The colour of gold - soft, warm and bright - is predominant along the coast in the southern part of Cataluña and so it has been named, Costa Daurada (Golden Coast). The golden hue acquired by the fine sands of its beaches is due to their facing southeast as well as the intensity of the sun's rays. The Costa Daurada covers a coastline 216 kilometres long, 786 hectares of spacious beaches all with clean fine sand and transparent shallow water. In between the sea and the mountain range there are wide areas filled with peaceful towns and farmlands, where vineyards, olive groves, hazel trees and almond trees grow, and occasionally, even vegetable gardens.

This magnificent natural setting, with its charming coves, the Ebre delta sprinkled with rice fields and its unspoilt mountain spots, contrasts with splendid monumental collections in the city of Tarragona (World cultural heritage site by the UNESCO) and its surroundings which summarise millenary cultural evolution.

The proximity of charming towns, many of them built around the silhouette of ancient castles, contributes to balancing the surroundings, and offers a lot in amusement, services and shopping.

The orientation of the beaches provides them with the maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day during each season of the year. The beaches are huge, with abundant fine sand sinking into the sea in a soft slope, allowing ample areas for safely going into the water.  Add to this the protection offered by the nearby mountain range just off the coast and you have a stable climate all year round.

In recent years the area has seen a proliferation of leisure craft facilities. The calm waters of the Mediterranean are ideal for enjoying the sea and the Costa Daurada provides many ports where you can moor your boat and enjoy various water sports facilities : jet ski, fun board, diving, fishing…

 

Inland, the nearby towns of historical interest and great personality  are easily reached, such as Reus, Valls, Montblanc, Tortosa, as well as fascinating medieval monasteries: Poble, Santes Creus and Scala Dei, picturesque landscapes (Prades, Siurana), rugged mountain ranges with big game reserves (Tivissa, Cardo and Ports de Tortosa), and the unique delta of the Ebre river, with its labyrinth of ditches and lagoons and the facilities it offers for wild fowl hunting and sports (climbing, hang-gliding, mountain biking, trekking,...).

Some of the best wines in Spain are grown in the interior of the Costa Daurada area, in the Priorat region. Highly regarded for the quality and excellent bouquet of their wines.  The Priorat vineyards are rapidly becoming world-renowned.

The Costa Daurada also boasts a flavourful and varied Mediterranean cuisine: the fish and seafood, on the coast, as well as the game and cured meats in the interior villages make for excellent dining.

PLACES TO VISIT

The various developments we focus upon help for discovering all of the pleasures of the Costa Daurada.  Apart from spectacular beaches and charming coves, the Costa Daurada offers an excellent range of attractions such as:

The Delta de Ebro natural park: a nature reserve with lush, exotic vegetation and more than 300 protected species of birds.

The Nature Reserves of the Puertos de Tortosa-Beseit: a protected mountainous area where a variety of faunas can be observed in their natural habitat.

The Cistercian route: a tour of medieval Cistercian monasteries in which the Poblet and Santes Creus Monasteries deserve a special mention.

The Ebro river: with its famous Miravet castle and the monumental city of Tortosa.

The city of Tarragona: deemed a world cultural heritage site by the UNESCO, this ancient capital of roman Hispania holds an important archaeological legacy.

Reus: the brilliant architect Antonio Gaudí’s hometown and cradle of the Catalan Modernism movement, Reus has a rich artistic tradition.

Mont-Roig del Camp: a favourite retreat of Joan Miró’s, where he spent long periods relaxing and painting.

Horta de Sant Joan: where Picasso spent two long sojourns during which he developed his Cubist painting style.

Universal’s Port Aventura: a spectacular theme park with more than 30 attractions and over 50 live shows.

Barcelona, one of the most vital, dynamic and interesting European cities, is also just a little over an hour’s drive away.

Another important advantage for winter sports fans: the fantastic ski resorts in the Catalan Pyrenees are less than 3 hours by car.

This area has 2 airports. The largest is Barcelona´s at "El Prat de Llobregat" at about a hour and a quarter drive and is serviced by all the International Airlines and a great selection of budget airlines such as Easyjet, Ryanair, AirScotland and Globespan direct from Scotland, BMI baby from East Midland and many more. There is a direct rail link (Metro) from the airport to the city and a wide choice of car hire firms.

Reus Airport which historically was used by the major charter airlines, is undergoing a huge transformation with new improved road networks, new terminal buildings and runways and a new station for the super fast AVE  high rail speed link from Barcelona to Madrid.

There are alternative airlinks via Valencia, and soon to be constructed, a large International airport at Castellon.

The "Euromed" and "Trago" train service to Southern Spain (Castellon, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia etc) also follows the coastal route.

The existing road network is excellent and the A7 Mediterranean Autopista passes right down the coast.

We have had clients travel down from Southern England by train through France on the TGV and be in Spain on their second morning. The service includes meals and hotel stops included in the prices.

Alternatively there are daily coach services from all the European cities (including London) to Barcelona, Valencia,  Alicante and Murcia.