Holidays in Catalonia: what to see and do in this beautiful region of Spain
When you are in love with such a wonderful city like Barcelona, it is hard to leave the city once you get there, but the truth is that there is live beyond the Sagrada Familia, La Rambla and Parc Güell. Catalonia is packed with interesting places to discover even if you do not have a car: there are some fun daytrips to be done by train around the region. Either way, if you go to Catalonia don’t miss the chance to go visit beaches, sea caves, theme parks, natural pools in the middle of the nature… The options are almost endless. Here you have a selection of plans to discover the beauty and fun of Catalonia.
Portaventura and Tarragona
Catalonia has holiday’s options for all tastes and budgets: beaches, nature, historical monuments… And theme parks. If you travel with kids to this regions, theme parks are the perfect choice to have all the family enjoy. The most famous is Universal Studios Portaventura, where the entire family will have a blast with the different rides and attractions. The park is located in Tarragona, a beautiful city with a huge Roman heritage, protected by UNESCO since 2000. There are ruins behind every corner, which is more impressive, and the medieval old town is also breathtaking. To visit Portaventura and enjoy your holidays in Tarragona, Spain, you can stay in L’Ampolla, which is only about half an hour far.
The “Cremallera” train and the Montserrat Monastery
Best known among the locals as the ‘cremallera’ (zipper) train, the rack railway to Montserrat is the mountain train that will take you from the bottom of Montserrat mountain – a small town called Monistrol de Montserrat, to Montserrat Monastery. The abbey located in this mountain range attracts both nature lovers and curious devotees from around the world for the uniqueness of its enclave –right on the edge of the ravine, and the mystery that surrounds it. The breathtaking wildness of the mediterranean forest surrounds this captivating ascending journey headed towards an hermitage which was built after two children found the image of the Virgin of Santa María de Montserrat in the Saint Cave –according to legend.
The Gorgs del Torrent de la Cabana
Also known as the 7 Gorges Route, it is located in Campdevànol (Ripollès). It consists of hiking route through beautiful mountain landscapes that will allow you to see the 7 waterfalls with their respective pools of crystalline and clear waters, all of them in bucolic and exuberant vegetation scenarios. It is a circular route of 10 km and it does not involve any difficulty, being suitable for all people regardless of their age or hiking experience. If we you do it in summer, we can swim in each of the 7 pools through which we go, resulting in a highly rewarding experience.
El Trabucador or ‘The Beach of two Seas’
Catalonia has plenty of stunning beaches, but no one like “El Trabucador”, also known as the beach of the Two Seas by the locals. What is so special aboout this beach? If you look for a map, you will understand it right away: this beach is the narrow strip of land that connects the Delta river with the peninsula at the tip of the Banya. It is six kilometers long and an one hundred metres wide. By one side is the Mediterranean sea and, on the other, the waters of the quiet bay of the Alfacs. In addition, this peculiar beach is also known as a great spot to observe birds belonging to the autochthonous fauna, so the beach of two seas is definitely and undoubtedly different from any other you have visited before.
Scuba diving in Medes
The Medes Islands -seven islets in front of the Estartit, on the Costa Brava, are of immense biological and geological richness already above the water, but even more below it. In addition to the cliffs and spectacular inlets, this area has an extraordinary seabed with thousands of colorful fish. You will find numerous companies that organize the so-called ‘diving baptism’. You only need to know how to swim!
Gorges de la Fou
The Gorges of Fou are supposed to be the narrowest canyon in the world. A walkway along the entire route will allow you to make the journey without complications, although the rocks on both sides seem to want to block your way -there are points one meter wide only! Under your feet, you’ll find the river Fou, responsible for the breach of the mountain and which makes the walk even more bucolic. The strong noise of the river water makes the perfect soundtrack for this excursion.