Tarragona Province Travel Guide

An hour’s train ride or drive down the road from the city of Barcelona you’ll find the fine city of Tarragona. Just like Barcelona, Tarragona is not only a city but also a province. Located in the south easterly point of Catalonia, the province has a population of 888,895 (figures from 2008). Around 25% of the population live within the city limits of the capital city, Tarragona.

Tarragona Province Travel Guide

The province has a number of striking cities, of particular note are Reus, Tortosa and Tarragona. Its another part of Catalonia that is saturated in culture and amazing history, which includes the UNESCO world heritage site of the Roman civilisation of Tarraco. For lovers of the arts, the province of Tarragona is renowned for its inspiration. There’s an excellent route that you can do that follows in the footsteps of the Four Geniuses – Picasso, Gaudi, Miró and Casals.

Tarragona province has its fair share of fishing villages and seaside towns, which offer a good range of options for beach holidays. Many tourists may not think in terms of the province’s name itself, this is because it’s coastal area is the name that you are most likely familiar with – the Costa Dorada. For me one of the highlights of this area is one of its natural parks – the Delta de l’Ebre. This has a unique, magical landscape, which includes unspoilt beaches, sand dunes and paddy fields.

Tarragona Province UNESCO & Routes

Another fascinating site is the rock art that is also UNESCO world heritage, can be found in the municipality of Ulldecona. Yet another UNESCO world heritage site in this province is the famous Cistercian Poblet Monastery. You can either visit this individually, or as part of the Cistercian monastery route. In terms of routes, there are a huge amount of diverse nature routes to enjoy, as well as the Four Geniuses route mentioned previously, and within the city of Tarragona there are a number of routes to choose from. However this area also has some excellent cava and wine routes.…don’t miss out!!

Province Of Tarragona Fiestas

It’s also a fantastic area to come to for fiestas – be they gastronomic, religious, traditional, historical re-enactments or carnivals. In my mind there is no such thing as too many fiestas, but if there was maybe this area has “too many”…. And just the city of Tarragona alone has a humongous amount of festivals.

Tarragona Province Family Holiday Destinations

The Catalan authorities have a small select list of seaside towns that they have qualified as Family Holiday Destinations. In the province of Tarragona there are 4 FHDs, which are:

Calafell
Cambrils
Salou – home of the famous Port Aventura Theme Park
La Pineda Platja-Vila Seca

Languages In The Province Of Barcelona

There are two main official languages, which are Catalan and Castellaño, which is what we know as Spanish. Generally as a visitor if you try to speak Spanish that’s acceptable, because they realise that you’re a foreigner. However the Catalans have many reasons to be proud, and some of them may not be receptive to the Spanish language, even when it’s spoken by a foreigner.

Depending on where you visit some people may speak a good level of English. Generally speaking you can take it that in the towns which have a higher saturation of tourism, there will be more English spoken.

Apart from these languages, two others are officially recognised. Catalan sign language is now also officially a language and in Catalonia, in the province of Lleida, Aranese which is spoken in the valley of Aran is also an official language. This language is a dialect of Occitan.

Counties Within The Province

In Spain each province is divided into comarques. However the Catalans don’t agree with that term, and as an English speaker it can be easier just to see these areas as counties.