For a lively, family-friendly and fun-filled holiday, combined with long golden sandy beaches and clear waters, look no further than the Costa Dorada in Catalonia. Also known as the Gold Coast, the Costa Dorada stretches for approximately 216 kilometres along the east coast of Spain, facing the Mediterranean Sea.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Costa Dorada, where I gained a great insight into what it has to offer as a holiday destination. The area includes the resorts of Salou, PortAventura, Cap Salou, La Pineda and Cambrils.

When we arrived, we travelled by coach to our hotel in La Pineda. The journey took approximately an hour and a half. We stayed at the four-star Hotel Estival Park for the duration of our trip.

This hotel is very popular with couples and families. It has a hotel-run kids’ club, great facilities for children and good entertainment for adults. It is located 250 metres from the beach, 700 metres from the resort centre and a five-minute walk from the Aquasplash Estival Resort and Aquopolis Waterpark. It is also only a short bus journey from the famous PortAventura theme park.

Once we had checked in and settled into the hotel, we travelled by coach to Tarragona. Tarragona is the capital of the Costa Dorada and has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.

On the second day of our trip, we visited PortAventura theme park. Located in the heart of the Costa Dorada, PortAventura is one of the largest theme parks in Europe. It offers thrilling roller coasters, live shows and a waterpark, with plenty to entertain both younger and older children.

PortAventura Resort includes PortAventura Park, PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park and Hotel PortAventura, which is part of the theme park complex. Hotel El Paso, Hotel Caribe and Hotel Gold River are also located around a five to ten-minute walk away.

We visited each of these hotels, and they all come highly recommended. They are close to the theme park, very family-friendly and offer an excellent standard of accommodation.

That afternoon, we visited the resort of Cambrils. It is a welcoming resort with an excellent range of holiday facilities, restaurants and shops. It is also known as the “Gastronomic Capital of the Costa Dorada” and was one of my personal favourites.

Its attractive port gives it a distinctive maritime atmosphere and is lined with cafés and restaurants. There is also a yacht club in the area.

The following morning, we visited Salou, where we were taken on a tour along the promenade. Salou is a popular resort on the Mediterranean coast, with seven kilometres of golden sandy beaches and coves. Its gently shelving shores and shallow waters make it particularly well suited to families with children.

We also visited Lumine Lakes Golf Club, which has an 18-hole golf course.

That afternoon, we drove to Reus, which took approximately 45 minutes. There, we visited the Gaudí Centre, which explores the work of local architect and engineer Antoni Gaudí. Many of his most famous buildings can be seen in Barcelona and are absolutely stunning.

I must say that the Costa Dorada offered far more than I expected. I would definitely recommend it to families with children, golf enthusiasts or anyone looking for a relaxing sun holiday.

Should you have any questions about the destination or wish to book your next holiday there, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be delighted to help in any way I can.