Now, I guess most people wouldn't think of Peace when they think of the rather Touristy Spanish centre that is Salou, but living with five other people in a rather small bungalow going away with just my husband for a week anywhere would be peaceful. Anyway, peace is in the mind rather than ... Read review
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Advantages: Sun, Sea, Shops, Sand, Beautiful Backdrop of mountains Disadvantages: Noisy, especially at night!
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We have been to Salou before and there are lots of things that I remember, but the bulk of this review will be written on a notepad while I am away and typed up when I get back.
Find below bits taken from my notes.
Where is it then?
A friend of mine guessed Greece! I always thought her geography was loads better than mine. Salou is in Spain. About 50 kilometres south west of Barcelona, on the Costa ... ...years ago we went to Salou and stayed in a noisy hotel about two kilometres outside the centre. The hotel food was pretty awful and apart from having it's own little beach right on the doorstep (literally) we were sorely disappointed. Having said that, and probably because of that, we went out a lot and had the best holiday we had had for a long time.
This year, we have had a busy time, with family living with us, and a new grandson ... more
Now, I guess most people wouldn't think of Peace when they think of the rather Touristy Spanish centre that is Salou, but living with five other people in a rather small bungalow going away with just my husband for a week anywhere would be peaceful. Anyway, peace is in the mind rather than in the place I find, and my husband is the most peaceful person I know to be with so peace is what I am expecting.
We have been to Salou before and there are lots of things that I remember, but the bulk of this review will be written on a notepad while I am away and typed up when I get back.
Find below bits taken from my notes.
Where is it then?
A friend of mine guessed Greece! I always thought her geography was loads better than mine. Salou is in Spain. About 50 kilometres south west of Barcelona, on the Costa Dorada.
What sort of place is it?
A huge tourist centre. One of those places that started out as a small fishing village and was found in the 1960's by people wanting fun in the sun and it just grew. It is now the busiest holiday destination on the coast of Spain.
Why we went. (The personal bit)
Six years ago we went to Salou and stayed in a noisy hotel about two kilometres outside the centre. The hotel food was pretty awful and apart from having it's own little beach right on the doorstep (literally) we were sorely disappointed. Having said that, and probably because of that, we went out a lot and had the best holiday we had had for a long time.
This year, we have had a busy time, with family living with us, and a new grandson here as well, we work hard and long hours, I work shifts and often we miss each other for several days at a time. We leave little notes and text messages so decided it was time to go away and spend some real quality time together.
Back to Salou.
The weather was wonderful. Hot and sunny with a little cooling breeze off the sea. This is pretty much what one would expect at this time of year.
The beaches.
Salou has one really long beach, where you can participate in pretty much any sort of water sport that you want to. It also has a series of smaller coves at each end of it that serves the out of town hotels and apartments. We stayed in a hotel just 800 metres from the main beach but only 100 metres from a small cove.
The beaches are clean and well kept. They all have the blue flag, which shows that they comply with the European standard for cleanliness and water quality. The water is almost warm in July, clear so you can stand shoulder height and look down and see your feet and in this part of the Costa Dorada the beaches shelve gently so it is safe for children to splash in the shallows.
The main beach has a long tree lined promenade for gentle walks or even a jog if you feel inclined. There are showers every so often to wash the salt and sand off after being on the beach.
Shops.
In Salou you can buy anything from cheap beach wear, gaudy gifts to take home for family and friends to designer clothes and expensive perfumes, most of which are cheaper than you can get in Britain.
The streets are lined with shops and bars and cafes. It is a great place for letting your other half sit and enjoy a pint or two while you wander in and out of the shops.
Getting around.
Walkng is good, the streets are smooth and mostly fairly wide, it is a bit hilly on the outskirts and we did see a couple of people struggling with wheelchairs so if you have one of these then I would suggest you stay in the centre and don't venture too far out of town.
A fairly regular bus service seems to run. A time table could be collected from the tourist centre.
There are trains that run to Tarragona and Barcelona.
Taxis are reasonably priced and simple to call. Most hotels will call a taxi for their clients.
One day we caught one of the train/buses that go from one end to the other. These look like trains but run on the roads, they are a bit like a tractor with a couple of tailers and are pretty bumpy but it was quite cheap and fun. They would make a good sight seeing trip if you just got on and stayed on for the whole journey.
Things to do, places to visit.
Once the novelty of wandering aimlessly along the seafront, or round the shops or sitting drinking and eating has worn off there are lots of places nearby to visit.
A short bus ride or train ride east along the coast is Tarragona, with its Roman arena and it's beautiful monastery.
Just outside Salou is a wonderful theme park called Port Aventura. We visited this park and enjoyed a few of the rides there. The place is set out as different countries very much like most theme parks. A great day away from the beach for young and not so young alike.
You can take a coach trip up into the mountains and visit Andorra. A tiny place situated between France and Spain. Here you can buy duty free items or even go skiing for a large part of the year.
The skyline of Salou has been spoiled somewhat by the hotels and apartments. Look anyway you want and you will see building after building but behind those there are the beautiful mountains offering a lovely backdrop.
If you hire a car or even a scooter you can quite soon venture out of town and into the peace and tranquillity of the rather barren countryside.
Nightlife.
Pubs and clubs stay open for most of the night in Salou. Wherever you stay you will hear music and youngsters having fun. We didn't stay out late but could hear quite a bit of noise in out hotel room into the early hours of each morning. This didn't bother us, we sleep through just about anything but if you are looking for peaceful nights then this wouldn't be a place I would suggest.
Who goes there?
People of all nationalities and of all ages appear to enjoy holidays in Salou. The clean safe beaches are a perfect place for families to enjoy a holiday in the sun. The nearby places to visit are perfect for people wanting to spend their days exploring or having fun.
Accommodation ranges from cheap apartments to share with friends to quite expensive four star hotels that offer a bit of comfort and luxury.
The official website for Salou is full of information and can be read in several different languages. It opens in Spanish but if you click the Union Jack it will display in English. I have included the link below.
http://www.salou.altanet.org/
Also for anyone interested I have included a website link for a map of Salou.
And did we find our peace? The answer to that question is yes we did. We sat on the beach, swam in the sea, wandered round the shops and ate and drank far too much but in our own way our holiday restored a bit of peace and togetherness so was perfect for us.
Advantages: Cheap, Hot, Port Adventura, Short transfer Disadvantages: Commercialised, Bit rowdy in places
Salou is the biggest resort and rightly claims to be the capital of the Costa Dorada, Spain. Costa Dorada which means 'Golden Coast' (very apt) refers to the 150 miles of golden sands which run south of Barcelona to the ancient city of Tarragona. Costa Dorada isn't as hot or as popular as the Costa Blanca or the Costa Del Sol and indeed isn't as exclusive as the Costa Brava but that does have it's advantages because it has a lot to offer.
¬Location¬
... ...hours). The harbour end of Salou is where the old town of Salou lies and that is the quiter end whereas the other end is the new town and here you will find most of the shops, bars and clubs.
¬Climate and beaches¬
Salou's main beach is four miles long with further quiter beaches and coves just around the headlands. They all face to the south-east and that is why the beaches are so warm and golden. The resort is also protected inland by the Catalunyan ...
WormThatTurned 19.07.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Salou in General
Advantages: Port Aventura, Aquopolis, proximity to Barcelona Disadvantages: Unattractive high rise accommodation, High road tolls
Friends of ours suggested Salou for this years vacation primarily because of the presence of Port Aventura, the only Universal studios site in Europe.
Resorts include:
SALOU, a tight knit and rapidly growing area of high rise hotels, cheap tacky gift shops, bars and restaurants, very busy and not my idea of a pleasant holiday, although I would recommend Champions bar to anyone visiting, particularly if they like quizzes and raucous entertainment ... ...Season from La Pineda into Salou at a cost of 680pta (c£3.50) for 2 adults, 2 kids into Salou, a taxi (usually air-conditioned) 1300ptas (c£5.50) for the return journey if you can't cope with the long queues and sweaty bodies on the local bus service.
La Pineda is also home to Aquopolis a fabulous water park hosting a range of fun rides and swimming pools including wave machine, crazy golf, childrens play area, numerous eateries at reasonable prices ...
sue.51 14.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Salou in General
Advantages: Salou, Port Aventura (the best European theme park), Tarragona, Cambrils, 1 hour to Barcelona Disadvantages: Disadvantages?????
...facilities.
### Ok, but Salou is a SPANISH CITY, isn’t it??? ###
Many people, especially the British, think that Spain is only ONE nation, but they (you) are wrong. Catalonia is a different nation (Independentists say Catalonia is not Spain) and we have a political autonomy. - "The Generalitat is the institution in which the self-government of Catalonia is politically organised. The Generalitat's powers are designated by the Constitution (Spanish ... ...Statute of Catalonia.-
~Is Salou a Spanish city? -Yes, it is- or -No, it isn’t- (Both answers are right)
~Is Salou a Catalan city? Yes, it is, of course. (The best answer ;-D)
### Well, but you speak Spanish, don’t you??? ###
Yes, we do. I speak Catalan (my mother tongue), Spanish, some English (I must apologise for my English) and German. Under the Spanish Constitution, the Catalan language and two languages more (Galician and Basque) are official ...
McBol_Salou 11.01.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Salou in General
Advantages: Cheap, Sunny Lots to do Disadvantages: None
...ample for your general needs. Salou itself is a lovely town with a gorgeous, long sandy beach. There are plently of facilities at the beach itself; peddle-boat hire, sun-bed and parasol hire, toilets, showers, volleyball nets, gym, ice-cream vendors and even a funfair which is open until late at night.
There are plenty of shops and stalls in the town which are definately aimed at the tourist market; watch out for religious figurines in a sea-shell!!
... ...is a must.
Beyond, Salou itself, there is ample public transport facilities to allow you to explore the region. Buses in the area are both frequent and reasonably priced; so much so that I really wouldn't bother hiring a car to come here. The nearby city of Tarragona makes for a good day out with its Roman Ampitheatre (for all you 'Gladiator' fans) and old town, and takes just 20 mins by bus to get there from Salou centre.
Barcelona is also a must ...
s.garland 25.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Salou in General
Advantages: Rovers Return - fantastic Disadvantages: very busy and noisy
...flatmates.
We stayed in the Salou Suites apartments on the main street in salou. Well, to put it simply, we didnt sleep till at least 6am every night. It was so loud and busy outside.
The beaches are lovely and very nice, clean water, but i have never in my life seen such a busy beach as the main salou beach. There is a smaller beach further round from the main one, past the cliffs and it is a lot smaller, but just as nice and quieter. Though still ... ...only place to go in salou for a good night - especially if you are scottish but even if your not - is the Rovers Return. It is on the cliffside between the 2 beaches and it is owned by a guy from falkirk called lenny. It is great for kids as well, with about 4 games a night for the kids, plus treasure hunts, bingo and quizzes that the kids can all get involved in. They show new films during the day, for example last week they were showing shrek, ...
LisaWilliamson 06.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Salou in General
Peace at last! 
