Costa Dorada/Tarragona environs

Old Feb 8th, 2002, 08:04 AM
  #1  
canuck
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Costa Dorada/Tarragona environs

Other than Barcelona, what day trips, excursions would be good from this area. Are there small villages to visit? Any info would be most appreciated. Thanks.
 
Old Feb 8th, 2002, 08:24 AM
  #2  
olga
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Check out www.costadaurada.org

It has an english version, and it shows everything there is to see in the area.
It has it all, great beaches, fishing villages, the Port Aventura amusement park -if you are traveling with kids-,
beautiful winecountry...
Also nice mountain areas and historic sites.
 
Old Feb 8th, 2002, 04:52 PM
  #3  
lynn
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Hi from one canuck to another!
My husband and I travelled this area a few times and love it. A few things you may want to see follows what is called the Cistercian monastery route. If you enjoy history and architecture at all it's fascinating. and you pass through some wine villages on the way. We visited the monastery of santa maria de poblet which is probably about 1-1/2 2 hours outside of Tarragona. It's a pretty drive up over the hills. The monastery was founded in 1150, destroyed in 1835 and rebuilt (wonderfully) and is still lived in the by Cistercian monks.
A visit to the litle town of Montblanc is interesting. Lots of medieval military achitecture. Lots of original walls etc still standing. This town is also the capital of the wine producing conca de Barbera district.
You could also visit the Ebro Delta to the west. Lots of important wetlands and the resultant flora and fauna.
If you are going to Barcelona you'll need at least a day but in the same direction (perhaps an hour from Tarragona) are the wine villages around sant sadurni d'anoia. Visit the Codorniu cava (champagne) establishment. It was fascinating. Their wine cellars where they ferment the cava are so large they took us around on little trains.
I'm sure you'll find lots to do with no problems at all. As in other areas of Spain it's full of great history, architecture, food, people.
If you would like to ask anything further or I haven't been specific enough please feel free to email me.
Regards,
Lynn
 
Old Feb 10th, 2002, 03:47 PM
  #4  
Maribel
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canuck,
A resounding "ditto" to all the wonderful touring advice that lynn has given you; I consider her a true Catalonian travel expert!

For your farmhouse rental, you might like to look at a few more agencies just to compare properties/prices:

www.indiv-travellers.com
www.travellersway.co.uk (to order their "Secret Spain" catalogue)
www.bridgewater-travel.co.uk (for fhe Costa Dourada)
 
Old Feb 11th, 2002, 05:48 AM
  #5  
canuck
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Thanks Lynn and Maribel..we plan on spending separate time in Barcelona so will spend the week just tourning the Costa Dorada region. Are there any picturesque villages that we shouldn't miss? We're interested in wandering around picturesque little villages getting the feel for the area/people, stopping for a glass of wine, leisurely lunches. Also interested in wine producing areas...thanks again.
 
Old Feb 11th, 2002, 12:41 PM
  #6  
Maribel
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Hi canuck,
I'm not as nearly knowledgeable as Lynn regarding the province of Tarragona, as I've spent much more time on the Costa Brava and in Girona province (in the Emporda region-find the geography more visually appealing and love all the gorgeous little medieval towns). We did love our visit to the Monastery of Poblet-stayed nearby at the Masia del Cadet (tranquil setting, good eats). My favorite beach town, though, on the Costa Daurada is Sitges. It's very hip, avant garde, upscale, has some nice Modernist architecture (the catalan Art Nouveau),an expansive beach and should be far more tranquil in Oct. (packed to the gills during the season-one of the major gay resorts of Europe). But Sitges is only 30 min. by train from Barcelona, so you might want to access it from there. I'm not fond of over-developed Salou, but smaller Cambrils, next door, was just named in an article in Conde Nast Traveler, as one of the 7 most picture-perfect fishing villages on the Mediterranean, not for its architecture, certainly, but for its picturesque fishing quarter and authentic feel. And there's great dining to be had there at the family owned Can Bosch, Joan Gatell-Casa Gatell and Can Gatell-Rodolofo. And as Lynn has suggested, I wouldn't miss a tour of the "cava" bodegas in Sant Sadurni d'Anoia (Freixenet is right across from the train station, Codorniu is best reached by car and is housed in a very pretty, historic Modernist building-guided visits by tram in both) or a tour of the Torres wine cellars in Vilafranca del Penedes; you can do these on the same day. Plus there are the Roman ruins of Tarragona (archaeological museum, amphitheater, aqueduct, necropolis) and the ancient city of Tortosa with its 14th century cathedral and Parador built next to a Moorish fortress.
Hope this gives you a start.
 

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