves for surfers, Bahama Beach – a beach with lounge chairs for the lazy, children’s area under the roof with water guns, airplane and pools with balls. The winding 12-meter-high Mambo Limbo slide is gentle enough to be safe for children 110 cm and above. Much more extreme is the 15-meter “Tiphon” with almost steep sections. Descending the Torrente is like rafting down a mountain river. You can relax a little by swimming under the waterfalls on inflatable circles and mattresses on the 1.5-kilometer “Rio Loco.”
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Just recently opened in PortAventura a Ferrari park that tells all about the life of the founder of the brand, Enzo Anselmo Ferrari. As it is supposed to be, all the attractions – simulators for children and adults, race tracks, pit stops, gondolas with free fall elements – are in red.
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A day at the theme park costs 49 euros for regular visitors and 41 euros for concessionaires, which include children ages 4-10 and guests over 60. The longer the vacation is planned, the lower the costs are. A night ticket in general costs 25 and 22 euros, respectively. A vacation in the Ferrari Park costs 20 and 16 euros for a day. The most favorable ticket is a comprehensive ticket to the main park, “Ferrari” and “Caribe” for 3 days: such a visit costs 85 and 70 euros. Those staying in a hotel on the territory of “PortAventura” on the main attractions are free of charge without time limit and once visit the “Ferrari”, in addition, they get a discount in the water park.
.Main article: PortAventura
Costa Dorada’s architectural highlights
Although the region has no works by world-famous architects, it has preserved many interesting examples of buildings from the Roman era, the Middle Ages, and the Baroque. In Cambrils you can see the castle Vilafortun, in Calafell partially restored castle XI century. There is also a monument to a fisherman – a stocky barefoot man with a net on his shoulder, gazing into the sea distance. Another interesting sculpture of the Costa Dorada – in Altafulla, where in a straight corner between two houses put an eight-tier acrobatic pyramid, at the base of which – a dozen people of athletic physique, and at the top – a skinny teenager.
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In Torredembarra built 38-meter lighthouse record-breaker, firstly, the highest in Catalonia, and secondly, the last of the erected in the twentieth century, as it was opened minute by minute at the end of the century. To attract tourists near Roda de Bara, the typical fishing village of Roc de Sant Gaeta has been restored. The Ospitalet del Infante was named after the hospital built in 1346 by Prince Pere. It now hosts painting and photography exhibitions. In the village of Vila Seca near La Pineda there are Roman settlements and a medieval tower.
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Ancient Roman architectural monuments
Traces of the Roman presence are particularly visible in Tarragona, the ancient Tarraco. Here you can see the UNESCO World Heritage-listed aqueduct, a circus for 30,000 spectators, an amphitheater, and a forum. The 1 km long fortress walls are the oldest Roman construction outside Italy. The Roman Praetorium was used as a residence of kings until the 16th century, and then, to keep the sturdy building empty, as a prison. Several Roman villas have survived in the region, one of the most visited being the “Muns” near Altafulia. Near Roda de Bara stands the 12-meter high Arc de Triomphe, recognized as a national treasure.
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Monuments of religious architecture
Among the Christian monuments of the Costa Dorada, the 12th century Tarragona Cathedral with elements of both Romanesque and Gothic style stands out. The Church of Our Lady of the Rock was built in Mont Roch del Camp at the end of the 13th century on the ruins of a medieval castle. The Romanesque foundation is preserved in the sacristy of the church of St. Christopher in Cunita, substantially rebuilt in the 18th century.
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The Costa Dorada’s most famous out-of-country Christian monument is the Cistercian Monastery of Poblet, founded by French monks in the 12th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eight kings of Aragon are buried in it. The monastery functioned until the middle of the XIX century, in 1940 it was restored by Italian monks of the same order. Now it is permanently inhabited by about 30 brothers, so the time of visits is limited – from 10 to 17:25 with a break from 12:30 to 15 hours from Monday to Saturday, on holidays the object closes earlier. The ticket costs 7.5 euros for independent travelers, 10 euros – for those who want to listen to a guide, for 24 euros you can also have lunch in the monastery. There is a bus from Tarragona to Poblet three times a day..
Museums of the region
The main museums of the Costa Dorada are concentrated in Tarragona. The most interesting collection with finds from the Roman period is kept in the National Archaeological Museum, founded back in the mid-19th century. In its subordination and Paleochristian necropolis. All the Roman buildings are part of the Museum of the History of Tarragona. The Port Museum tells about the history of fishing, the old lighthouse – about signaling systems. Located in Calafell, the house-museum of Carlos Barral, a prominent Catalan poet and politician, is considered a fisherman’s hut, although the building looks like a good old stone house. The collection of the Cambrils City Museum is spread over five historic buildings, the main one being the former mill.
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Subordinate to the Monastery of Poblet is the royal palace of Martin I, famous mainly for having died laughing. One of the most spectacular civic buildings in the country, it houses ceramics, silver, and stucco architectural elements. The palace is decorated with gargoyles – actually portraits of prominent statesmen.
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In Reus, in the Market Square, there is a center for Gaudi, another Catalan celebrity and a brilliant architect. In El Vendrell there is the Deu Museum, named after the collector who left the city valuable paintings, ceramics, religious art.
Active vacations on the Gold Coast
The sporting center of the Costa Dorada is Salou. Lumine Golf Club has 3 courses of 170 hectares on the outskirts of the city. Salou hosts a rally, soccer fields, tennis courts, swimming pools are being built. Sailing competitions are scheduled for 2018 as part of the Mediterranean Games. Half an hour’s drive from Calafell on the edge of a pine forest, the Graiera Golf Club with two courses is open.
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Diving on the Costa Dorada is unique in that divers look not so much at marine life, although there is plenty of it on the reefs, but at shipwrecks from different eras and military equipment from World War II. In Tarragona Underwater Park, an artificial reef was formed from sunken ships, and in order to attract tourists had to sink the 65-meter vessel “Dragonera.”
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Surfers on the Costa Dorada are mostly beginners: small waves are optimal for beginners due to weak winds. The most popular surf school – near the port of Tarragona. But for the sake of fishing here come here the most experienced masters. All locals fish, and special calendars are regularly issued for them. To catch fish requires a permit, so tourists are better to seek help in specialized firms – independent going out to sea is fraught with a fine.
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Costa Dorada Holidays
As is customary in a Catholic region, every town or village in the Costa Dorada celebrates its patron saints and general church festivals with great fanfare. During this time, processions with religious symbols and festive carnivals are obligatory. The secular carnival is held in February in Tarragona, and here in May at the “Live Tarraco” indulge in nostalgia of the Roman past – the streets roam crowds in togas. The patron saint of the capital, Saint Tecla, is honored in September with a long carnival. Festival of Magic, aka magicians’ competitions, takes place in mid-March in La Pineda. In July, townspeople and visitors participate in a fireworks competition. In Ospitalet del Infante, a large-scale festival in honor of Saint Roc takes place in mid-August.
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Costa Dorada restaurants and stores
Tarragona has a real cult of cooking. Tourists can not only have a great meal, but also look into specialized museums where they will be told how the local rum, wine or olive oil is produced. The most famous of these is the Cambrils Agricultural Museum in a former wine cellar. Much of the festivities on the Costa Dorada involve food. In Valls at the end of January they organize a calçotada in honor of leeks, in Reus in June there is a wine fair, then in the municipality of Mont Roch del Campe they celebrate octopus days. In September it’s time for local agricultural fairs with tastings in every village.
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The Costa Dorada’s restaurants, which open usually in the afternoon, are a must try for meat and river and sea fish dishes flavored with herbs, garlic and spices, and local wines. Each town has its own wine cellar with inexpensive products of excellent quality. For shopping it is better to go to Tarragona and Reus. The latter does not boast architecture and history, but it has several hundred boutiques. Souvenirs, exotic sweets, summer clothes and handicrafts are sold in PortAventura Park.
.Where to stay
Tourism is the main source of income of the Costa Dorada, so in addition to the numerous hotels here it is easy to find private apartments at reasonable prices due to high competition. In recent years, the most in demand are the offers on the territory of the park “PortAventura”. A room in the American-style Gold River Hotel costs from 73 euros per night, in Caribe near the water park – from 69 euros. Hotel PortAventura in the style of an expensive fishing village will cost 76 euros per night, Mexican El Paso will ask 99 euros, camping Caravaning – 105 euros. In addition to the 4-star hotels listed above, the 5-star American Wild West-style Mansión de Lucy has recently opened.
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How to get there
Foreign tourists arrive on the Costa Dorada predominantly via Barcelona International Airport. The airport in Reus, although it has international status, is mainly for charters. From the capital of Catalonia to the cities of the coast: Tarragona, Cambrils, Salou, La Pineda – there are buses costing 13-17 euros per trip and trains. Cruise ships call at the port of Tarragona.
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