Tarragona

Tarragona is a natural fortress, an 82-metre hill overlooking the sea and sheltering the calm waters of the port. The city has a population of 120,202 inhabitants, and the native tongue is Catalan. The official languages are Catalan and Spanish.

ACCOMODATION

Tarragona is home to a wide variety of business and family hotels, each with its own unmistakable style and all offering a comprehensive range of services and amenities to suit even the most demanding clientele. Top-notch, modern establishments, they complement their personalised charm with state-of-the-art IT systems. Urban hotels, enveloped in history or overlooking the shore, they have all the facilities guests need to enjoy their business trip or holiday. In addition, the city also has a large assortment of seaside campgrounds, just steps away from the fine, golden sand of the many stunning beaches. These campgrounds offer both unbeatable services and facilities (restaurants, sport and leisure areas, parks and gardens…) and a range of activity programmes for all ages.

CUISINE

Tarragona cuisine is a reflection of the city’s historic and cultural personality: as a Mediterranean port, it owes much of its richness to the sea. The fishermen bring us fresh shellfish and bluefish with the official geographical indication “Peix Blau de Tarragona”. The fishermen’s district, known as “el Serrallo”, is one of the city’s most picturesque. There, visitors will have their pick of restaurants offering savoury dishes based on the day’s catch. Tarragona’s most emblematic dish is the cassola de romesco, a casserole based on a rich regional tomato nut sauce. Indeed, every two years a contest is held during the Santa Tecla festivities to determine who makes the city’s best. There, visitors can also sample the city’s renowned seafood paella, as well as rice cooked in squid ink, grilled or fried fish, arrossejat (a rice and seafood blend simmered in fish stock), fideuejat (a seafood and noodle stew) and a wide assortment of creative and avant-garde recipes. Many of the city’s restaurants have exceptional seaside locations, affording diners a spectacular view of the port and allowing them to immerse themselves in a traditional fishermen’s setting. City restaurants also draw on regional products brought from the local countryside, or Camp de Tarragona, including hazelnuts, almonds, oil and fresh vegetables, as well as meat and eggs. The nearby mountains add to this offer with wild mushrooms, potatoes and chestnuts, while the Ebre delta provides rice and citrus fruits. The select D.O. Tarragona wines also deserve special mention, in particular the mistelles and mellow wines, ideal with desserts. In the High District, many restaurants are housed in historic buildings whose ancient Roman or medieval legacies can still be seen, transporting gourmands to an era of imperial splendour or the difficult years of the Spanish Reconquest. As an added flourish to this history-steeped setting, the month of May ushers in the “Tàrraco a Taula” food festival, where visitors can sample dishes made according to ancient Roman recipes. Tarragona is also home to numerous tapas bars and llesqueries, the local version of a snack bar. With the arrival of the warm weather, city residents fill the tables set out in the plazas and streets to enjoy a traditional glass of vermouth. In winter, there is nothing better than organising a calçotada, or roasted spring onion party, with family and friends.

SHOPPING

Trade has been the most important economic sector in Tarragona since the city was founded. In recent years, retailers have been an engine of growth for the city, both due to the arrival of outside chains and the organisation and renewal of the genuinely local offer. The city’s commercial district revolves around Rambla Nova, which runs from the busy Plaça Imperial Tarraco to the famous “Mediterranean Balcony” overlook. If you are looking to buy fresh food in a picturesque setting, be sure to visit Tarragona’s municipal markets. The main market, Mercat Central, located just off Rambla Nova, is housed in an important Modernist building (Josep M. Pujol, 1915). There, the stand owners still engage in the direct and personalised sale of day-to-day products. Also typical are the city’s outdoor markets, where visitors will find clothing, footwear, food, accessories, pets and, above all, a burst of colour, people, voices, light, aromas and characters straight out of storybooks.

LEISURE

Tarragona has a diverse nightlife. One original way to discover the full charm and magic of the Tarragona port is to take one of the free boat rides offered every Sunday, from noon to 2 p.m. Tarragona also has three different tour guide agencies, offering the full gamut of guided tours.

BEACHES

The beaches of Tarragona are renowned for their extremely fine, golden sand: hence the region’s name, “Costa Daurada”, or the Golden Coast. Our country’s mild climate means the water is perfect for swimming from June to September. What’s more, sun-lovers can lie out or simply stroll along the coast practically all year round. The local beaches are also home to an extremely rich ecosystem. Unfortunately, development of the coastal region for tourism has damaged much of this natural wealth. However, Tarragona still has two well-conserved areas, now protected by law: The Punta de la Mora Nature Reserve (or PEIN, in Catalan) and the Gaià River Delta PEIN.

WORLD HERITAGE

On 30th November 2000, the UNESCO committee, meeting in the Australian city of Cairns, decided to officially declare the Roman archaeological complex of Tàrraco a World Heritage Site. This recognition is intended to help ensure the conservation of the monuments, as well as to introduce them to the broader international public. Among the citizens of Tarragona, it has moreover fomented knowledge of, pride in and respect for the city. Las Murallas Arc de Bará Forum de la Colonia Anfiteatro Acueducto Romano Torre de los Escipiones Mausoleo de las Cencellas La Pedrera del Médol Necrópolis Paleocristiana Villa de los Montes Fórum Provincial Circo Romano Teatro Romano

MUSEUMS: De armas antiguas De arte moderno Del Puerto Nacional Arqueológico Necrópolis Paleocristiana

ROUTES: Itinerarios Históricos para recorrer.

BUSINESS AND CONGRESS: Palacio de Congresos TCB: Tarragona Convention Bureau.