Rest in Spain on Costa-Dorada. Basic resorts and their features

Costa-Dorada is translated from Catalan as the "Golden Coast". The sand here really sparkles in the sun, leaving on the skin a barely noticeable flickering trace.

Costa-Dorada. general information

The beaches of Costa-Dorada start from the town of Vilanova-I-L-yul-yuzhee Barcelona and end on the border of Catalonia in the city of Les-Cash-Alkanar. This is more than 100 km of pure small sand by the sea and pine groves on the shore. On most beaches there is a gentle entrance to the water, so Costa-Dorada is ideal for relaxing with children, leisurely long walks along the sea and measured family holidays.

How to get to Costa-Dorada?

If you are going to relax on the beaches of Costa-Dorada, you need to fly to Barcelona-this is the airport closest to these resorts. Barcelona International Airport is called El Pra-de-Lobregate (El-Prat-de-Llobregat), IATA code-BCN. From the Barcelona Airport to the resort you need, you can get in several ways.

On the intercity bus

• The intercity bus station is located near the exit from terminal No. 1 on the zero floor. Buses of Plana (Plana-Bus) go to the coast of Costa-Drada.
• The cost of the ticket can be clarified at the checkout (it depends on the distance to your resort). Buses go several times a day, the exact schedule can be clarified at the box office or on the official website of Plana

On a suburban train

Directly trains from the airport to the coast of Costa-Drada do not go.

• First we reach the Renfe train to the Barcelona-Sants Central Station (Barcelona)
  The train platform is located near the exit from terminal No. 2, there you can also buy a ticket - about 3 euros per person

• Trains go every 20 minutes from 5:00 to 23:30, the road takes no more than 20 minutes. R2N route number. (Important: there are several railway stations in Barcelona, \u200b\u200byou need Barcelona Sants)

• There is a special information service at the Central Station, whose employees help tourists on all emerging issues. It is indicated by the lowercase letter “I” (there are several kiosks and a small office in the center of the station). It is better to contact employees of this service, since it is quite difficult to navigate on your own first time

• Tickets to Costa-Dorada are sold at the box office under the sign “Media Distancia” (average uncle). All trains going to Saragoza (Zaragoza), Tortosa (Tortosa) and Leyida (Lleida) pass through Costa-Dorada. On Middle A train to Costa-Drada goes every 1-1.5 hours

• Trains go only in the daytime. It is important to remember that some of the trains do not stop in all cities of the coast, but in relatively large cities: Kalafel, Torredmbar, Tarragon, Salou, Cambrils. Small villages will need to be reached with a transplant. The ticket price depends on the distance

Transport on Costa-Dorada

Buses on Costa-Dorada

• The most convenient type of public transport on Costa-Dorada is the company's buses (Plana or Bus-Plana). They are in almost all the towns of the coast, in large cities their employees are on duty at many stops (they are easy to distinguish at bright yellow or light green jackets similar to road workers' jackets)
• They can get the bus schedule of buses (both internal and intercity), find out prices, excursions and much more. Most of them speak Russian (though sometimes with a strong accent)

• In large cities - Tarragon, Reus and Salou - there are city bus nets. Drivers, as a rule, do not speak Russian or English, but can help with gestures if you call them the name of the place where you are going
• Payment for travel is made directly to the driver when landing on the bus (only through the front door). For buses of the company Plan, you can buy tickets in advance from employees at stops

Car rental on Costa-Dorada

Rental points

In any city of Costa-Dorada, you can rent a car. This is convenient if you plan to travel a lot and confidently feel at the wheel. Rent points may belong to small private traders and large international companies. Their pros and cons:

• Small companies have a small selection of vehicles, they often have only one item of vehicles, they almost do not offer insurance, or the coverage area of \u200b\u200bthese insurance is very narrow, they can count you pretty or not warn about small defects in the machine. But they always have lower prices, there are no queues and they are not very strict for documents

• In large companies there is a car for any number of passengers, all classes and types of fuel. They can offer any insurance and additional services that you need.
• In large companies, you can take a car in one point, and pass in another, since they have a wide network of representative offices. You can order a car in advance, before the trip, through the official website of the company, and get the keys from the car immediately upon arrival at Barcelona Airport
• Cons of large companies: services regarding private traders of the non -cheap, there are often queues, when registering a lease, it is necessary to fill out a bunch of documents and forms, for renting a car it is required to present a bank card (prerequisite), persons over 23 years old with at least 2 years experience can rent a car at least 2 years

Parking lots

• All parking lots on Costa-Doradus are paid. Occupational payment, is made through machines or directly into the hands of an employee. In large cities outside the parking lot, it is quite risky to leave the car, as there is a risk of theft or a fine for parking in an wrong place (they are high here)
• The most serious violation is to leave the car in places of public transport stops or on yellow marking. In small cities, people often leave cars (especially at night) in the wrong place, but under supervision (under the windows or opposite the Stoic in a cafe)

Automobiles

• There are paid and free tracks on the coast. On paid routes, the excellent quality of the coating, they are located along the sea, do not loop, are equipped with many signs and signs, so it is quite convenient and easy to navigate in the direction. Payment is charged at checkpoints, when paying in cash, delivery is not issued, so prepare a lot of little things
• Free highways are similar to country roads, sometimes covered with gravel, not asphalt; It is often difficult to understand where it leads, and whether you are going correctly. But they are absolutely free, which sometimes can significantly save

Boarding

• There are gas stations in both cities and on intercity tracks. The price of fuel is lower outside the city. Suburban gas stations often include cafes, shop and maintenance station

Food on Costa-Dorada

• The most inexpensive way is to cook. In the apartments taken for rent, there is always a kitchen equipped with everything necessary. In the apartments, sometimes instead of the stove, a microwave oven is placed, the set of dishes can be very limited-specify these points when booking

• Accommodation at the hotel involves food only in cafes and restaurants, because There are no kitchens in the rooms. Breakfast is most often included in the cost of living

• Grocery stores can be of three types: small private benches, where there are a little “slightly” (there are a lot of such), medium-sized grocery gastronomas and huge grocery supermarkets. Prices are approximately the same
• In large stores, you can often buy goods for the promotion. In order to save on nutrition, you can buy cuts, semi -finished products, yogurts, rolls, cheeses, etc. And instead of going to the restaurant, arrange a dense lunch in the room

• From cafes and restaurants, the cheapest ones are fast food (food + drink in the region of 7-10 euros per person). There are many small cafes where the Mediterranean (often Italian) kitchen is served, a portion of spaghetti + a drink will cost 12-15 euros per person (portions in our understanding are simply huge, for two you can safely take one plate). The most expensive places are restaurants, it all depends on your appetite and wallet

• Local dinners-tapas are also interesting. Tapas - a national local dish - a variety of sandwiches and mixes on skewers, which are made from a variety of products. Tapasa is cheaper and tastier where only local residents and few tourists eat

The main resorts of Costa-Dorades

Salou, LaPinda and Cambrils

From the point of view of a Russian, accustomed to great distances between cities, these three cities are one. There are no clear boundaries between them, especially between Cambrils and Salou: two neighboring buildings can be in different cities. The routes of city buses are also often connected by all three cities.

Salou

• This is a rather large city by local standards - there are several residential areas - from high -rise buildings to private villas, a large number of hotels and apartments rented out by
• In terms of attractions in Salow, there is nothing to boast. This is a very young city-the part of the buildings was built in the 1950-70s (not counting hotels). Go to the beach and take a walk in the evening in the center - that's all that you can do here

• Salou is suitable for rest to large families and motley companies. There are playgrounds, a large walking area, a lot of bars and discos, from here it is very easy to get to any city on the coast, all trains stop in Salou except high -speed
• The central beach of Levante is the longest and well -equipped, but in the peak of the season it is the most crowded. The beach of the chapel is relatively small, calm and comfortable. Larga beach - the farthest and "uninhabited" - for those who love complete solitude and are not afraid of a rocky bottom

• The main street (aka the central promenade) is the boulevard of King Haime I (Jaime I). In the mornings there are many cyclists, runners and dog owners. In the afternoon, the boulevard is filled with tourists scurrying in search of impressions, and in the evening the whole audience of Salou comes here to take a walk along the embankment, look at the show show, sit in numerous cafes

• From the objects that are worth galance, several old private villas can be distinguished at the beginning of the Haime I boulevard, the old tower (the remains of the sentinel fortress from the time of pirate raids) and the Catalan estate (a small square, where biblical scenes are reproduced in the form of installations, as well as somewhat recreated peasant houses with traditional details of everyday life)

Cambrils

• There are few hotels, much more private villas and apartments that are leased to vacationers. There are also residential quarters of local residents, stake, shops, playgrounds, car rental. From Salou to the Vilafortuni area (hotel zone of Cambrils) you can walk on foot

• Most of all Cambrils is famous for its fish restaurants. The old port is located here, and it is this city that has long been considered the main "supply" of the surrounding cities seafood. There is an amazing variety of fish dishes, including the most exotic species, as well as an amazing atmosphere of a port town

• Another beautiful place in Cambrils is the area of \u200b\u200bprivate villas. Many of them were built in the last century, very interesting buildings in the traditional Catalan style are found, there are several pretty houses in the Art Nouveau style. In general, Cambrils is much calmer and more uninhabited than in Salou

La Pinedes

• La Pinedes translated from Catalan means "pine." This city is very fond of families with young children, athletes and elderly Europeans. He really looks like one large pine grove
• In La Pinedan, amazing air, very clean and gentle beaches, few noisy hotels, a quiet and calm audience, has its own water park "Aquapolis", a large sports complex "Eurosport"
• Of the minuses, some remoteness from public transport and proximity to Tarragon - a large industrial metropolis can be noted

Coma-Ruga and Calafel

• Coma-Ruga and Kalafel are small sleepy towns in which there are few foreigners and almost no Russians. The railway station is only in Kalafel, and not all trains stop on it. You can only get to a coma-rugger by bus or by car. There are almost no hotels, most accommodation options are rented houses or villas
• The main advantage of these towns is their authenticity. Here you will feel like a local resident than a tourist. Get ready for the fact that no one understands English, all the more in Russian. It is better to take a phrasebook with you or learn a few most popular phrases
• Coma-Ruga and Kalafel are perfect for travelers, tired of the bustle of large resorts and do not need special entertainment. They are also suitable for those who are going to relax for a long time and plan to move a lot on their own. The peculiarity of local beaches is a very gentle entrance to the water

Torredmbar and Altafula

• The torredmbara in the style of rest is something between Salou and Kalafel. On the one hand, there is a hint of the presence of tourists and service for guests: hotels, many restaurants, equipped beaches and central promenade
• On the other hand, the rest here is still more measured and calmer than in a noisy lard - there are no discos, the beaches are quite spacious, in the evenings there are no crowds of tourists who fill the whole space
• The undoubted advantage of the Torredambara is the old city (beautiful medieval buildings and streets), the width of the beaches (they are perhaps the widest in the entire Costa-Dorada), the presence of a railway station (most local trains stop), amazing cleanliness of the streets and some kind of somewhat A special atmosphere of comfortable and measured rest

• Altafulya is a town very close to a torredmbara. There are slightly smaller hotels, all the same wide beaches and excellent service, friendly locals and great cuisine. The altafulia has its own medieval attraction - the Castle of the Marquis Tamarit and small Roman ruins on the outskirts of the city. The most important plus of altafuli is its landscapes, they fascinate

Tarragon and her sights

Tarragona is a large industrial city, the capital of the Kosta-Dorada region and a very interesting city for independent excursions. It is worth coming here for a whole day to have time to look as much as possible. And there is something to see here, if only because the Tarragona was founded by the Romans back in the 2nd century BC as the village of Tarrako, and this is the oldest city founded by the Romans, throughout Spain, no more, no less

• Old city - The heart of Tarragona, and the Cathedral of Holy Tekla (in our opinion Feckla)-the heart of the Old City and the main cathedral of Tarragona. The cathedral was built in the XII-XIII centuries on the site of the Roman temple. Cathedral and quarters around it are so well preserved that it is quite possible to imagine the medieval life of Tarragona

• There are no modern details (plastic windows and satellite antennas) that violate the historical appearance of the quarter. On the facades of the houses you can see the emblems that in the Middle Ages denoted either the nobility of the genus or the genus of the owner

• In some houses, the entrance doors have not changed for many centuries, and massive rings for a knock on the doorbell are still hanging on them. In front of the cathedral are drinking fountains, from which they drank water 700 years ago. The old city was built on the site of the ancient Roman settlement, so that some buildings are literally standing on the most valuable historical ruins

• Central Square of the Old City Place-de-la-Fon - A very comfortable place. There are not many foreigners, but full of local residents who come with whole families, noisily welcome each other, discuss something lively, the old people play backgammon-in a word, an ordinary Catalan life, not spoiled by tourists, boils. There are also excellent snacks, in which the best tapasy is preparing on the entire coast

• Archaeological Museum of Tarragona Located on Royal Square (these are the outskirts of the Old City). The exposition has a huge number of unique objects of the Roman era found in the district. An excellent panoramic view of the city opens from the roof of the museum, and the underground passage connects it with another attraction - roman circus

• Roman amphitheater - Another building of the times of the Roman Tarrako. At one time, he became famous not for gladiatorial battles (although they were carried out here), but by the place of public execution of the first Christians, who, as you know, under the Romans subjected a painful death

• Near the amphitheater is located Mediterranean balcony - A large observation deck on a rock with which the view of the entire coast and the modern port of Tarragona opens. The central part of the balcony occupies monument to Admiral Ruzhero di Lauriawho served the kings of Aragon in the XIII century and became famous for participation in the Crusades

• The street begins from the Mediterranean balcony Rambla Nova - Big Avenue with a pedestrian area in the center throughout. Rambla Nova is interesting for Baroque buildings and a large number of unusual monuments

• For example, monument to the heroes of 1811 Dedicated to the war with Napoleonic France. At one time, the monument made a lot of noise due to the fact that the male figure on it is depicted with undisguised nudity, which was considered extremely obscene

• Another unusual monument - Castels. This is the name of towers of living people (castels), this is a traditional Catalan entertainment. An annually in Tarragon is a competition of castels for the highest tower

• University Tarragona Founded in the 16th century, is considered one of the best in Spain, so young people from all over the country come to study here. University buildings occupy a whole quarter and are distinguished by interesting architecture of the late Middle Ages

Reus: shopping and excursions

Reus is not a beach and not a tourist city. It is located 10 km from the coast 10-15 minutes by car from Salou and Cambrils, half an hour from Torredmbar and Tarragona. Here, few speak English, hotels can be counted on the fingers, but Reus has the best shopping on the entire coast.

You can get to Reus on intercity buses from Tarragona, Salou and Cambrils. The trade quarter is quite far from the bus station, a 10-15 minute walk. Landmark - Gaudi Center Reus, which is located right in the center of the trade quarter. In the same building there is a TAX-Free office where you can return part of the money (up to 16%) spent on purchases (for this it is necessary to buy one check at least 90 euros, it is also necessary to ask the seller to issue a special Tax-Free check , since the return to ordinary checks is not made)

The Gaudi Museum is located on a market square, from which trading streets diverge in all directions. What can you buy in Reus

• Clothes of all famous inexpensive European brands: Zara, SELA, OGGI, MANGO, SAVAGE, BERSHKA, H&M and others
• Branded stores of the premium class: Gucci, Chloe, D&G, Prada, Lacoste, Mexx, Benetton, Civenchi, Alexander McQueen, etc.
• The most popular sports brands: Adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok, Columbia, Esprit
• Lower underwear and leatherette in all price ranges
• Spanish clothing brands of excellent quality: Loewe, Armand Basi, Jocavi, Jesus Del Pozo, Mayral Clothing Line
• Toy and school supplies from handles to satchels
  Boutiques of accessories and jewelry - both pan -European and local brands
• Shops of copyright collections of local artists with original and Europeanly stylish products made of glass, stone, wood, ceramics and other things to decorate the interior

Important: In Reus, all stores observe the siesta (afternoon sleep), unlike cities on the coast, where, due to the abundance of tourists, the operating mode is almost round-the-clock. For siesta, there is no single closing hour of opening, each store owner solves this issue on its own. Around 13:00 to 14:00, stores are closed on the siesta, and open at 16: 00-17: 00 hours.

During the siesta, you can arrange a vacation from shopping and wander around the old Reus around a trade quarter. There are many interesting buildings built in the XVII-XIX centuries for individual orders for rich citizens

Children's park Port Aventura

The park is located in Salou, but you can get to it by train (stopping Port Aventura) or a bus from any city on the coast of Costa-Dorada. Strictly speaking, Port Aventure is a whole complex that includes Port Aventura, a huge Kosta-Caribe water park, four thematic hotels and a golf club.

Children's thematic park Port Aventure is the most visited park throughout Europe. By the number of visitors, he surpasses the famous Disneyland of Paris. The park is divided into 6 thematic zones, each of which has its own unique atmosphere and attractions.

Mediterranean (Mediterranea)

• This is the central zone of the park in the form of Mediterranean Street-Naberezhnaya and a huge pond-sea. In the evenings on the water surface, the Mediterranean Mediterranean passes fantastically in spectacular, evening shows with dancing fountains, huge laser projections and a grandiose fireworks. The most interesting attraction here is Furius Baco - American slides with a loop of 180 degrees around the axis

Wild West (Far West)

• Here everything is an exact copy of the typical provincial American town of the times of gold fever. There are several American slides, one of them ends with a fall into the water from the waterfall

• Another water attraction of the zone is the Grand Canyon, on which you need to swim an impressive distance on a large round boat-punch between two sheer rocks. A small surprise of the Grand Canyon is a water cannon installed on one of the shores, from which everyone can water the poor fellows floating along the canyon with water

• In the Wild West, the route of the corporate train of Port Aventure begins, which in 40 minutes passes in a circle of all zones of the park. The station and the train itself are an exact copy of the American railway of the XIX century

• A corporate show in the Wild West is a presentation of cowboys with stunt tricks, including horses, and fingering from pistols. In zones stores, you can buy real leather whips, cowboy hats, jeans, and scarves

Mexico (Mexico)

• The most exciting attraction of Mexico is an stele of free fall 100 meters high. The screeching of visitors to this attraction can be heard on the approach to the park. Children below 1.5 meters tall are not allowed on the attraction

• The show "Temple of Fire" dips visitors into the adventure world of Indiana Jones. This is not just a children's performance, but a real interactive professional representation with unexpected special effects that cause goosebumps and screaming even in adults, because the audience are direct participants in the representation

• In the branded stores of Mexico, real woolen poncho and hats-subroso incredible sizes are sold. In a local restaurant, real Mexican agos and sharp cakes of legumes are served

China (China)

• The China zone is a real China-town with dragons, red paper flashlights, pagoda roofs and traditional Chinese music. There are several gaming towns for the smallest, two higher American hills in Europe Shambala and Dragon Khan.

• In branded stores you can buy a real silk dressing gown, traditional Chinese souvenirs and attributes of Feng Shui, bone and painted faith and unique Chinese caskets. There is also a marina in this zone, from which a boat, running along a circular route through the entire park, leaves every half an hour

• The most interesting shows of zones are the performances of Chinese circusages blowing huge soap bubbles that can contain a person and even a company of people, and a show of monks Shao-Lin in traditional Buddhist orange clothes

Polynesia (Polynesia)

• This is the most exotic part of the park. Instead of streets and buildings, there are tropical thickets, vines, and huts covered with straw. Of the speakers, characteristic music sounds everywhere. There is a beach with real white sand, brought with tropical beaches, and idols that copy the famous stone figures of Easter Island

• The main show of Polynesia is the performance of "Aloha", consisting of songs and dances, traditional for the population of the Polynesian islands. Despite the boring description, the show itself captures no less than cowboys. All numbers are performed by the troupe of real Polynesians who come for the summer period to work in the park. So this is not an imitation, but a real authentic art

• Of the attractions, one can distinguish “Tutuka” - skating on a large boat above the vent of the volcano and falling from a height into a small pool. Another attraction - the illusion “Journey on the submarine” is very similar to the 7D cinemas, but the special effects here are an order of magnitude cooler and create a complete sense of presence inside the plot

• In Polynesia branded stores, real Hawaiian shirts are sold, authentic Polynesian jewelry, bags and straw hats, traditional flower garlands and any beach supplies

Sesamo Aventura)

• This is a zone for the smallest visitors of the park. The attractions here are designed for children from 3 to 7 years old, many of them are allowed with parents. Sesam with their fantastic scenery is similar to a real fairy tale

• There are gingerbread houses, a huge tree with an observation deck, and an entire children's city, where all buildings and structures are designed for residents no higher than a meter. Rosty dolls work in the zone in the form of all the characters of the children's program "Street Sezam"

Useful information about visiting Port Aventura Park

• Entrance tickets can be purchased on the park’s official website in advance (the cheapest option), from hotel guides, at Bus-Plana employees at bus stops and directly at the park’s office. At the box office - albeit a cheap, but not the most incorrect option, because there are always lines, in the summer the average waiting time is from 40 minutes to an hour
• For children under 4 years of age, visiting the park for free. For children 4-10 years old and pensioners over 60 there are discounts. Tickets can be taken for 1, 2 and 3 days. The more days, the cheaper the ticket (in terms of one day)
• Tickets to the Port Caribe water park are sold separately. If you buy a ticket to the water park and port abventures at the same time, a discount is also provided

• The ticket gives the right to be on the territory of the park over the indicated days, to use all the attractions for free an unlimited number of times, to visit any show for free. Food in the cafe and restaurants of the park is paid separately
• It is forbidden to bring any drinks and products purchased not in the park to Port Aventure. At the entrance at the turnstile, all visitors are mandatory asked to open a bag for inspection. If you find food or water, they will not let go into the park
• At the entrance immediately behind the turnstiles, you can get a booklet for free, where there is a map of the location of all thematic zones of the park, the name and description of all attractions, the name and schedule of the beginning of all the show and other useful information
• For children under 7 years old at the entrance to the park, you can rent special strollers with an awning

Video. Costa-Dorada (Promo)

Video. Port Aventura, Gala concert

Video. Port Agentura, final show