Not far from the azure blue Mediterranean sea, lies the pretty medieval town of Pals. It has been declared to be a Historic Artistic site - you'll understand why, when you see its beautiful old quarter and wander around its cobbled streets. It's best explored at your own pace, so that you can lose yourself...
The fishing town of Sant Carles de la Rapita has been an important tourist destination for many years, because of its privileged location at the edge of the Delta de l'Ebre, by the sea, set against a backdrop of mountains. It certainly has a charm about it, although in recent years it has become more developed, but nothing that comes close to some areas of the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca. This town is still a gem, which has exceptional food, surroundings and plenty to do.
Made up of three distinctive parts, Alcanar has its fair share to offer tourists, who want to enjoy a typical, relaxing holiday in the area. The town of Alcanar is 3 km from the sea, where you'll find Les Cases d'Alcanar and Alcanar Platja (Alcanar Beach), and for those interested in history and archaeology, there is a very important site at Alcanar – La Moleta del Remei. If like me, you love prawns and seafood, this area should be on your radar, as I've had some of the best prawns ever there, plus it's well known for serving a very special seafood casserole (which is on my list to try next time).
Definitely one of the Costa Brava's little treasures, Begur, in Girona's Baix Empordà, is around 50 minutes drive from the stunning city of Girona (50 km) or 90 minutes (131 km) from the ever-buzzing Barcelona. It's within relatively easy reach of Ireland and the UK, with flights into either Girona or Barcelona. The town is stylish, colourful, classy and packed with gastronomic delights, with beaches where you can enjoy unparalleled beauty and crystalline waters. You really don't need to do much in Begur, just laze around in gorgeous coves like Sa Tuna and Aiguablava, and then get stressed out by having to decide which restaurant to choose for dinner.
Home to plenty of beaches and one of Catalonia's fantastic carnivals, Roses used to be a Greek colony, centuries before Christ. Greeks came from the lovely island of Rhodes in 776 BC, tempted by the peaceful waters of Roses' natural harbour, when they set up their commercial colony. Today, apart from enjoying the obvious charms of the beaches and evening entertainment, you can still see the remains of this Greek city and those of the Roman town. In fact La Ciutadella (The Citadel) contains these remains and others, that relate to the various occupations, which have spanned the last 13 centuries.
Filled with lovely coves and blue flag beaches, L'Ametlla de Mar is an unspoilt fishing town on the Costa Dorada, Catalonia. I like the colours of many of these fishing towns and villages, and L'Ametlla de Mar is no exception. Of course it depends on the light and the weather, but the whitewashed buildings that watch over the sea, with its gorgeous shades of blue and green, lapping up against the light golden sand, does it for me. Touches of greenery here and there, with rock formations and of course the fishing boats, make up a very pretty scene.
Salou was a surprise for me! I had very low expectations of Salou because of its reputation as a popular destination with young people who are off on their first boozy holiday, and for being the home of the massive theme park, Port Aventura. We entered from the south, which meant that we saw the beautiful Penya Tallada in Cape Salou, with its spectacular views, which changed my perspective of Salou. Of course it does have everything to suit family holidays for those who want loads of English orientated facilities, but it also has fine streets and so much greenery.
