Things to do in Tarragona
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tarragona
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall. Warm sea from late May, long light, full opening, and Santa Tecla in September.
Spring with Holy Week processions and calçotades to April. Sea swimmable for the brave from late April.
Peak and hardest. Heat, maximum crowds, locals on holiday and some independents closed mid August.
Quietest and cheapest except calçot weekends and Christmas. Roman sites empty, sea for walking beside.
What's on
- Santa Tecla 15-24 September
Ten days of giants, castells, correfoc fire runs and fireworks. Book accommodation months ahead.
- Tarraco Viva usually May
Roman re-enactment festival with gladiators in the amphitheatre, markets, legion camps and talks.
- Concurs de Castells first weekend of October, even years
The Olympics of human towers at Tarraco Arena. Tickets sell out fast after release.
- Concurs de Focs Artificials early July
International fireworks competition over Punta del Miracle, best seen from the Balcó or sea view rooms.
- Gran Festa de la Calçotada late January
Valls calçot festival at the peak of the winter calçot eating season.
- Sant Magí mid-August, around 15-19 August
Water themed festa major petita with castells and music, in peak heat and local holiday closures.
- Sant Joan 23-24 June
Midsummer bonfires and beach parties, and the start of castells season.
Best things to do in Tarragona
Amfiteatre Romà
Roman arena carved into the slope above the sea, with Visigothic and medieval layers inside the same bowl.
Circ Romà
Walk the vaulted galleries under the chariot racing circus, absorbed into the medieval city above.
Torre del Pretori
Tower linking forum and circus whose roof gives the definitive view over cathedral, old town and sea.
Tarragona Cathedral
Romanesque to Gothic cathedral whose quiet cloister garden is the part visitors rate highest.
Part Alta
The living medieval upper town of lanes, squares and terraces, best done with an aimless hour and no checklist.
Passeig Arqueològic
Shaded promenade along some of the oldest Roman walls in Iberia, and the least crowded major Roman site.
Balcó del Mediterrani
Iron railing at the end of Rambla Nova where the city stops above amphitheatre, port and sea.
Museu Nacional Arqueològic de Tarragona
The great Roman collection of mosaics and sculpture, currently shown at Tinglado 4 in the port.
Where to stay in Tarragona
Part Alta / Cathedral Quarter
first timers, couples, history first stays
Walk to amphitheatre, circus and cathedral in under 10 minutes, with magical mornings and atmospheric evenings.
Rambla Nova / Eixample / Balcó edge
best overall balance, mobility, families and train arrivals
Flat broad grid with the best full service hotels, 10 minutes from old town and beach direction buses.
El Serrallo / Moll de Pescadors
food lovers, second visits, local feel
Fishing quarter with seafood dinners on your doorstep and a flat walk or short bus to the Roman sites.
Arrabassada / Via Augusta beach strip
beach first families with a car
Morning swims without a bus ride and larger family apartments, at the cost of travel for old town dinners.
Near Tarragona Station / Marina
one night in transit
Handy for late trains and Miracle beach, but functional rather than charming and a steep climb to the Part Alta.
Think twice about
- Camp de Tarragona AVE station area
An isolated high speed station in open country 11 km out, with a bus or taxi dependency for every trip.
- Bonavista, Torreforta and Campclar peripheral estates
Ordinary outer residential zones with few visitor restaurants, poor late night transport and empty feeling streets.
- Salou main party strip in peak season
Loud, late and bar crawl oriented in late July and August, and 20 to 30 minutes from Tarragona old town.
- Port and petrochemical corridor south of El Serrallo
Industrial views, heavy traffic and occasional industrial smells, not the Mediterranean sea view imagined.
Best restaurants in Tarragona
El Terrat
Acclaimed flagship cooking Tarragona produce through a Mediterranean multicultural lens, the occasion table.
El Pòsit del Serrallo
Fishing quarter seafood institution built on the day catch, with generous romescada, rice and fideuà.
Restaurant Racó de l'Abat
Romantic stone walled old town restaurant cooking refined Mediterranean seafood, a couples favourite.
La Cuineta
Unpretentious Part Alta classic where locals eat Catalan home style market cooking done properly.
Barhaus
Modern Mediterranean small plates and natural leaning wines, the younger not traditional pick.
El Llagut
Chef led Serrallo seafood and rice specialist, the connoisseur alternative to El Pòsit.
Tarakon
Beloved tapas bar on a quiet old town square with generous plates and a calmer terrace than Plaça de la Font.
+Que Moya's
Rambla Nova tapas stop known for Thursday pinchos, croquettes and flamenquín, go at 8pm before pinchos run out.
Outdoor things to do in Tarragona
Platja de l'Arrabassada
The city best full service beach, 550 metres of fine sand with shallow entry ideal for families.
Platja de la Savinosa
Smaller, quieter cove on the northern walk, with a signed naturist section at one end.
Cala Romana
Pine backed cove on the coastal path between Arrabassada and Platja Llarga, quieter than the city beaches.
Platja Llarga
Long golden beach on the northern coves walk, a good swim stop before continuing toward Tamarit.
Platja de la Móra
Beach beneath Tamarit Castle backed by protected pine forest and dunes at the end of the coves walk.
Pont del Diable
Augustan aqueduct in pine woodland that you can walk along the top water channel, with care.
PortAventura Park
Spain biggest theme park with six themed worlds and headline coasters, 15 minutes from Tarragona.
Ferrari Land
Ferrari themed park whose headline is Red Force, a half day add on to the main PortAventura visit.
Best hotels in Tarragona
H10 Imperial Tarraco
City flagship facing amphitheatre and sea, with rooftop pool and the breakfast reviewers praise most.
Mas La Boella
Historic olive estate hotel with gardens and pool, the nearest true luxury country stay, car needed.
Hotel Lauria
Characterful Rambla hotel in a colonial style building with a small pool and garden rare at this price.
AC Hotel Tarragona by Marriott
Reliable modern Marriott with gym and step free access on a flat walk to Rambla and the station.
Hotel Plaça de la Font
Small boutique directly on the main old town square, the best wake up in the old town mid range address.
SB Ciutat de Tarragona
Modern hotel near Plaça Imperial with larger rooms, often the best value four star rate for families.
Hostal Noria
Long running budget hostal minutes from Plaça de la Font, praised for clean rooms and central location.
Hotel Sant Jordi
Simple friendly hotel on the road toward Arrabassada, good value for beach plus city walkers.
Is Tarragona expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €65 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €130 a person |
| Splurge | €240 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- PortAventura Park: weeks ahead
- Ferrari Land: weeks ahead
- Cartoixa d'Escaladei: weeks ahead
- Gratallops: weeks ahead
- INFINITUM: weeks ahead
- Golf Costa Daurada: a few days ahead
- Cambrils Catamaran Cruise: a few days ahead
- Casa Navàs: a few days ahead
- Santa Tecla hotels, PortAventura and Express, Priorat bodegas and Casa Navàs need weeks ahead.
- Book Racó de l'Abat, Barhaus, catamarans and Poblet days ahead in season.
- Many museums close Mondays and many restaurants close Sunday night or Monday, and some close mid August.
Is Tarragona safe?
- A low concern city, but keep bags zipped in festival crowds and never leave belongings unattended on beaches.
- Prefer lit Rambla or Via Augusta routes after dark over empty station and port underpasses.
- Heat is the real risk. Carry water and a hat, and heed mestral wind and jellyfish flags. Emergency number 112.
Tarragona travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Booking a Tarragona listing actually in Salou, La Pineda or at Camp station. Check the map and postcode.
- Using Platja del Miracle as your beach day when Arrabassada is 20 minutes away and twice the beach.
- Ordering generic paella first in El Serrallo instead of romescada, fideuà or the day landed catch.
- Going to the old MNAT building on Plaça del Rei instead of Tinglado 4, or expecting an enterable Roman Theatre.
Getting around Tarragona: public transport and more
- Walk the Part Alta, Rambla and Serrallo triangle, about 25 minutes end to end with hills.
- Use city buses for Arrabassada, Platja Llarga and La Móra, with better summer frequencies.
- Take the regional train to Tarragona city station, not Camp de Tarragona, unless connecting to a specific AVE.
- Taxis are metered and bookable at ranks. Ridehail coverage is thinner than Barcelona, so pre book for early trains.
Who Tarragona suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Tarragona your trip
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