"When the topic of going away on holiday together came up between myself and The Boyfriend, I must admit I was a little apprehensive. Sure, spending a week away together soaking up the sun sounds perfect in theory but it was going to be our first holiday together. Expectations were high and the last thing either of us wanted was to leave our sunny paradise with stormy rainclouds looming over us.
It all looked disastrous from the outset; he wanted to be close to the beach, I wanted to immerse myself in culture. On top of that, I needed to find somewhere that would have enough distractions to stop him from realising it takes me all morning to turn from beast to beauty.
After scouring the internet for last minute deals, we settled on Spain, the Costa Dorada to be precise and a week of sun, sea and sangria.
Leaving the grey clouds of London behind us, we arrived to blues skies and the sweltering heat at sometime after 9 a.m. Having dumped our bags, we immediately changed into our swimwear and made a short walk to the beach. We headed to the beaches of Salou, which are spectacular.
With its golden sands and rocky shorelines, Salou is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and hired some sunloungers, which are approximately £7 euros for a whole day’s hire. Over the weekend, we ventured to Cambrils, which is the next resort along from Salou and just €1.50 on the bus.
Cambrils is a much quieter area than Salou and its sandy beaches are perfect for strolling along hand-in-hand with your paramour. They have a beautiful marina, a few shops perfect for window shopping and some excellent fish restaurants facing the marina if you’re feeling peckish.
With the whole world trying to save some money, self catering accommodation was the only option we had for Spain so we visited the local supermarket and stocked up on supplies for the week. A top tip is to stock up on a lot of bottled water whilst you are out there.
Although tap water is safe to drink in Spain, the mineral content differs from water in the UK so can give you a dodgy tummy if you’re used to drinking tap water over here. I had lots of fun attempting to be Nigella for the week but when we went out for dinner, we discovered a multitude of restaurants and bistros in Salou along the beachfront. There are some good value-for-money tapas restaurants off the main parade that we discovered on our final day. As it is a popular resort, there’s plenty on offer so you are sure to find something you’ll enjoy.
Accommodation close to Port Aventura
One of the main attractions for choosing the Costa Dorada however, was Portaventura and we spent 2 days exploring the park. We booked our tickets before we went on holiday, getting a 4 day pass for €55 for adults, a bargain considering a day pass is approximately €44 when bought on the day. You can buy these advance tickets directly from the Port Aventura website.
Upon arriving, head to the Visitors Office, which is just beyond the queuing desks and exchange your printout for your passes. 4 days sounds like a lot but it is virtually impossible exploring the park in a day, particularly if you are planning on coming here with young children in tow. Plus with the advance ticket, you also get a reduced entry fee into the Caribe Water Park. We didn’t take advantage of this offer but with an indoor and outdoor area with lots of activities on offer, it is worth checking out whilst you are here.
As with most theme parks, the queues are a little long but we discovered if you head to the park first thing in the morning, or at about 3 p.m, queue times are considerably shorter. We loved Furius Baco, which takes off at 135kph and this is a definite highlight if you are an adrenaline junkie. The Dragon Khan was another highlight. Although initially perturbed to go on a ride with 8 loops, upon exiting the ride, we queued up to go on it again which resulted in rather queasy stomachs and a cringe worthy photograph.
Food prices are a little steep but I’d invest in buying a ‘golden cup’ whilst you are there. For an initial payment of €12, you can take your cup to any food retailer in the park and have your glass refilled with a beverage of your choice throughout the day.
There are also many shows in Portaventura. As the park is divided into different lands, make sure you note down the times of the shows you wish to see and get to that theatre 10 minutes before the show begins.
Barcelona
After a few days of lazing on the beach and screaming on rollercoasters, we decided to feed on the cultural feast Barcelona had to offer us. Being the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, Barcelona has plenty to offer in terms of sights.
Our coach dropped us off at the old port and upon arriving, I resisted the temptation of spending all my money in the Maremagnum shopping mall and headed for The Aquarium.
The Aquarium houses 450 different species and its 80 metre long underwater tunnel means that only a thick sheet of glass separates you from the stingrays and sharks that rapidly swim around you.
After staring at the fishes, we made our way to Las Ramblas. Las Ramblas is a 1.2km street in central Barcalona littered with restaurants, clothes shops and performers. If you choose to visit this street, you will find yourself constantly captivated by magicians, mime artists and dancers so prepare to spend a lot of time here slowly ambling along the sidewalk. If you live in or have visited London, it is reminiscent of Covent Garden but on a much grander scale. As in any major city, pickpocketing is a problem here so please be aware of any valuables you have on you.
We meandered through the Gothic Quarter and after getting ourselves a little lost, we took a cab and headed to the Sagrada Familia. A lot of Barcelona’s buildings in the Gothic Quarter date back to medieval times and there are also notable examples of Modernist architecture. One of the finest examples of the Modernist/Art Noveau movement is the Sagrada Familia, designed by Antoni Gaudi. Although not yet completed, this magnificent Roman Catholic Church is awe-inspiring and well worth visiting if you venture to Barcelona.
The Boyfriend started digging in his heels by this point. A major football fan, he wanted to visit the Nou Camp. Camp Nou is the largest stadium in Europe and home to arguably one of the most successful clubs in European football, FC Barcelona. Unfortunately U2 were playing a concert on that day so we were unable to get too close to the grounds but providing there isn’t a concert taking place, for a small fee you are able to take a tour of the grounds as well as the changing rooms, which is a must have visit for any sports fan. Seeing as we couldn’t get close to the grounds, The Boyfriend dragged me into a sports bar where we were able to look lots of football memorabilia.
After a bite to eat, we soon had to get on our coach back home but not before a quick detour to see the Magic Fountain. Located on Montjuic, a hill in Barcelona, the Magic Fountain or the Font Magica to give it its Catalonian name, is a visual delight combining music, lights and water. Legend has it that if you drink the water from the fountain, you will return to Barcelona once again, having fallen in love with the city. Arms wrapped around The Boyfriend’s waist, droplets of water falling on my skin, I thought back to my adventure in Barcelona and smiled. Words and photos do not give this show justice but the sights and the sounds of the Magic Fountain was the perfect end to my day in Barcelona.
The days flew by and The Boyfriend and I soon found ourselves back on a plane back to London. Although we had an early morning flight, we spent most of our time on the plane avidly exchanging our favourite memories of the holiday.
The Costa Dorada is a beautiful place to visit with lots on offer for both couples and families. The sun-worshipping Boyfriend was thrilled with his tan and the beautiful sandy beaches, I was excited by all the memorabilia I had picked up in Barcelona, we both laughed at the big kids in us making an appearance in Portaventura! The local people are hospitable, the food was amazing and the surroundings, heavenly. Whether you fancy a week of relaxation, an activities based week or you fancy being a culture vulture, there is something to suit all in the Coast Dorada."
Where to stay in Costa Dorada?
P&V has a special offer for its Pierre & Vacanaces Residence Cala Cristal, Miami Platja, Costa Dorada this summer.
Pierre & Vacanaces Residence Cala Cristal, Miami Platja is located 130km south of Barcelona and just 25km from the Port Aventura theme park, making this residence a perfect location for a fun-filled family break.
The property benefits from direct access to the long sandy beach of Platja Cristal, a snack bar with a terrace and a swimming pool overlooking the sea. For more information, please visit www.pv-holidays.com.
Getting there
By plane: Port Aventura is just an hour from Barcelona airport and 15 minutes from Reus airport.
By car: From Barcelona, one hour by the AP7 Freeway (La Jonquera-Valencia). Take the direct exit to the park (exit 35). Alternatively, you can take highway N-340 (Barcelona-Valencia), N-420 (Tarragona-Teruel) and N-240 (Tarragona-Lleida).
By train: Port Aventura has its own station
Beat The Euro
PV-Holidays.com are returning travellers to the dizzy days of 2008 Euro exchange rates, saving them up to 45 per cent on the cost of summer family holidays to France or Spain. The offer is available on all P&V properties on all dates –including the school summer holidays, making it great for families!
The Discount
These latest deals can also be combined with any other P&V offer currently available, including the 15 per cent early booking discount or the 20 per cent discount on stays over two weeks.
The campaign will be running for the whole of this summer, basing its prices on the Euro to Sterling exchange rate of summer 2008 (£1 to €1.28), when holidays were around 22 per cent cheaper than earlier this month (£1 to €1.05)
The Code
To claim your discount, the discount code for Beat The Euro is: 8258. Enter it on the Beat The Euro page on the website. The offer is valid on all holidays until November 7th.
Find more information on the Beat The Euro page and as always, find a wealth of information on P&V's website PV-Holidays.com.
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