the Roman amphitheatre at sunset, with the beach and the sea behind it

Spain · Catalogna · Cities of art

Tarragona

the Roman amphitheatre looking out over the sea, with a motorhome base at Salou and the train into the centre

1 stopwhere to park

4 sightsto see

3 eventsseasonal

Tarragona sits on the Costa Daurada, a hundred kilometres or so south of Barcelona, and after the regional capital it is the second city of Catalonia for historical weight. The Roman legacy shows even from the road: the amphitheatre above the sea, the walls, the aqueduct outside town. You do not take the motorhome into the centre: you stop at Salou, at the area on Avinguda de Joan Fuster, and from there the regional train reaches Tarragona in a quarter of an hour. The same base serves for PortAventura and for the beaches of Salou.

Sleeping

Stops and overnight stays

One base only, and it is not in Tarragona: the area at Salou, chosen because it stands beside the railway station and a step away from PortAventura.

Área de Autocaravanas Salou

Av. de Joan Fuster 14, 43840 Salou, Tarragona

no services, it is a beaten earth car park, but the position does everything. Salou railway station is 500 metres on foot: from there the regional train on the Tarragona-Salou line reaches the centre of Tarragona in 15 to 20 minutes, running every 20 to 30 minutes during the day. PortAventura is about a kilometre away, Playa Larga two.

no services

To be checked on the spot

41.084179, 1.143782

Take me there

Getting around

From the Salou area to the railway station is 500 metres on foot; the regional train on the Tarragona-Salou line drops you in the centre of Tarragona in 15 to 20 minutes, every 20 to 30 minutes during the day
From Tarragona the train also serves the days out: Barcelona is about an hour away
In town the urban buses cover every district and link the port, the station, the beaches and the historic centre: single ticket about 1.50 euros, day ticket about 4.50 euros
The historic centre and the Passeig Marítim are walked: allow at least three or four hours for the medieval alleys, the distances are short
Signposted cycle paths along the coast, with bike hire in town at about 5 to 10 euros a day

Seeing

Sights

Two monuments in the historic centre of Tarragona, a quarter of an hour by train, and two places at Salou within walking distance of the stopover. Tap a marker on the map to open its entry below.

Roman Amphitheatre

Monument · paid entry · 41.11457, 1.25865

Parque del Miracle s/n, 43003 Tarragona

Built in the 2nd century AD, it could hold up to 14,000 spectators. Only part of it has been excavated, but it rests against the slope above the beach and has the Mediterranean for a backdrop. The best light is at sunset.

Opening hours Tuesday to Saturday 9:00-20:45 and Sundays and holidays 9:00-14:30 from 1 April to 26 October; Tuesday to Friday 9:00-18:30, Saturday 9:30-18:30 and Sundays and holidays 9:30-14:30 from 27 October to 31 March; closed on Mondays · 5 euros for a single monument, 15 euros for the five-site pass, free under 12

Take me there

Tarragona Cathedral

Church · paid entry · 41.11874, 1.25778

Pla de la Seu 1, 43003 Tarragona

The Catedral Metropolitana, Catalan Gothic built between the 12th and the 16th century. Inside are the works of art and the diocesan museum.

Opening hours Monday from 10:30, Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30, Sunday from 14:00; from 2 November to 1 March closing at 17:00 Monday to Friday and at 18:00 on Saturday and Sunday, at 19:00 from 2 March to 28 June and from 31 August to 1 November, at 20:00 from 29 June to 30 August · 12.50 euros, reduced 8.50, children 7 to 12 5.50, free under 7

Take me there

PortAventura World

Park · paid entry · 41.08712, 1.15287

Av. de los Andes s/n, 43840 Salou

About a kilometre from the stopover. One of the largest amusement parks in Europe, divided into themed areas: Far West, China, Polynesia, Spain and Mechanics. In summer there are shows and fireworks. It takes a whole day.

Opening hours they vary with the season, generally 10:00 to 20:00 or 22:00 · from 35 euros online up to 60 euros at the ticket office, with reductions for children

Take me there

Playa Larga

Beach · free entry · 41.06597, 1.15340

at Salou, two kilometres from the stopover on foot or by bike. Golden sand and a long stretch of beach that stays quiet even in high season, unlike the beaches closer to the centre. Sunbeds for hire, public showers and beach bars. Better early in the morning, for the spot and for the heat.

Take me there

When

Events

Next: Tarragona Carnival · 6-7 Feb

6-7Feb

Tarragona Carnival

February or March

costumed parades through the streets of the city.

to be confirmed

23-24Sep

Castellers de Tarragona

September

during the Santa Tecla festival hundreds of people build the human towers, the castells, in the square: it is the most recognisable Catalan tradition.

23-24Sep

Festa Major de Santa Tecla

23 and 24 September

the patronal festival of Tarragona, with processions, concerts, craft markets and fireworks.

Remember

Useful tips

Allow two or three days: there is the Roman city on one side, the park and the beaches on the other, and the motorhome stays put in one place
The best times are April to May and September to October: fewer people and reasonable temperatures
The Salou area has no services: taking on water and emptying have to be planned elsewhere along the way
For PortAventura buy the tickets online in advance, it saves money and skips the queue at the entrance
The amphitheatre should be seen at sunset, when the light catches the tiers and the sea behind them
Outside the city stands the Roman aqueduct of les Ferreres, two rows of arches in the middle of the pinewood: we do not have its address or opening hours, so they need checking before going

Tarragona · part two

and then?

What to do, what to taste, and where to go tomorrow.

Experiences from here

What we did starting from here, ordered by driving time.

the excavated tiers of the amphitheatre with the arena below and the Mediterranean behind

The Roman amphitheatre of Tarragona

Guided tours · full day · 16 minutes away

SésamoAventura from above, with the Magic Fish boat and, behind it, the red of the Dragon Khan

A day at PortAventura World

Theme parks · a full day · 16 minutes away

Taste

The most typical dish, to cook again at home.

Romesco Sauce · ingredients for 4 people

200 g of roasted red peppers, tinned will do
100 g of sun dried tomatoes in oil
50 g of blanched almonds
30 g of toasted hazelnuts
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
150 ml of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of chilli, optional

Method

if you use fresh peppers, roast them over the flame or on a griddle until the skin blackens, shut them in a bag for five minutes so the steam softens them, then take off skin and seeds
toast the almonds and the hazelnuts in a dry pan for two or three minutes and let them cool: the flavour changes
put the peppers, the sun dried tomatoes, the toasted nuts and the garlic in the blender, and blend, adding a thread of oil so the mixture does not stick
when it is almost creamy add the paprika, the vinegar and the chilli, and blend again briefly
pour in the rest of the oil in a thread while you keep blending, until it is creamy but not runny, and season with salt and pepper
in the motorhome a mortar or a battery mixer will do: the real sauce is not perfectly smooth, a few bigger pieces belong there
it keeps three or four days in the fridge, up to a month in the freezer

60 more local recipes, region by region

Looking

Tarragona in photographs

5 shots from our visit. Tap one to see it large.

the rose window and the doorway of the cathedral at the end of the narrow street, with the steps full of visitors

the trompe l'oeil front that closes off Plaça dels Sedassos, with painted balconies and figures

a battlemented tower of the Roman walls and the path among the cypresses that runs beside them

the red and blue roller coaster of PortAventura above the wall of a themed area