Car Hire Costa Dorada - Mini guide to Costa Dorada

The Costa Dorada, or Golden Coast, runs from north of Barcelona to Tarragona and boasts 200 km of beach with seemingly endless stretches of clean, soft sandy beaches and crystal clear water.

There are three main tourist centres on the Costa Dorada - Salou, La Pineda and Cambrils, all of which are clustered together on the section of coastline nearest to the Universal Studios theme park. Salou is the undisputed capital of this coastline with one of the biggest attractions being the mega theme park, Port Aventura, which is right alongside the resort. A short drive northeast up the coast is La Pineda. The safe sandy beaches make this a perfect holiday spot for families with young children.

Cambrils is the most southern of the three resorts and is a world apart from frantic Salou. Parts of the town are still very Spanish in character with narrow, cobbled streets, ancient buildings and typical tapas bars. The resort retains all the charm of a small fishing village and boasts some world-class seafood restaurants.

Tarragona was an important army base in Roman times and visitors can still see the remains of the forum, amphitheatre, aqueduct and fortified walls. The city also has an impressive medieval quarter. Barcelona is the Catalan Capital with its famous Ramblas, Gothic Quarter, fish restaurants as well as plenty of shopping and sightseeing.

The small villages inland appear unchanged with the passage of time. The town of Montblanc has a fine Gothic church and also of interest are the ruins of the 12th century Cistercian monastery at Poblet. The inland areas of the Costa Dorada are also a real paradise for lovers of adventure sports.

The airport of Reus is only 15 minutes drive away from Salou. The airport handles regular charter flights from London; average flying time is just two hours. International tourists also use scheduled flights into Barcelona, about one hour's drive north of Salou.