Tortosa, Tarragona & Reus! Costa Daurada Gems!

Tortosa, Tarragona & Reus!
Costa Daurada Gems!

Like our beloved Barcelona,
Tarragona, Reus and Tortosa
are Catalan spectacular gems! 

Like our beloved Barcelona, nearby Tarragona, Reus and Tortosa are Catalan spectacular city gems! We love our new beach home in rural coastal Spain near the famous Ebro Delta nature reserve. & with nearby Tortosa, Reus, Tarragona and Barcelona, it feels like we have the best of both worlds. A peaceful place in nature on a Costa Daurada beach with nearby  olive farms, vineyards, Delta Ebro park and many ecotourism opportunities. Plus, it’s a hiking and biking heaven. But if we are in the mood or need for beautiful, walkable cities nearby, we have many great choices! ( Including Sitges, Vilanova I la Geltru, Cubella and Valencia, where we have local friends from our 20 years of visiting Spain regularly).I love how everything is a close train ride away or a fast drive on good, well maintained highways! We choose to be carless now as it is easiest, but we own a stored vintage camper van and rent a car when needed.

Many Spaniards who live in Barcelona, Tortosa, Tarragona and Reus have second homes in our beach town for summer and weekend getaways. We often go to Barcelona since we love it, like this recent visit in April at the main square Plaça de Catalunya. Part of the great value of our quiet beach home that we loved, is the easy fast train to Barcelona! We are ready to trade in our beloved San Francisco for our beloved Barcelona! So grateful to be able to do it so fast and easily by train!

This is also particularly important for our 24 year old daughter, Heavenly Reyna and visitors. The fastest train is just 1 hour and 25 minutes from our beach house to Barcelona. It is a very short walk by our lovely harbor to the tiny, easy train station. There is always some activity at the cafes, but most of the apartments are empty except weekends and summer high season. Only 3000 people live in this beach town full time. Sunny week days even in June have never crowded, well-kept beaches. 

Bigger train stations can be more complicated, but ours is simple & straightforward.The station is small, but plenty of seating, a little bar, one-person small window for tickets and cover if needed. One side goes toward Valencia & Tortosa.The other side goes toward Tarragona and Barcelona. Often it is faster than driving and MUCH easier and more comfortable. Barcelona day trips are a dream! 

 My husband fell in love with Barcelona and Gaudi when he first visited Spain about 35 years ago. In fact, he has a whole series of art pieces that were inspired by Gaudi and that first visit. Over 50 years ago, I lived and worked as model in Italy, so traveled all over Europe and fell in love with it all. Our daughter Heavenly went to school in a beautiful, ancient white village in Andalucia, Spain from 1st through 4th grade, summered for long stays near Barcelona, traveled all of it, so always felt like Spain was her home. We are so happy to discover that Tarragona, Reus and Tortosa are also exquisite, walkable, creative cities that breathe history! 

 
TORTOSA

Our closest Spanish city jewel!! 2000 year old Tortosa, Spain is only 15 minutes away by train or car. ( Less than 5 euros per person round trip by train, even cheaper by bus). The famous Castle ( and  Paradores Hotel) has one of the most stunning views in Europe! ( See Instagram reel below!) Tortosa also has the best Renaissance Festival in the world every July!

We took our daughter Heavenly with us on the train to explore this famous castle and we were all blown away. Plus the lunch at the Paradores restaurant outside was divine. (Paradores are Spain's amazing luxury hotels in ancient, historic buildings like this castle). It was a Tuesday in late May and we had this killer view almost totally to ourselves. It is just a short, tree lined walk through the city with lovely architecture, cafes and shops along the way.

Part of the old town, historic center architecture reminded me of Florence. I can’t wait to see this ancient site filled with people dressed in Renaissance clothes! Besides the castle, the cathedral is so unique and the Ebro river ( Spain’s largest river) adds so much beauty.

We were surprised and delighted that the meal was absolutely superb! We had not really planned to eat there, but the coffee was good, so we thought why not. Perfection! So we will be back often & likely, will bring many guests over the years. 

The walk through the cute town was shaded and short distance from the train station.Tortosa is pedestrian-friendly, designed to be explored on foot, allowing you to immerse yourself in its history and charm.

 The large Municipal Market in Tortosa ( similar to La Boqueria in Barcelona) is a significant commercial hub and major attraction, known for its wide variety of fresh produce, bars and restaurants. It's located in a unique  Art Nouveau building, next to the Ebro river and is one of the city's most emblematic landmarks.

 Right near the center of Tortosa is a lovely park called the Parc de Teodoro González. There are some lovely, regal Plane trees in a long, wide, shaded walk that reminded me of Paris. Also a large, gorgeous Jacaranda tree was in full purple bloom. Although designed by Joan Guanyabens, not Gaudi, we could see the connection. The park's design, with its organic shaped handrails built with cement and small gravel, demonstrates a connection to the emerging Modernisme style that Gaudí's work would later exemplify. It offers a glimpse into the architectural ideas that were gaining momentum in Catalonia during that period and would eventually be popularized and amplified by Gaudí's visionary creations. 

There are about 36, 000 people who live in Tortosa. Interestingly,The Camino del Ebro has as its starting point near Tortosa & which is  built on one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula, the Ebro River. It is a pilgrimage Way to Santiago de Compostela with the most spectacular views. Legend has it that both St James the Apostle and the Apostle Santiago himself traveled on this route. Our daughter has interest in doing the camino, so this was fun to learn! It is also the best biking route that only takes a week. So something we might do in the future. 

Tortosa is situated on & synonymous with the Ebro River, Spain's second longest, and is the last major town before the river enters the Ebro Delta and flows into the Mediterranean Sea. This ancient city is also located between Els Ports National Park and Ebro Delta National Park and thus, gives it a unique connection to nature & a long history. They also have a big Jazz festival we look forward to. We are grateful and excited that it is our closest city!

 

 

 TARRAGONA

Tarragona is an enchanting, walkable & World Heritage city and University town as well as a beach town and one with a Roman Colosseum! There are also great restaurants, architecture, nightlife, stores and malls. The Rambla Nova is the city’s  beautiful 150-year-old main street, lined with trees, high end shops & restaurants.

At one  end of the Rambla Nova near the sea, is one of the best viewpoints in the city: the famous ‘Balcó del Mediterrani’! See my Tarragona youtube short of that spectacular view above ( or in this link). 

Tarragona was established by the Romans in 218 B.C. and visited by Emperors Augustus and Hadrian. It was the first and oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian PeninsulaIt & a capital, plus it  was one of the few Roman cities honored with a circus, a theater and amphitheater.Plus it has a great beach view!

 

The beautiful Tarragona Cathedral is special and over 2000 years old. Built on the site of a Roman temple, it evolved through Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods, showcasing a unique blend of architectural styles.I especially liked the bell tower and cloisters near the old town. 

Different areas of the city really vary & keeps it fascinating. The photo above is the old town and this one below is the main street, a spacious, tree lined promenade going toward the sea view. The facades on this stunning architectural tapestry of the grand, 168 year old Rambla Nova showcase a diverse range of architectural styles, from neoclassical to modernist buildings.  

 I especially love that a city this rich with Roman ruins, high end shopping, Old Town & University also had so much nature and great beaches. Europe, Spain and Catalonia understand beauty and how to creates a visually compelling streetscape that nurtures all who walk it and visit. 

Heavenly is the shopper in our family and loves to shop. Not only do they have great shopping malls, but you can also explore the charming Rambla Shopping Avenue, with hundreds of stores and luxury brands like Apple,  Gucci, and Chanel.

REUS 

Alluring Reus is famous as the birthplace of Gaudi and for having the second-largest number of modernist buildings in Catalonia, after Barcelona. 

We fist visited during a small festival and loved it instantly. Another walkable, charming city for us to explore and it is also known for it's shopping. Plus the Reus airport and closeness to the largest amusement park in Spain Portadventura World, makes it a popular location.

 

 We love Gaudi, so liked the Gaudi center ( though not crazy about the over use of the tech stuff),  but we absolutely loved Casa Navas! Reus is packed with architectural jewels, but Casa Navas is the absolute prize in its Modernist crown. 

 Many consider Casa Navas to be one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau in Europe, even the best!  It's a unique and well-preserved example,  built between 1901 and 1908 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Gaspar Homar. 

 We are so glad we took the tour as it was mesmerizing! 

Reus is a fun, picturesque city and known as a "shopping city" because it boasts over 600 commercial establishments located in a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly historic center. What a delightful place to shop, walk around and enjoy the ambiance. 

Too many miss Tarragona and these beautiful cities and in fact we did as well, despite coming to Spain for 20 years. There are so many great places in Spain that is hard to see it all. Once we knew we were going to buy something in this area, we started to get to know “our” cities. Our daughter Heavenly is young so more of a city person, so I especially wanted to have close by, fun cities for her. Being a large city, Tarragona is also a gateway for  fast trains to Madrid and elsewhere in Spain and Europe. I will be writing more about this special area. What questions would you like answered?