Holidays in Catalonia

Overview

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With glorious beaches, rugged coves, towering peaks, great rivers and majestic cities, Catalonia is a region of contrasts.

To the northeast, and the most northerly of Spain’s Mediterranean provinces, the Catalonian coastline is interspersed with sheltered coves and whitewashed fishing villages. Medieval walled villages stand amongst the pine-clad rocky mountains that rise sharply from the coast, where the beaches vary from long, sandy stretches to pretty coves.

A major power in the Middle Ages, and the point from which the Ancient Romans launched their assault on Spain, it was the enterprising Catalonians who spearheaded the drive for tourists back in the 1960s when the Costas first rose to fame. A land of glittering patron-saint festivals, Catalonia was also the birthplace of Salvador Dali. Its capital, Barcelona, is globally renowned as a great centre of modernist architecture and offers an enticing mix of history and culture.

Its spectacular mountain ranges provide visitors with breathtaking natural architecture of an altogether different kind. Its people are warm and welcoming. And its culinary delights include delicious combinations of the very best the land and ocean has to offer. Local wines include the produce of La Rioja and Navarra, and various vineyards are open to tourists.  Catalonia is also home to Cava, the champagne of Spain. 

Each Keycamp parc in Catalonia has been handpicked to provide you with a superb family holiday location, with several parcs offering direct access to some of the finest beaches on the Costa Dorada and Costa Brava.

Places to visit

Barcelona

Host city of the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona, as serenaded by Montserrat Caballé, is not simply the ancient capital of Catalonia. This proudly elegant city is also rapidly establishing a name for itself as home to some of the very finest modern architecture. The highlight of your visit will certainly be a tour of Gaudi’s incredible unfinished cathedral, La Sagrada Familia, or for football fans, a tour of FC Barcelona’s incredible Camp Nou. But also spend a little time browsing the excellent shops before watching the street artists and performers from one of the cafés in Las Ramblas. Take an hour or so to explore the city’s magnificent aquarium and perhaps the Caixa Forum museum with its contemporary exhibits.

Gerona

Just a short hop from the Costa Brava resorts, this ancient Catalonian town has a wonderful 14th Century cathedral as well as a superbly preserved Arab bathhouse. Gerona also has a wealth of museums. A maze of alleys and cobbled streets wind through the pretty old quarter and its here that you will find numerous small shops, including those specialising in local produce as well as arts, crafts and jewellery. There’s even a shop selling homemade chocolate and another devoted to nougat. The old town is attractively lit at night.

Pals

A medieval, walled hilltop village, Pals is perched high above the sea and commands excellent views over the nearby coastline and Medas Islands. Try to arrive a little later in the day when the majority of day-trippers have headed back to their accommodation. Three miles away, Platja de Pals provide the perfect place to cool off in the ocean.

Sitges

A haven for artists as well as wealthy Barcelonians, stylish Sitges has successfully mixed the old and the new to provide a quite different holiday experience. Comprising a number of small beaches, flanked by quaint old streets housing trendy shops and fashionable bars, Sitges offers holidaymakers a bohemian cocktail of contemporary style and Catalonian culture.

Places to visit

Aquabrava Waterpark

Near Rosas, Aquabrava has giant spiral waterchutes and slides.

Aquapolis Waterpark

With an array of waterslides and pools, plus dolphin and sea lion shows, a trip to this waterpark will ensure the whole family has a fun-filled day to remember.

Port Aventura

Just three miles from Salou, you’ll find a world of fabulous rides! As well as dazzling shows and entertainment, and an infinite variety of shops and restaurants to suit all tastes. The world is at your fingertips as you journey around the theme park, visiting exotic Polynesia, Imperial China, flamboyant Mexico, the Wild West and the Mediterranean. Pre-book your tickets with Keycamp and enjoy a saving on entry prices.

European Balloon Festival

The Catalonian town of Igualada each year hosts one of the largest balloon festivals in Europe. Around 25,000 spectators come to watch 40 hot air balloons take to the sky in a colourful display, with market stalls and local cuisine finishing the festival off.

Places to visit

Aiguestortes National Park

High in the Catalan Pyrenees, the Aiguestortes National Park boasts spectacular granite peaks, spring meadows carpeted with profusions of wild flowers and foothills blanketed by fir and pine forests. In the heart of the National Park there is an impressive lake that was formed through glaciation. There are various walks here, ranging from the gentle to the more strenuous.

Cadaqués

Cadaqués isn’t just an extremely pretty fishing village, it has whitewashed houses, a lovely harbour, café-lined narrow streets and a wonderful beach. Once a summer retreat for wealthy Catalans, Cadaqués was also the place where Salvador Dali produced many of his earlier works. In fact, he loved the place so much, he later chose to live here. Less than a mile north of the village, you can visit Dali’s house. Plus there is also a museum showing much of his work.

Figueres

This peaceful Catalan town is home to the Teatre Museu Dali, Salvador Dali’s fascinating museum with its unique domed roof. Venture inside the museum and you will find yourself in a totally surrealist world where nothing is quite what it initially seems. Figueres was also home to the inventor of the submarine, Narcis Monturiol, and an exhibition is devoted to him at the Museu de L’Emporada.