Catalonia has many undiscovered beauty.
Head south from Barcelona along the coast and discover a lesser-known part of Catalonia.
It provides the best aspects of the Spanish Mediterranean the climate, the landscape and the cuisine as well as its own rich, distinct culture. I love this part of Spain, and a trip here will not disappoint.
Despite boasting both stunning mountain landscapes and one of the best-preserved stretches of coastline anywhere in the Med, the Costa Daurada region remains fairly unknown to many tourists.
Stretching south along the coast from Barcelona, it’s easily accessible from one of Europe’s most vibrant cities and offers a range of options.
The main city of the Costa Daurada, and once capital of Roman Hispania, Tarragona, has some of the best preserved Classical sights in Spain, including the city walls, the amphitheatre, Necropolis, and forum.
Group electric-bike tours are available at €10 per person (€25 with a guide) providing a leisurely way to see the town in a short space of time.
Though with the Archaeological Museum and Medieval Quarter to see as well, so you can happily spend a day here.
The region’s second city is Reus, a stone’s throw from Tarragona, and a typically charming Catalan town that is worth the visit for anyone interested in the work of maverick architect Antoni Gaud, designer of Barcelona’s Sagrada Famlia.
Born in Reus, the town now has an exhibition dedicated to its most famous son, showcasing his inspirations and design craft.
For golfers, the Lumine Resort, based just outside Tarragona, offers two 18-hole courses and a nine-hole course, designed to offer different playing challenges, The Hills course being a particular stand-out for its setting.
And anyone not given to swinging a club can check out the spa facilities or the beach activities that the Resort offers.
For further golfing options, there is the Bonmont Club with an 18-hole course just a 30-minute drive away.
Catalonian enotourism (that’s wine tours, to you and me) has been growing recently, and wine-lovers should head approximately an hour inland from the coast to the Serra Montsant in El Priorat region.
The mountain views are worth the trip alone, but the clincher is a visit to the 12th Century Cartoixa d’Escaladei. Here lies the monastery on the slopes of a valley along with the vineyards that have provided its wines for centuries.
Guided tours of the grounds, including the wine cellars followed by a tasting session, are available by appointment.
Hikers have plenty options for mountain walks in Priorat, though you don’t have to lug yourself up a hillside to get spectacular views.
Serving an impressive range of local surf, turf and wines, Els Tallers restaurant and hotel is located atop a cliff in the hilltop village of Siurana.
The last Moorish stronghold in Catalonia, the village dates from the Middle Ages and affords dramatic views of the surrounding mountain scenery.
Back on the coast near the town of Calafell you’ll find another vineyard, but one with a twist the Augustus Forum specialises in producing vinegar.
A boutique operation that provides many of Barcelona’s outstanding restaurants with their range of distinctive vinegars, and hey, their wines aren’t at all bad either.
It’s an interesting experience for those of us who normally just have a splash of the vinegar stuff on our chips. On the topic of gastronomy, Barcelona doesn’t have a monopoly on fine dining in Catalonia.
The Michelin-starred Can Bosch restaurant in the fishing village of Cambrils specialises in local seafood and is remarkably good value compared to its big city competition.
Heritage and history is to be found everywhere in Catalonia, but few sights are more impressive than the monasteries the Cistercian Order, built around the region in the Middle Ages.
Poblet is the finest of them all in both its size and splendour.
Founded in the 12th Century and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991, it houses the remains of numerous Kings of Aragon and is a magnificent example of various architectural styles through the centuries.
It remains a working monastery with the monks combining their duties with providing tours for visitors.
Set at the foothills of the Muntanyes de Prades to provide a quiet setting for monastic life, it’s another journey inland that’s well worth the effort. Hotel La Boella near Tarragona is for those seeking a spot of luxury accommodation.
Set amongst fields of olive groves and vineyards, this converted farmhouse can date its history back down the centuries and you can sample the estate’s produce first-hand at the restaurant. Rooms in high season start from €210 a night.
The Hostal Sport in the hill town of Falset is a good base for anyone heading to the mountains of the Serra Montsant.
Ryanair fly from Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick to Barcelona El Prat. See ryanair.com. For electric bike tours, visit ebiketours.cat. Can Bosch Restaurant, Cambrils is at canbosch.com.
Hostal Sport, Falset is at hotelpriorat-hostalsport.com. Tourist info can be found at costadaurada.info.
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