Things to do in Salou

Salou is a beach resort on the Costa Daurada, about 10 km west of Tarragona. Things to do in Salou begin on the beach. The coast filled with hotels from the 1960s, and in 1989 the town split from Vila-seca.

Beaches and the coast path

• Platja de Llevant. The largest natural beach in town.
• Platja dels Capellans. A small beach by the centre, 209 metres long, that slopes gently into the water.
• Platja Llarga. About 650 metres of sand beside a small pine forest, far from the tourist zone.
• Camí de Ronda. A 6.5 km path along the coast from Pilons to the Cap Salou lighthouse of 1858. It passes the ruins of an 1829 lazaretto and Civil War bunkers.

Port, king and tower

Salou was a port before it was a resort. In September 1229 James I's fleet sailed from this shore to take Mallorca.

• Jaume I monument. A stone ship with the king and a gilded horse, unveiled on the Passeig Jaume I in 1965.
• Torre Vella. A defence tower ordered in 1530 by the archbishop of Tarragona against pirate raids.
• Cybernetic Fountain. Water, light and music shows by the port on summer evenings.

Days inland and up the coast

Day trips from Salou are long days by road. Barcelona lies about 110 km up the coast, and the Ebro Delta is about an hour south-west.

• Barcelona and Montserrat. Barcelona alone fills seven hours. With Montserrat it becomes a nine-hour day.
• Poblet and the Priorat. The abbey of Poblet is about 50 km inland, 40 minutes by road. The Priorat's wine villages, Siurana and Escaladei, are about an hour away.
• Ebro Delta. Rice fields, oysters and mussels.

Practical

• Weather. Afternoons reach 29 to 30C in July and August, and about 14C in January. July is the driest month, at about 15 mm, and September and October the wettest.
• Getting there. Reus airport is about 10 km from the centre.
• Coast path. The first 2 km from Pilons are fitted out for walkers. The last 4.5 km to the lighthouse are a natural trail, so wear proper shoes.
• Pick-up. Day tours collect guests at their hotels in Salou and Tarragona.
• Booking. Most day tours can be cancelled without charge more than 24 hours before the start.